I had the usual “Yuzu crawled out of his cave for five minutes” follower influx, so, hello new people, welcome 🤗

To your left you see some pretty Yuzu pictures that I like to scan and edit, to your right you’ll find the occasional dumb comment. For more dumb comments you can also find me on twitter under the same name. Feel free to use my edits, as long as it’s for personal use (anything else would be stoopid and you know it). I also don’t mind reposting. If you do, any kind of referral to my tumblr/twitter is welcome, but not obligatory, I’m basically pretty “whatever” about this. I take requests, but I can’t promise that I’ll always have time and I can’t promise that I’ll always have the pictures you’re looking for, because for the most part I work with scans and not online sources.

Please check my How-To guide if you have trouble saving pictures in good enough quality, and please check my Tags Page if you’re looking for anything specific, my posts are usually tagged quite thoroughly.

“The King, the protagonist, has made his appearance at Incheon. Yuzuru Hanyu, we've all been waiting for you.” (BBMook Web 2018.2.11)

Translated by gladi. Feel free to repost text with credit. Photography by Ryosuke Menjyu. Source: http://www.bbm-japan.com/_ct/17147455

Shinichi Yamaguchi (Editor for Figure Skate Magazine, BBMook)

Is it the Beatles in happi coats you see in monochrome footage? Or is it the Rolling Stone’s first visit to Japan? His short program from the last season was by Prince, but it was an exuberant procession as though we were welcoming a rock star.

February 11, 2018. Yuzuru Hanyu has finally descended upon this land of the Olympics. That morning, the official language aboard the KTX from Gangneung, where the ice skating events are taking place, to Incheon Airport was Japanese. Next to me, diagonal across from me, are fellow reporter friends who are usually at the rinks covering [events]. As if on a school field trip, the press corps of close to 200 jolted around in the Incheon-bound train on the newly-activated KTX route.  Just––to catch a sight of Yuzuru Hanyu. 

The flight that Hanyu was probably aboard has a planned arrival time of 15:20. When we arrived at Incheon and checked the Arrivals board, there was a delay with a new arrival time of 16:10. The majority of the reporters and photographers had arrived at the airport at 13:00; some were on benches typing away on their laptop keyboards, some had lunch at Burger King (The Whopper meal set was 8400 KRW. Good price.), and some were digging into the kimbab (seaweed roll) they bought at convenience stores, but their sights were glued to the planned arrival gate B. Perhaps to avoid chaos, the arrival gate was switched to “A” at the very far end, and so the whole pack slid from left to right, just like the sidelines of American football. 

The flight landed at 15:57. Shortly thereafter, police reminiscent of The Blues Brothers set up a passage in preparation for the king. But the essential––the king––was nowhere to be found. “Did he arrive?” “No” “Is that Hanyu?” “Wrong person”––these back-and-forth’s went on for 50-plus times. At 16:58, enrobed in the Japanese team blazer, Hanyu made his entrance. “Waaa––“ Amidst cheers and a shower of shutters and flashes, the humble young world-record holder made his way through, thanking (“domo” “domo”), bowing and greeting left and right. The well-guarded king was then led to the window side of the airport to a tremendous crowd.

We were probably lucky that nobody got hurt… Amidst the chaos, Hanyu alone was calm.

“Eh, not to lie to myself, indeed, I do want to win a consecutive title. But, that isn’t my only aim, so I want to fully experience ‘the competition’, also bringing out ‘my own performance’, um, and this… the thing that is ‘the Olympics’… I want to experience it completely.” 

The brief interview wrapped up with four questions. Hanyu headed out of the airport and got into a black compact van, probably headed to Gangneung.

I was right in front of the arrivals gate and watched Hanyu as he moved forward step by step. Considering the burden on his right foot, would he have lost weight, becoming all skin and bones? Hallow, sunken eyes… making an unshaven, unkempt entrance… It’s hard to say that these terrible thoughts hadn’t wormed their way into my mind––and yet there he was, just as he always has been, so normal that it almost feels like an anticlimax. 

Thank goodness. Really… thank goodness. It might be rude to express this about a world champion, but as fellow man to man, I really wanted to say, “Yuzuru Hanyu! I am so glad to see you. Damn we were worried… We… I… have been waiting all this time, you know?” Even though it was freezing outside with a flurry of snow and I was in a down jacket, but [in that sudden surge of emotions] I really wanted to sit down in the warmth of a sauna or something, stripped down to our briefs like how I am right now drafting this manuscript, and talk together about all that had happened in the past three months.

Many media outlets, not just from Japan, were at the airport. Without a doubt, the star of this Olympics is Hanyu. Up until February 10, the world had been suffering from Hanyu deficiency. But, it’ll be different from today onwards. His first practice in Gangneung awaits on the 12th. As far as I am concerned, the Olympics has finally started.

Yuzupedia: The Greatest Figure Skater of All Time

Yuzuru Hanyu (羽生結弦 Hanyū Yuzuru) was born on December 7, 1994. 

He is a Japanese figure skater who competes in the men’s singles discipline.

He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018),

a two-time World champion (2014, 2017),

a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016),

the 2009–10 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, the 2010 World Junior champion, 

and a four-time Japanese national champion (2012–2015).

*Please note: Due to the flu, he withdrew from the Japanese National Championship for the 2015/2016 season. Due to a right ankle ligament injury, he withdrew from the Japanese National Championship, Grand Prix Series and World Championship for the 2017/2018 season and from the Grand Prix Final for the 2018/2019 season (despite of being the first qualifier for the GPF 2018/2019 season).  

Regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest figure skater in history, Hanyu has broken world records sixteen times - the most times among singles skaters since the introduction of the ISU Judging System in 2004. He holds the current world records for the short program, free skating and combined total scores in addition to the historical world records for all three segments for the era before the 2018-19 season. He is the first man to have broken the 100-point barrier in the men’s short program, the 200-point barrier in the men’s free skating, and the 300-point barrier in the combined total score. He is the first and only man to have broken the 110-point barrier in the men’s short program, the 220-point barrier in the men’s free skating, and the 330-point barrier in the combined total score for the era before the 2018-2019 season. He is the first man to have broken the 110-point barrier in the men’s short program in the current scoring system. 

Hanyu is the first Asian figure skater competing in men’s singles to win the Olympic gold. At the age of nineteen, he was the youngest male skater to win the Olympic title since Dick Button in 1948. He also became the first man to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals since Dick Button’s back-to-back titles in 1948 and 1952. 

At the 2016 CS Autumn Classic International, Hanyu became the first skater in history to successfully land a quadruple loop in competition. 

At the 2018 Grand Prix Helsinki, he became the first skater in history to attempt and land a quadruple toe loop-triple Axel sequence in competition.

He is the first men’s singles skater from Asia to win multiple World Championships.

He is the first skater from Asia to win the Grand Prix Final, Olympic, and World Championship titles in the same season (2013–14) and the only skater to do so since Alexei Yagudin (in 2002).

He is the first and only singles skater in history to win 3 consecutive Grand Prix Final titles (2013–2015).

He is the first and only singles skater in history to win 4 consecutive Grand Prix Final titles (2013–2016).

He is the first skater to successfully land 3 quadruple jumps in the second half of a free skating program (2017 World Team Trophy).

He is the first and only men’s single skater to end as world No. 1 in men’s single skating world standings for 5 consecutive seasons (2013-2018) since the latter’s establishment in (2001-2002) season.

In recognition of his achievements, Hanyu has been awarded with numerous accolades, most importantly the People’s Honour Award (in 2018) and the Medal of Honour with Purple Ribbon (in 2014 and 2018).

Hanyu is regarded by analysts as a well-rounded skater, known for his ability to combine strong technique with mature and versatile artistry. The 2006 Olympic silver medalist Stephane Lambiel described him as “the most complete athlete in figure skating, probably ever.” Various media outlets and commentators have recognized Hanyu as the greatest figure skater in history, particularly after his second Olympic victory, for his consistency in results in a highly competitive field and ability to deliver under pressure.

His skating techniques include the Biellmann spin the doughnut spin. Both are known for their difficulty, for male skaters especially, due to the flexibility required. 

He is also known for his difficult entry to a camel spin. 

“Hanyu’s entry into this spin, similar to his triple axel, he doesn’t change his legs…He cannot make use of the power (from switching his legs), I think his control of the centrifugal force is excellent…Despite the difficult entry into the spin, the speed is fast and the position is beautiful.” – Suzuki Akiko

( cr: Translated by Ci)

Other signature moves include the layback Ina Bauer, the side lunge, the one-hand hydroblading.

His elements are praised for their high quality of execution and his jumps are noted for their precision, flow, and ice coverage. Hanyu is known for his  difficult triple Axel entries, usually from a patented back counter, a spread eagle, or twizzle. 

“Probably to those watching, he does it so casually, many might not realize the level of difficulty…Before the triple axel, he adds a counter turn before his entry into the triple axel…He uses the same leg to turn and goes straight into the jump. No matter how, the body will be off balance, but he has very good control and jumps. One cannot do this without good skating skills.” – Suzuki Akiko

( cr: Translated by Ci)

“He has some double three turns into that triple axel, which means that the momentum of your body, the centrifugal force is acting against the way that you want to be preparing for your triple axel. So the strength and just diligence it would take to get into the triple axel without having to sort of reset is incredible. I honestly don’t know how he does that.” – Charlie White from Yuzuru’s Otonal program in 2018 Grand Prix Helsinki

*Post on other Yuzuru’s triple axels here.*

Currently, Hanyu is able to execute four different types of quadruple jumps in competition – the toe loop, Salchow, loop, and Lutz. 

*Post on Yuzuru’s quads collection here.*

*Credit many of these information to Yuzuru Hanyu’s wikipedia and reference sources from the page. If I missed any crediting or if you would like me to take down your source, please message me and we can talk about it. 

Below are a few commentaries from commentators/coaches on Yuzuru’s program performances or about him as a skater.

“Welcome to Planet Hanyu, population one: Him.”  Massimiliano Ambesi on every perfect Yuzuru’s program.

“Figure skating is not such a high profile sport. When you think of the greats of this year:  Jordan Spiedth,  Floyd Mayweather, Messi, Ronaldo. This guy (Yuzuru) in his sport is as good as they are.” Simon Reed on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2015 GP Final Free Program Seimei

“It’s a historic moment. I compared it to the day men landed on the moon.“ Carol Lane on Yuzuru Hanyu. (?)

“It’s like he’s on a mission to be not just the best in the world, but the best there has ever been.” Carol Lane on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2016 Worlds Championship Short Program Chopin Ballade No. 1 “Too late, he already is…And you know what, not everybody gets him. Like some people actually find him a little boring. How is that boring? The intensity is boring? ” Kurt Browning on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2016 Worlds Championship Short Program Chopin Ballade No. 1

“Figure skating is so lucky to have a Yuzuru Hanyu. He is a great ambassador for the sport and he continues to push it both artistically and technically…I almost feel bad being so complimentary of his jumps because I don’t have time to talk about how amazingly he did this program. I mean from start to finish it was complete. Everything was where it needs to be. When I talk about some of the other skaters needing to be specific with their head or their facial expression or their hands, you see Yuzuru Hanyu and you begin to understand exactly how perfect you can make things just simply through dedication, experience, and working. This kid works and work and works to make it look like that, and we are the beneficiaries, frankly.” Charlie White on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 GP Helsinki Short Program Otonal

