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Your rescoring of US Nationals should go VIRAL. You're one of the few people in the skating community who's actually called out the overscoring problem with an objective analysis of the numbers. Thank you so much for that. (I still think you were a bit generous with Nathan Chen's PCs though). Hopefully many people will see your post and realize how ridiculous the inflation has become. If enough people are concerned about this problem then the ISU might do something before FS loses all its fans.

Wow thank you anon, I was initially worried about posting it but knowing that some people appreciate it is enough for me. I hope it can gain some traction too, if only because it’s important to note that some of these judges also go to international, ISU events.

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New rescoring endeavor: US Nats men! Started with Nathan's programs. 

Actual Scores --> My Scores 

SP: 113.42 --> 81.30 

FS: 228.80 --> 169.49 

Total: 342.22 --> 250.79

GOE Notes: - More often than not, fails to hit bullets, 2, 4 and 5 on the jumps. Sometimes #1. ISU usually makes it a point to say take off & landing. Nathan has problems w/ the latter Spins usually fail to hit bullets 1,3, and 5. Stsq misses 1,3,4,5,6 and Chsq misses 1,3,4,5,6. Deductions for underrotations (-2,-3) and weak landings (-1,-3) were also considered.

PCs Notes: Transitions in particular is easy to judge because they don't exist. SS imo is lacking speed, multi-directional /1-foot skating and deep edges. Nathan is a natural performer so he gets slightly higher points for that. Composition isn't particularly well done either. Frankly, anything over 8 pts is already a lot for any of his components which imo could be given for his PE and IN, particularly the SP.

ISU Rules and Guidelines: GOE + SoV, Program Components 

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Yuzuru Hanyu: Worlds 2016 — Worlds 2017

From the ashes a fire shall be woken /  A light from the shadows shall spring /  Renewed shall be the blade that was broken /  The crownless again shall be king - J. R. R. Tolkien - 

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Yuzuru Hanyu’s FS Hope and Legacy: A study in the technical vs. the aesthetic

And a bonus: The 3A 

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What? No mention of Brendan Kerry?

Sorry anon, I missed his programs for 4CC but I saw him at AWG. Really exciting performer! He was a lot of fun to watch. 

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@vspirit8​ was he interpreting juliet? i always thought he was doing romeo. his interviews seemed to indicate he is. tho i read or heard somewhere it was supposed to be a juxtaposition of both...

Sorry I’m still not used to replying to tumblr replies but yes the juxtaposition would make the most sense. I’d love to read the interviews since I might be completely off the mark haha. My personal interpretation is that the program can’t entirely be about Romeo, who imo is the more intense of the two lovers (which makes R+J1 the absolute portrayal of this) whereas Juliet embodies a quiet strength which I think this program is more about. I haven’t watched many Romeo and Juliet FS programs, but for me the chest stab within the choreography only really makes sense if you’re playing Juliet imho (Yes I’m nitpicky like this).

All in all it’s an ambitious program because of how it attempts to tell a story with such strong contrasting figures. It has lovely moments here and there that I’m especially fond of.

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I don’t see RJ2 spoken about  often and it’s understandable why. Its choreography doesn’t feel as cohesive as it should be however, I think Yuzuru’s GPF 2013 performance is the closest it is to tapping the full potential this program had.

It all came down to this: Yuzuru’s interpretation of  the ill-fated heroine, Juliet. He portrays her as someone whose passion and grace withstands the storm of chaos and violence but her innocence and vulnerability form the very image of tenderness. It’s such a difficult role for a male figure skater to even dare to step into, but Yuzuru  disappears into it majestically. 

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Yuzuru Hanyu’s 4CC FS

What an exquisite program! I have watched it multiple times since the competition. The precision of his moves, the lightness on the ice, the way his body flows with the music-- all of these are impressive but what makes this one special is Yuzuru’s display of mental resilience.

It is a program that is elevated to greatness right after a costly mistake. While performing complex choreography he readjusts his layout to recover as much points as possible he does and scores a ridiculous 206.67 and is perhaps the first and only man to do so with a solitary 2S+1Lo (worth 1.92 points) jump combination.  

With all the excitement surrounding the quad battle, the irony is that it is Yuzuru’s 3A four minutes in his free program that leaves the strongest statement. The pure audacity and courage to put it there is mindblowing. 

As the media fixates on the number of quads performed, one has to ask: Who did win the quad battle?

Of the top three men, Yuzuru is the only one who landed ALL his quads and gets positive GOE for every single one. Of all his jumping passes it is the 2S+1lo combination that received -0.06 GOE. To put it simply: Aside from the 2S+1lo , all his elements were executed with quality.

All in all he scored a whopping 303.71 with a 2S+3T and a  2S+1Lo and a total of 5 landed quads. Phenomenal.

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Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017

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Notes on 4CC 2017 Men’s SP

I went into the 4CC Men’s SP feeling anxious but I was pleasantly surprised. Quite a few delivered some memorable performances and it was exciting to watch. While I enjoy the technical aspects of the sport my priorities tend to lean towards presentation which has always been the main draw for me when it comes to figure skating. I tried to put my thoughts into words as coherently as possible. I'm not entirely knowledgeable of the sport but I tackle it as a mere spectator. These are personal opinions of mine and I'd recommend that people take it with a grain of salt.

