Yuzuru Hanyu withdraws from worlds

[Sai Bon]

It would be amazing if Dai sets a trend of Japanese men skaters switching to ice dance. If they switch at a younger age before their bodies are hammered from training too many quads, the potential is huge!!! I hope the JSF is working on this.

 

[synesthesia]

It would be amazing if Dai sets a trend of Japanese men skaters switching to ice dance. If they switch at a younger age before their bodies are hammered from training too many quads, the potential is huge!!! I hope the JSF is working on this.

Reading/listening to their interviews, I do feel that Kana and Dai are on a mission to promote the discipline to a wider Japanese audience, while Cathy Reed is doing an amazing job at laying the actual groundwork by passionately developing young teams. But without JSF’s support a good chunk of that effort will be in vain. The sad truth is that ice dance clearly still isn’t a priority for the federation when you look at how few resources are used to benefit the field as a whole and how young and lower ranked teams are given such few opportunities to compete domestically, nevermind internationally. (E.g. why weren’t Rikako and Oliver sent to 4CC despite having the TES minimums?) Lowballing the non-frontrunner teams at Nationals to artificially increase the gap between 1st and 2nd tier doesn’t help either. I don’t know, if these were contributing factors, but after Kiria and Aru, we’ve just lost another promising team (AyuShin ). With the state being what it is, it wouldn’t be difficult to see why only few teams stay together or why not many young skaters would even want to switch to/try out for ice dance. *sigh*

 

[4everchan]

Here's a brief banter between Shoma and Dai in this regard :

yeah.. this was from a competition (probably Skate Canada) a few years back.. Carol was just amazed at Shoma's and Satoko's skating skills.

I love Shoma as a singles skater I guess this thread went somewhere else Perhaps it may be a good idea for a thread... who would you convert into a pair/ice dance skater

 

[kolyadafan2002]

Why ironically? I have thought of Wakaba too, but the problem would be twists.
And they would need an ultra-C jump to make up the base value with the twists and maybe some lift levels.
Shoma too is a bit too tall now, and his jump technique is still questionable.

Ironically as everybody in these comments were talking about Russian skaters and coming up with obscure choices and sleeping on the Japanese skater who could partner him.

Side by side 3A and side by side 3Lz would make up for lack of 3twist (compared to the sbs 3T and 3S most pairs skaters have), and 2twist is doable got them to learn (albeit difficult, dangerous and with huge learning curve).

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

Ironically as everybody in these comments were talking about Russian skaters and coming up with obscure choices and sleeping on the Japanese skater who could partner him.

Side by side 3A and side by side 3Lz would make up for lack of 3twist (compared to the sbs 3T and 3S most pairs skaters have), and 2twist is doable got them to learn (albeit difficult, dangerous and with huge learning curve).

I would obviously consider a lack of 3twist but 2twist is a compulstory minimum. Now the question is: could Yuzuru make a 2twist with either Wakaba or grown up Alyona? I can't believe I'm speaking earnestly of a dream out of nowhere and with a very high improbability. I'm becoming a casuist. In fact, I just like this idea of watching Yuzuru skate with someone else, maybe because he's so attentive to others and interacts so gracefully.
There should be an Ice Dance with a Mascot category too.
One must also consider the personal feelings of each skater about Pairs skating and Ice Dance, as your pseudonym reminds me: I remember Misha Kolyada was asked if he had considered skating Pairs, for instance with Adelina Sotnikova, and he answered that no, he was not considering Pairs because he was married. I think it's about how each person perceives the touches in Pairs and Ice Dance, for some it's fine while for others it's only acceptable with their "significant other". Of course, I have no idea how the persons we are speaking of perceive these touches.
Indeed, this thread is going a bit out of topic; if some readers are bothered, please let us know?

 

[Sai Bon]

Reading/listening to their interviews, I do feel that Kana and Dai are on a mission to promote the discipline to a wider Japanese audience, while Cathy Reed is doing an amazing job at laying the actual groundwork by passionately developing young teams. But without JSF’s support a good chunk of that effort will be in vain. The sad truth is that ice dance clearly still isn’t a priority for the federation when you look at how few resources are used to benefit the field as a whole and how young and lower ranked teams are given such few opportunities to compete domestically, nevermind internationally. (E.g. why weren’t Rikako and Oliver sent to 4CC despite having the TES minimums?) Lowballing the non-frontrunner teams at Nationals to artificially increase the gap between 1st and 2nd tier doesn’t help either. I don’t know, if these were contributing factors, but after Kiria and Aru, we’ve just lost another promising team (AyuShin ). With the state being what it is, it wouldn’t be difficult to see why only few teams stay together or why not many young skaters would even want to switch to/try out for ice dance. *sigh*

WHAAAAT?!!! Ayushin have quit?!!! Oh no...
And totally agree about Oliver and Rikako. I really liked what little I saw of them and felt they just need more time to develop. JSF are going for instant gratification with Kana and Dai (yes, they are amazing, but they are no spring chickens and JSF should be looking to the future).
ETA: Sorry, to derail the thread.

 

[synesthesia]

WHAAAAT?!!! Ayushin have quit?!!! Oh no...

Yeah, same reaction here.

And totally agree about Oliver and Rikako. I really liked what little I saw of them and felt they just need more time to develop. JSF are going for instant gratification with Kana and Dai (yes, they are amazing, but they are no spring chickens and JSF should be looking to the future).

I think it’s beneficial to have a mix of more and less experienced athletes to raise the level of the whole field. (KoKo are no spring chickens either – they’re both older than Kana and have been part of the Japanese id scene for as long as she has.) It is quite the same in strong ice dance nations – see Canada or USA for instance. But I mean why not spread the wealth? They could have sent up to three teams to 4CC. Not sending a second team that actually has the TES mins was a puzzling decision imo. The only valid explanation I can come up with is that there might have been concerns that Rikako could have faced visa issues upon re-entering Canada like Misato did after NHK Trophy.

 

[Ares]

Why ironically? I have thought of Wakaba too, but the problem would be twists.
And they would need an ultra-C jump to make up the base value with the twists and maybe some lift levels.
Shoma too is a bit too tall now, and his jump technique is still questionable.

Yeah, I am afraid that Hanyu is too svelte to pull off a good twist, lifts also would be tough for him. But who knows, maybe he'd bulk up a little bit if there was such a need.

 

[Ares]

In addition no idea of longevity.
Pairs is much more damaging on the body than solos in terms of throw jumps etc. At the end of the day, better to have a skater doing just triples with stronger skating skills. Even the quad value might not bridge that, and the injuries will be many.

Maybe it is damaging on the body but I can think of top female skaters competing in Pairs when approaching being already ~35 years old. Yuko Kavaguti, Aliona Savchenko spring to my mind.

 

[Ares]

That poor ankle must me held together by sheer willpower by now...

TBF I am surprised that Hanyu is still skating.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

Yeah, I am afraid that Hanyu is too svelte to pull off a good twist, lifts also would be tough for him. But who knows, maybe he'd bulk up a little bit if there was such a need.

I do think he can lift most Women skaters, maybe not with the most difficult lifts but there are other beautiful lifts. His core strength is incredible.


Still, twists seem so difficult!

 

[icetug]

TBF I am surprised that Hanyu is still skating.

I guess you might as well ask why he's still breathing. I don't know anyone who enjoys figure skating so much. Why would he give up the most important part of his life? As long as his health allows him, of course.