“And another reason why someone like Hanyu is such a great ambassador for the sport because they do have an appreciation for the past and for former skaters, for people who meant something for the sport.” Andrea Joyce on Yuzuru. 2018 GP Helsinki Short Program Otonal

“The finest figure skater ever.” Simon Reed on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 GP Helsinki Free Program Origin

“That is everything you could ever want in a short program. The complete package; he balances the artistic score and the technical score like no one I’ve ever seen. The best ever. He has the jumps, he has those quads, he has the performance ability. It was perfection.” Tara Lipinski on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 Winter Olympics Short Program Chopin Ballade No. 1

“What’s the most unbelievable to me about all of this is somehow he’s getting better. He was unbeatable a few years ago and this is even stronger. He’s putting out such amazing quality. His musicality is every improving, his spins are as well as anyone else in the world, and when you’re jumping with that sort of ease. It just looks like he’s doing a watered down program even though it’s elite, it’s the hardest program in this event and he does it so comfortably that it looks like just a simple runthrough…The biggest thing about Yuzuru is the jumping passes are just part of the choreography. He has so much flow in, so much flow out, and he gets right back to the program as quickly as he can and it’s just stunning…It’s just awesome time to be a figure skating fan and to be able to watch somebody at their peak like Yuzuru Hanyu.” Ryan Bradley on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 GP Rostelecome Cup Short Program Otonal

“There’s something about recreating enough energy after a Quad Toe to step forward and do a Triple Axel, and you can’t explain anybody else unless you’re in the skating world. Mathematically, it’s just math for the judges, but you’ve got to be impressed by something like that.” Kurt Browning on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 GP Helsinki Free Program Origin

“Maybe just not the best there is, but maybe the best there ever will be. He’s that good.” Carol Lane on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 GP Helsinki Free Program Origin

“A different way of talking about Figure Skating on television. The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be.” Massimiliano Ambesi on Yuzuru Hanyu’s 2018 Winter Olympics Victory

“There’s Grand Prix, there’s Rostelecom Cup, and then there’s Yuzuru Hanyu. Someone above it all. Him, and no one else.” Massimiliano Ambesi on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 GP Rostelecome Cup Short Program Otonal

“I’ll begin not from today’s skating. I’ll  begin with that many (people) called Hanyu another planet’s figure skater, sportsman that descended from the heaven. He has awesome abilities, which he is embodied where he needs to do it – on the ice…His ability to be beautiful not only on the ice. He has his own line conduct which his sports team with his coach unlikely could suggest…There is something else, that was given (to him) from higher/supreme being. Someone, maybe, will win over Yuzuru at the ice. But he is inimitable in life.” Rafael Arutyunyan on Yuzuru Hanyu after 2018 GP Rostelecome Cup Short Program Otonal

“Every element was delivered beautifully. He skates with sort of a reckless abandon, it’s organic to him. Watching this… This was a masterclass.” Scott Hamilton on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 Winter Olympics Short Program Chopin Ballade No. 1

“I’d give +5GOE but some judges will give him +4 because they think they’re immortal & still have time to see another genius.” Tatiana Tarasova on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 GP Rostelecome Cup Short Progam Otonal

“We just witness greatness. He is superior to any other male figure skater out there. In my opinion, Johnny, I don’t know is he the best skater of all time?…You look back and there’s been incredible male skaters, but none of them are doing quads like this and skating with that type of passion.” Tara Lipinski on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2015 GP Final Free Program Seimei

“It isn’t just the quads, it’s the quality of the quad. It isn’t just the jumps, the skating is beautiful. The delicate touches, the ina bauer, the biellman, that none of the other men are doing. It’s the stacking, everything from top to bottom.” Johnny Weir on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2015 GP Final Free Program Seimei

“There are good skaters, and there are great skaters, and then there’s Yuzuru Hanyu who is on a whole other level.” Carol Lane on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2014 GP Final Free Program Phantom of the Opera

“And a very, very attractive machine to watch out on ice.” Simon Reed on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 Winter Olympics Victory

“Dance, pair, ladies, he’s the strongest out of all the world’s skaters. He’s a masterpiece. I’d like to watch him in Vancouver too.” Alexei Mishin on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 GP Rostelecome Cup 

“Also, because he has nothing to prove.” “Nothing at all.” Massimiliano Ambesi and Angelo Dolfini on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 GP Rostelecome Cup Free Program Origin

“Take Yuzuru Hanyu for example. For me he is number one…He enjoys it when he is performing. He has charisma. I like his jumps. I like his choreography. I like his spins. I don’t know how to say it in English… if we (follow his example) – he does the everything: jumps, spins. He’s what we need in figure skating. Choreography, skating skills… we have other skaters who are good jumpers but their choreography is not quite (as) good. Not enough to take in the audience.” Evgeni Plushenko on Yuzuru Hanyu 

“I have to say, he is the greatest of all time. That’s for sure.” Brian Orser on Yuzuru Hanyu. 

“No strength to breathe! Thank you for the present, in the highest sense, art! Thanks for the hardest jumps, made with absolute musicality ! Thank you for the path you showed to all the athletes of our sport. With respect and love!” Tatiana Tarasova on Yuzuru Hanyu

“Hanyu has done a performance for the books, Hanyu is the greatest skater than has ever stepped on the ice in the entire history, period. There has never been one like him and I don’t know when there will be another one.” Angelo Dolfini on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2017 Worlds Championship Free Program Hope and Legacy

“The living legend of the figure skating world Yuzuru Hanyu is on the ice. I think no more words are needed here.”  Julia Lipnitskaya on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2017 GP Rostelecome Cup Short Program Chopin Ballade No. 1 

“Look at the energy. He is the end of this program, which is essentially a sprint where he’s doing some of the hardest elements that we see in our sport, and he is flying through this footwork. His body is constantly moving. Trying to do that when you’re fatigue without look fatigue is one of the hardest things in our sport that we ever have to do.” Ryan Bradley on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2015 GP Final Short Program Chopin Ballade No. 1

“Those are the kind of things that make Yuzuru Hanyu such a well-balanced, complete skater. It’s not just the jumps, which are also incredible, it’s everything in between.” Tanith White on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 Winter Olympics Gala Exhibition Notte Stellata

“I am an atheist but I believe he is the god of Figure Skating.” Alexei Yagudin. 2018 GP Rostelecome Cup Short Program Otonal

“This is really the moment for me. Right to his fans & he takes that quintessential, legendary figure skating moment, leading into the footwork sequence…It’s that moment where you say:  ‘Here I am. Yes, I’m your hero.’” Tanith White on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 Winter Olympics Short Program Chopin Ballade No. 1

“At this point, there is nobody that can beat a perfect Yuzuru Hanyu.” Johnny Weir on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2015 GP Final Free Program Seimei 

“It’s a beautiful piece of music called ‘Hope and Legacy’ by Joe Hisaishi. This piece is so quiet and so delicate it takes a skater as good as Yuzuru to make this work.” Johnny Weir on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2016 GP NHK Trophy Free Program Hope and Legacy

“Impressive, the best free that has ever been skated by Yuzuru Hanyu, and that means that this is the best free that has ever been skated in history. 125 of TES are something incre- …terrific. It can annihilate anyone, I imagine it will be much more than 90 PCS, this is a performance-” Angelo Dolfini on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2017 Worlds Championship Free Program Hope and Legacy

“90? I’ve never seen anything like this! You cannot not give 100 PCS, you cannot not give 10 for everything, because there’s never been something like this. Interpretation, 10! Choreography, 10! Transitions, 10! Do you even want to talk about that, look at the others! [it means, you can compare what the others do and what he does :P]. Performance, 10! Skating skills, 10, this is the best you could see, complexity of edges and steps that we’ve never seen. I repeat, go on, because  I feel like crying, because this is an incredible performance, a historic moment for sport in general, incredible, a living legend… 97.08 is a scandal, we’ll have to take note of that.”  Massimiliano Ambesi on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2017 Worlds Championship Free Program Hope and Legacy

“Hanyu is…the best ever. There has never been one like him.”Angelo Dolfini on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2017 Worlds Championship Free Program Hope and Legacy

”But in the end the title goes to the most anticipated athlete, one of the most famous athletes when it comes to the Winter Olympics. Who can be compared to Hanyu? Maybe Shaun White, maybe. Back to back Olympic titles, 2014 and 2018. This was the most difficult of the two, because of everything that has happened: a bad injury, a long time off ice, many doubts regarding his condition, leaving out two jumps he really cared about…let’s hope he may be in Milan for Worlds. He is the current World champion…two World titles, two Olympic titles, but it’s not the number of his medals that makes the difference, it’s the quality of what he does. And here he is, Olympic Champion, Hanyu Yuzuru, symbol of these Olympic Games [among men].” Massimiliano Ambesi on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 Winter Olympics Free Program Seimei

“It is difficult to imagine. It’s not just the quantity but the quality of what he does, not only the quantity of medals he has won, but how he has won them. Sometimes dominating the field, winning even by huge margins, but also showing that he can fight when the occasion asks for it. We’ve seen some truly legendary competitions among the men in the last few years.” Angelo Dolfini on Yuzuru Hanyu. 2018 Winter Olympics Free Program Seimei

Please share some of your favorite commentaries about Yuzuru Hanyu.

Cheer Up Post #2347 - Yuzuru Hanyu Edition

pi-is-three-point-one-four would like a post featuring adorable Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu. Enjoy!

Images 12 & 13 made by nonchan1023

***Disclaimer: Most of the images used do not belong to me. If you see one that’s yours, and you would like credit or to have it removed/replaced, please just ask.

Want your own Cheer Up Post? Find out how. Or see the others.

Yuzuru Hanyu , 19 year old male figure skater.

So we all know about that Japanese figure skater Yuzuru hanyu that everyone has been basically fawning over after him leading the men’s short program In Sochi 2014 Cause he is gorgeous and flawless.Not only is he a bloody Fantastic figure skater, just brilliant , absolutly stunning. The kid also COULDN’T get any more adorable …….or so you thought ….well…you’re in for a treat 

….cause this kid is about to get precious

HE

happen to

Freaking

Carry

around

A pooh

tissue

Holder( Brian is discussing Yuzuru’s performance with pooh here)

I am sorry but THIS FREAKING MAN

No no no no , I don’t think you understand the gravity of this situation

He asks about it when it isn’t around

He has it to thank when he scores (good job buddy, we did it *pet pet*)

(^He’s so done with him ” I am a professional coach/Olympic medalist , what have I come to?”)

Brian Orser and Nanami abe constantly has to carry him…his coaches are so *cackles*

And now just because I can and am heavily Intoxicated. 

(English is shoo cute)

and now because he’s perfect

Oh I am sorry is this post too long? 

Guess what …

taste

my

 POOOHAAAAA *cackles*

(always cheering him on: go Yuzuru go!)

THIS KID IS KILLING ME. *current status: heavily Intoxicated and developing an obsession*

and in-case you’re wondering; the reason why he wasn’t able to bring Pooh to the Olympics is because the Sochi rink banned anything with a trademark, so pooh couldn’t be in there.*goes off and dies because my icy heart has been skated on by a 19 year old Japanese figure skater*

(sorry for the ridiculously long post, all gifs are not mine, credit to the awesome people who mad them. Have a nice day *thumbs up* )

I am american but do you blame me?  

Most gif credit goes to :http://yunamao-gifs.tumblr.com/

Yuzuru Hanyu | Scan/Edit | Origin | ~~ Light & Darkness ~~

Source

Comments about Yuzuru Hanyu from the Russian figure skating community

From: Yuzuru Hanyu International Facebook Group 

Thank you Melba for translating the articles! 

Russian trainer Svetlana Sokolovskaya: 

“Hanyu continues to prove that he is the undisputed leader of men’s single skating. And I think that for a long time. This is despite the fact that I have always been a fan of Javier Fernandez. And Hanyu is a unique person, whom I respect first of all as a fighter who shows results after winning two Olympics.” 

“I respect the new rules that added cleanliness in the programs, but I’m against the skater avoiding difficulties…Yes, who does not know how they will look for other options - spins, skating itself, emotions. But I want figure skating to remain a sport, not to turn into ballet. And adrenaline should be in sports. That’s why I admire Hanyu, who, even without a (quad loop) and a new sequence, could win tournaments through a presentation, and Nathan (Chen) is from the same group of skaters who do not give up.” 

She goes on to note that Yuzu’s new quad and 3A combo is amazing, stating, “The sequence is awesome, because it is complicated, but it is also an innovation. And we see it thanks to Hanyu. Here we are with Sasha Samarin trying such a sequence, but we don’t have such purity as the Japanese…But while we are trying, Hanyu is showing.” She urged athletes to maintain the complexity of the elements and not be afraid to rake risks, like Yuzu. [source]

Elena Vaitsehovskaya, Special correspondent of RIA Novosti:

“Is it possible to win against Yuzuru Hanyu, and if so, with what exactly?… With reference to Yuzuru, you can make a whole list of points on which the Japanese are superior to their rivals, and, nevertheless, it is the two-time Olympic champion who constantly shoves himself ahead, setting himself more and more new technical tasks in the form of more and more complex jumps. 

At the Games in Sochi, there were quadruple Salchows and quadruple toes… and in Pyeongchang, he demonstrated them in twice the numbers - solo and in a combination, and a year before the Games, Yuzuru jumped at the World Championships in quadruple (loop), and experimented a lot with the 4Lutz. 

And at the first showing of the free program of the Grand Prix of the current season in Helsinki, he planned a unique sequence of the quadruple toe and triple axel, which he performed. Not to say that it is perfect, but, knowing Hanyu, there is no doubt. Of course, one can say that the Japanese simply do not give rest to the laurels of the current world champion Nathan Chen - the figure skater, who first performed all the existing jumps in the “quadruple” version, except for the axel. But, perhaps, Hanyu simply understands very well, unlike most of his rivals, how ephemeral in sports is even the advantage that seems to be unbelievable.” [source]

Ilya Averbukh, Olympic medalist and choreographer

For the competition in Helsinki, Ilya predicted that winning against Yuzu would not be possible. With Yuzu, he sees, “can only fight at the moment against himself.” Simply put, Yuzu is his own competition and everyone will compete for second. [source]

Russian skater Sergey Voronov:

“First of all, it will be interesting to look at Yuzuru. I am impressed with how you can be a two-time Olympic champion and continue to challenge yourself, not missing a season or even starts. Yuzuru is some kind of guest on our planet.” [source]

Honored coach Elena Buyanova:

“Yuzuru Hanyu does not lose development motivation, despite the status of a two-time Olympic champion and a new system of rules in which an athlete loses a lot of points for mistakes on difficult jumps. The most important thing is that a person, being a two-time Olympic champion, develops and does not try to do it as it is easier. He rides with the only motivation to win. This can only cause respect and admiration. Once again proves how professional he is. The world of figure skating equals him.” [source]

“I would also like to add that the General Director of the Russian Federation of Skating, Alex Kogan, noted that in Helsinki, clearing out the ice from all the Pooh bears took more than three minutes. Let that sink in. It took longer than a SP.  Yuzu’s Pooh bears basically had their own performance on the ice. 😂 I noted from the article that he sounded positively gleeful that Moscow won the Hanyu lottery! [source]”

So in summary, Yuzuru Hanyu is the very standard that the skating world apparently looks towards. He is the ideal, the prime textbook material in technical elements and PCS, as well as mental and physical motivation. He is what continually moves the sport forward. If the Russians–who have mastered and topped figure skating for decades– can’t talk about figure skating without mentioning Yuzuru Hanyu, then it must be so.”

End.

That being said, please remember that Yuzu is still human, and humans are not perfect all the time. What we can do is to have faith in skaters to pave their own success, and keep ourselves open minded + informed. Every skater is talented, so let’s support all skaters and their fans respectfully, regardless of our opinions. 

Combo and Sequence

Thanks to a certain dude named Yuzuru Hanyu who recently performed a quad toe loop - triple Axel thing in his free skate, my inbox / private messages are full of people who are baffled by jump combinations and jump sequences (thanks, Yuzu, for complicating our lives, what would we ever do without you). I don’t blame you guys, because the IJS’s take on this topic, as it goes in the technical handbook, is, at best, confusing, and at worst, total mumbo-jumbo to anyone who isn’t fluent in ISU-speak (it’s an esoteric cousin who only vaguely resembles English).

So, below, you will find my attempt at translating ISU-speak into everyday English, regarding combos and sequences, what their definitions are, what rules apply to them, and how they are scored.

The Definition

Now, in the common figure skating nomenclature, a jump combination and a jump sequence both refer to a group of two or more jumps performed in succession. The difference between a combination and a sequence is whether or not there is a change of edge between the landing of the first jump and the takeoff of the second jump, and between the second and third jump, so on. If there is no change of edge, it’s a combination, if there is at least one change of edge, it’s a sequence.

I’ve talked about the most common jump combinations in this post so feel free to go through it if you need to refresh your knowledge. 

As for jump sequences, up until last season, the ISU used to accept just about everything, as long as (1) the jumps are connected by only a hop or an unlisted jump, (2) the rhythm is maintained, and (3) there is no obvious turn/step/skating movement in between. So this one, for example, would have qualified as a sequence:

That’s a 4T+1Lo+4T Yuzu attempted for fun (yeah, right) back in the Worlds 2017 gala finale. A question might pop up here about why I do not call it a jump combination even though it looked like one. The answer is: because the half-loop was landed on the left back inside edge, and Yuzu’s second quad toe was taken off from the right back outside edge, so there was a change of edge involved in that cluster. If he had followed it up with a quad Salchow then that would have been a combo.

From the 2018-2019 season, however, the ISU has narrowed down their definition of jump sequences to include only clusters which contain one listed jump, followed by one step, followed by an Axel. That step in between must be a direct move from the landing curve of the first jump (right back outside) to the takeoff curve of the Axel (left forward outside). The final product is something that looks like this:

Quad toe, landed on right back outside >> one direct step to left forward outside >> triple Axel takeoff. 

The key things to keep in mind about this new requirement are (1) a sequence cannot contain more than 2 jumps, (2) the second jump, obviously, has to be an Axel, and (3) crucially, only a direct step is allowed between the jumps.

No.3 is crucial because under that rule, a sequence like this

, performed with a small hop in between the first jump and the Axel, is no longer valid as a jump sequence. So in that 4T+3A sequence Yuzu did in Origin, the 3A is actually one level more difficult than the ones he used to do previously in ice shows, since he had to take off for it a lot faster, with no breathing room to steady himself in between.

Scoring Principle

The base value of a jump combination is the sum total of base value of all jumps in the combination. The scale of value used to convert its raw GOE into final GOE is the SOV of the jump with the highest BV in the combination, after edge calls and under-rotations calls (if any) have been taken into account. Pretty straightforward, right? The BV of a 3F+3T combo is (5.30 for the 3F + 4.20 for the 3T) = 9.60 points. The SOV applied on that combo is the SOV of a 3F, from -2.65 minimum to +2.65 maximum. If, however, the 3F is called as either under-rotated or wrong edge, its BV would be reduced to 3.98, which is lower than the value of a fully rotated 3T, so the GOE for a 3Fe+3T combo would be converted to final score using the SOV of a 3T, ranging from -2.10 to +2.10.

The base value of a jump sequence is the sum total of the jumps’ BV multiplied by 80%, presumably because sequences are on the whole easier than combinations, or at least that’s what the ISU believes. Same principle on SOV applies.

The Requirement / Limitation

Short Program

At the senior level, a short program must include a combination of 

These choices are all reversible, because under the IJS, the order of the jumps in a combo doesn’t matter, i.e., a 2T+4T is basically regarded as the same as a 4T+2T (yeah I know, it’s not the most logical thing in the world to assume but here we are) so a 2-3 combo, for example, is also a legal jumping pass.  

Any jump outside of these options is considered invalid. Invalid jumps get marked with an asterisk (*) in the protocol and receive no credit. A few common scoring cases where you can see the impact of this rule: 

Case 1: A lady performs a quad-triple in her SP. She’d get zero BV for the quad.

Case 2: A skater performs a three-jump combination in their SP, say, 3-3-3. The extra jump would receive zero BV.

Case 3: A skater attempts a triple-triple in their SP, but pops the second triple into a single (like what Alina did the other day in her SP at GP Helsinki). The single jump is invalidated and receives zero BV.

Case 4: A skater performs a 2-2 in their SP. The double jump with the lower BV, after consideration of edge and under-rotation calls, will be invalidated. 

Case 5: A skater fails to put any of their non-Axel jumps into a combination (like what happened to Zhenya at Skate Canada). During the performance, the technical panel would mark the second solo jump as receiving zero BV (which is what you’d see in the TES tracker in the TV broadcast). After the performance, the technical panel would identify which of the two solo jumps was intended as a combo, and if there is no way to tell which, they’d pick the latter jump. That jump would be marked with a +COMBO note on the protocol

Case 6: A skater lands their first jump, does an invalid movement in between, (e.g., stumbling, touching down with the hands/knees - anything that involves a “weight transfer”, per ISU terminology, off the landing foot) then takes off for their second jump (like Yuzuru did in his SP at Worlds 2017). That cluster is marked as first jump+COMBO+second jump, and the jump performed after the invalid movement receives no credit.

Note that two three-turns in between the jumps actually count as an acceptable movement and keep the cluster within the definition of a combo. See Shoma’s 3S+2T in his Worlds 2018 SP for example: that was still counted as a combo, so no +COMBO mark on his protocol, though he did receive negative GOE for the error.

In conjunction with the Zayak rule, there are a couple more implications:

One important thing to note is that, since the SP rules have very specific requirement for combos, any combo not meeting the requirement is automatically given a -5 in final GOE, regardless of how well the element by itself was performed. So the combos in cases 3, 4, 5, 6 above would all get the maximum GOE reduction. I’ve never seen case 1 and 2 in a real competition so I can’t say with 100% certainty, but my guess is if they happen, they’d also warrant a default -5 in GOE.

On another note, a frequently asked question I receive on this topic is: are skaters allowed to perform an Axel combination in a SP. The answer is: yes, provided that the Axel in combination is different from the Axel performed as the Axel-type jump. A lady, if she wants to, can perform a SP with a 3A, a 2A+3T, plus one non-Axel triple. A guy (regardless of whether or not his name starts with a Y and ends with a U) is allowed to do a SP layout of 3A, 2A+3T (or 2A solo, 3A+3T), plus, in the extreme case, a 4A as his solo jump - totally legal.

Free Skate

The free skate is, well, obviously, freer when it comes to combo/sequence regulations. A skater can have up to 3 combos and/or sequences in their FS. Do note that it is “up to 3”, meaning that it is not a strict requirement. A FS with no combination is completely legal.

Combos in the FS can include any jumps of any number of revolutions, so a 4-1 performed in a FS will be given the full combined BV of the quad and the single.

Out of the 3 combos/sequences, only 1 is allowed to contain 3 jumps. And, as per the new ISU definition of jump sequences, a 3-jump cluster has got to be a combo in order to be valid.

There is no rule against the repetition of jump combo, as long as such repetition does not violate the Zayak rule, so you’d see a few ladies performing two 3Lz+3T combos in one FS (Wakaba for example). 

Still, there are a few circumstances when a skater can get their combo jumps invalidated in a FS:

Case 1: The skater performs two 3-jump combos. The last jump in the latter combo is invalidated. 

Case 2: The skater repeats a quad or a triple jump without being able to put it in combination. This case actually falls more under the Zayak rule, but anyway, the treatment is that extra solo jump will be marked with a +REP, and receives only 70% of its BV. 

Case 3: The skater performs more than 3 combos/sequences. The extra combo/sequence will be marked with a +REP. Only the first jump in this combo/sequence will be given credit and all the subsequent jumps are invalidated. Moreover, since there is a +REP sign, the credit given is only 70% of the first jump’s BV. So, if Yuzu goes batshit crazy one day and performs, say, the Seimei v1.0 layout, but with a 3Lz+2T to end his program instead of the solo 3Lz, that combo would be marked down as 3Lz+2T*+REP and would earn him only 70% of the value of a 3Lz.

Case 4: The skater performs an invalid movement (the definition for these is the same as in the SP, discussed above) in between the jumps in the combo/sequence. The combo is marked as first jump+SEQ+second jump, and the jump performed after the invalid movement receives zero BV. For example, see this combo by Alexei Bychenko in his FS at Worlds 2018. 

You do want to remember this peculiar marking, because in a protocol, the placement of that +SEQ matters. A combo like Alexei did is marked as 3A+SEQ+2T*, which means that (1) he got no credit for the 2T and (2) his cluster was counted as a sequence, as a result of which he only received 80% of the 3A’s BV. 

A valid sequence, on the other hand, will have the +SEQ note at the end, so in Yuzu’s FS protocol from GP Helsinki, you’d see a 4T+3A+SEQ, which means it was a legal move, no part of the cluster was invalidated, and he got the full BV of a sequence for it, which was (9.50 for the 4T + 8.00 for the 3A) x 80% (sequence discount) x 1.1 (highlight distribution bonus) = 15.40 points.

One final thing to note (yes, FINAL, finally) is that, since combos in a FS are optional, unlike the +COMBO sign in the SP, both the +REP and the +SEQ+ signs in the FS do not mandate the maximum negative GOE. Those jumps/combos will be evaluated according to the standard GOE guidelines, with consideration for both positive and negative features.

And that was all I could think of for now. Re-reading it, I realized it was maybe probably very likely too much information but I’m unfortunately too lazy to trim it down. Hope this at least helps a little bit, if not, I apologize for yet another wall of text. Here’s a pwetty Yuzu combo to mentally compensate you:

So, while casually browsing videos on YouTube, I saw a chain of Shizuka Arakawa videos that lead to this very video, where she came to the reopening of Sendai ice rink. This video showed briefly Shizuka’s own olympic moment in Torino (including her victory parade in Sendai), the reason why she came back (to help coach the skating children there — near the end of the video the group of children was named the future olympians, medalists even 😍), and at the end the small mushroom boy Yuzu was summoned to do some elements demonstration (he said he was able to do Bielmann spin, and then the presenter pushed him to do layback Ina Bauer as well. Afterwards he claimed that he was nervous while doing all those elements 😂😂😂).

At this time Yuzu said he want to go to the olympics some time in the future, possibly taking a medal as well.

And now we know that he did just that, taking gold medal no less, and he did that twice.

Shizuka Arakawa! 

Shizuka has always been very influential in Yuzu’s skating life. After she won the 2006 Olympics, the ice rink that was closed down previously due to financial difficulties received support and was reopened. She was also very encouraging to Yuzu during the 2011 earthquake disaster, performing in ice shows with him and such. After that, Shizuka interviewed Yuzuru several times, all of which are adorable! 

Here’s a detailed translation of the video by @nonchan1023

If you’d like to know more about her, read Alice’s introduction here! 

just bringing this magical 4S+3A back by Yuzuru. (loOK AT JAVI RUNNING TOWARDS HIM AND THE HUG AFTERWARDS IM DYING)

Precious moment. 😍

✩ Grade of Execution (”GOE”) in figure skating, ft. Yuzuru Hanyu ✩

There are now less than 24 hours to the 2018 World Championships in Milan, possibly the last competition in which a GOE scale of -3 to +3 will be used. From the 2018/2019 season onwards, it is likely that the GOE scale will be expanded to -5 to +5, allowing for GOE to make an even bigger impact on scores.

+1 GOE is awarded for every 2 of the following bullet points a skater fulfils:

Being the King of GOE, Yuzuru Hanyu racked up the highest GOE score at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games, at 31.16 points. His training mate Javier Fernandez came a close second at 29.45 points while newcomer Boyang Jin was third at 16.41 points.

Sources: x x x x x x     

More from us: Part I (Jump Identification)  ||  Part II (Combination Jumps)  ||  Part III (Spin Identification) || Part IV (Steps Identification) || Summary of Scoring System

Jump Takeoffs, Yuzuru Hanyu Style

Merry Christmas! I’m wondering if you girls and guys would like to look at some Yuzu takeoffs with me. I’ve found that watching his takeoffs in slow motion has the same effect on me as watching falling snow: it’s incredibly therapeutic. And we all deserve something nice this Christmas, after all we’ve been and are still going through.

Here’s a quad toe loop:

The thing I love about Yuzu’s toe loop, and all of his toe jumps, is how he always keeps his tapping foot low and his picking light, which give his jumps this appearance of effortlessness. His toe tap is also very quick and in tune with the connecting steps leading up to the entry, it’s like, step-turn-pick-jump, 1-2-3-4: no break in the rhythm, no loss of flow, easy and graceful. Furthermore, his technique is what I’d call a pure toe pick, in that he would tap with his toe pick straight down and leave the ice immediately without putting pressure on any other area of his blade. It is the kind of exemplary technique which leaves no room for pre-rotation.

Here’s a triple toe loop in combination:

The toe loop done at the back end of a combo is the most frequently cheated jump, so much so that the ISU feels the need to call it out in the section on cheated takeoff in the technical handbook. This is because the second jump in a combo must be done with little to no speed, thus it is very challenging for skaters to get enough elevation to complete the required number of rotations. The toe loop is also a jump which lends itself to pre-rotation, thanks to the completely open body alignment on takeoff. Both these factors make it very easy for skaters to end up rotating their combo triple toe on ice for more than 180 degrees before taking to the air, either deliberately or subconsciously due to lack of focus. Yuzu doesn’t do that. As you can see in that jump above: he pointed his toe at 45 degrees and left the ice immediately, exactly how he usually does it for his quad toe.

Here’s a quad Salchow:

You might’ve noticed that Yuzu’s toe loop and Salchow look strikingly similar in real time. This is mostly because of the speed at which he executes them. One, as I pointed out above, his pick in the toe loop takeoff is subtle and blink-and-you-miss-it fast. Two, his spring on the Salchow is just as quick. Normally you’d be able to distinguish the Salchow jump by looking for that moment before takeoff when the skater brings the knees together to form a distinctive / \ shape: that position facilitates the shift in center of gravity from the push-off leg (right side) to the swing-up leg (left side), which is the mechanics of a Salchow. Yuzu also does that, but his transfer of gravity and the release of energy afterwards both happen in rapid succession, again, blink-and-you-miss-it. Another beauty of Yuzu’s Salchow is in how he keeps his upper body movement in perfect sync with his sweeping takeoff: see how the right side of his body rotates as one solid block? It is another measure which ensures no risk of excessive pre-rotation and is the hallmark of excellent jumping technique. You will see it in all of his jumps, not just the Salchow.

Here’s a triple Salchow done in combination, in which you’d see the same speed and synchronicity:

Here’s a quad loop: 

Yuzu has a very peculiar loop takeoff, of course: his left back outside edge on his quad loop is deeper than what many other skaters have on their Lutz (a jump which is required to be taken off from an outside edge). This in theory makes his loop unnecessarily counter-rotated and closes up his body alignment. The orthodox approach is to keep your free leg on a slight inside edge, which would prevent both those things from happening. I’ve always found it fascinating that Yuzu apparently can only jump a quad loop by making its takeoff more difficult than a triple.  

This, by the way, is one of his triple loops from back when he was still able to do such things:

See how his outside edge was visible but much shallower here? You might also notice he got such height on this triple that he finished rotating and started opening up his position for the landing when he was still way up in the air. It’s a side effect of practicing the quad loop.

Here’s a triple flip:

Look, I told you so, he has this pure toe pick technique that exudes an odd sense of tranquility. His love for everything contradictory is as present here as ever: see how he pointed his toe away from the rotational direction? Pre-rotation is a thing that doesn’t even exist in his flip, excessive or no. Because of how he picks and how fast he leaves the ice, he actually rotates his triple flip for more than the required degrees of revolution.

And if you are wondering if he also does that outward toe point thing for his Lutz, well what do you think? Here’s a triple Lutz:

The Lutz by itself is a counter-rotated jump, but this effect in Yuzu’s Lutz is extraordinary, owing both to that quirky toe pick and his cutting deep outside edge on takeoff. There is simply no question about the correct takeoff edge in such a jump, and, same as with his flip, he rotates this jump for slightly more than 3 revolutions in the air.

Going by his approach to the quad loop, obviously you shouldn’t expect anything less when it comes to how extra he is when he moves from a triple Lutz to a quad Lutz:

I have a running joke with my skating friends that Yuzu’s quads are actually under-rotated quints. That quad Lutz clearly has more than 4 in-air revolutions to it, you know? Any non-Axel jump with no less than 3.75 in-air revolutions is recognized as a fully rotated quad by ISU standard (a standard which they don’t even uphold that strictly) so, yeah, I do think I have a case for a quint here.

Saving the best for last, here’s a triple Axel:

I don’t have any word left to adequately tell you how perfect his Axel takeoff is, the elegance and the sureness and the power infused in it, so here, have a bonus gif instead, in which you can also confirm there is no sloppy takeoff even in the simplest of his jumps, a double toe:

You might also want to note, in all of these takeoffs, the uncanny speed at which he gets into an ideal tight air position: his feet are always tightly crossed at the ankles well within the first revolution. This adds to the height and distance he achieves, and further makes his jumps very aesthetically pleasing to watch, especially in slow motion. 

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and the next time you run into anybody saying that Yuzu cheats his jump or some such stuff, feel free to rub these gifs in their face, no credit required on my part. 

Why so good Sweetie? 😍😘