Nathan Chen Clean skate with an impressive score 103.12. His step sequence was enjoyable. It's a struggle to write anything beyond that because it's staggeringly middle of the road. Perhaps the right word to describe it is 'serviceable'. I don't want to take away the fact that he's done a stellar job accomplishing these difficult, difficult jumps. I can only hope that his future programs are designed not just to acquire points but to engage and be compelling. And yes you can come and tell me his EX his better but that's not the program he brings into competitions. Nathan is currently the US' number one man, he's delivered in his last competitions with the sort of consistency others can only dream of (For now anyway. Can he really land all his quads ALL the time?). This is only his first season and it will be fascinating to see how he'll grow from it.

Shoma Uno Shoma's SP troubles disappeared this time around. Ladies in Lavender is a wonderful piece of music that makes me recall the inspirational performances of Tatsuki Machida and Mao Asada. Shoma's SP isn't quite up there but it works. The music sells it, his expressions sell it (it's great to see him smile!). Far from anything deeply memorable but it's fine. It sounds like I'm underselling a 100.28 scoring program but I genuinely struggle with the superlatives. I'm still not sure how consistent Shoma is but apart from Worlds 2016, he's been fairly reliable.

Yuzuru Hanyu I can count on Yuzuru Hanyu to give me glimpses of perfection in an otherwise flawed program. Will we ever see Let's Go Crazy perfected during competition? I'd be glad to but I'll take this too. Not quite as magical as his outing in GPF 2016 but seeing that glorious 4lo and 3A reminds you that despite making huge mistakes, his talent is unfathomable. This is a remarkably complete program. When a one-quad, jump popping Hanyu still scores 97.04 in the short program you can't help but appreciate how well rounded and strong a skater he is. I never know what I'm going to get with Yuzuru, but watching him skate is more than enough for most of us. He doesn't make it easy for himself, or for anyone else for that matter. He has the thinking of a champion and an artist. I have to say that sometimes this tends to work against him, but looking at his accomplishments I'd say it weighs more towards good results.

Patrick Chan Not his best day. People often say that an 'untrained' or casual viewer won't be able to appreciate Patrick's skating skills but I believe anyone who takes the time will see just how good he is. No one skates like Patrick Chan. No one. I'm rather fond of his Beatles SP, but like I said it just wasn't his day. A comeback would be nice but that's all up to Patrick and how his free skate goes. He's proven to be a man who is fully capable of skating at his best when he needs to.

Misha Ge What can I say? Misha's SP was the one program that moved me emotionally. There's so much to love in that quiet tenderness. It's a beautiful performance and one I'll rewatch many times. I watch figure skating for performances like this. I want to remember the love that goes into this. I love that he approaches it as an art. I hope whatever Misha decides to do in the future will make him the happiest. Thank you Misha Ge.

Boyang Jin Funny how the boy with the cheesy Spiderman program was one of the standouts of this competition. He struggled with his 4Lz+3T but went on and delivered something fun, light and enjoyable. He doesn't have the program components that the others have but I genuinely believe that him being scored lower in PCs is pushing him to improve.

His connection with the audience is palpable, his enjoyment of the music is so visible that you can feel it with him. To put it simply, Boyang Jin being his usual goofy self makes him someone you can easily connect to. With the way this sport is evolving, becoming a skater who can jump and perform will become more crucial as more and more skaters begin to up their technical content. Crucial to me and to anyone who actually watches for the performance anyway. Far from perfect but better than the other two teens in the top 5. I'd watch it again.

Julian Zhi Jie Yee An exciting skater from Malaysia! Sometimes the more popular skaters can make one overlook hidden gems but not this time. Expressive performer, pleasant to watch and displays an expressiveness that simply demands that you watch him. I think skaters like him should be rewarded a bit more like I think they should, but to come from country that isn't what I'd call a figure skating country, Julian is a real talent to watch for even without a quad.

Michael Christian Martinez Another(!!) exciting skater but this time from the Philippines. He's been known to have has superb spins featuring perhaps the best Biellmann spin from the men's field but he's also a committed performer. Even if jumps weren't perfect, he landed them and attacked his step sequence with real gusto. Truly a charismatic skater and fun to watch. I'd love to see what these Southeast Asian skaters will bring to figure skating.  

Other notes:

- All three Canadians were called out for URs.

- Keiji Tanaka's bad habit of popping his jumps rears its ugly head right when it counts. It's unfortunate especially seeing his momentum from NHK Trophy but it's not

over. I hope he has a better free skate.

- Han Yan. Period.

_ Jason Brown, a pleasure to watch as always. I hope his injury gets better.

- PCs aren't used like they ought to be used and I find this frustrating.

As for the whole competition, it makes me wonder what's left of a program that's just jumps anyway? I can't help but think that in two years or so more juniors will

emerge and try to do what these guys are doing now and then some. Or perhaps figure skating's landscape will completely change after 2018's Winter Olympics. Who knows?

I approach this sport's future with anticipation and caution, but more heavily leaning towards the former.

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The Final Time Traveller

Delicate and emotional. 

Mesmerizing and dreamlike. 

It’s a program fueled by the ethereal beauty of Yuzuru Hanyu’s skating.

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YUZU DAYS, 6 Feb 2017.

–The reason for evolution, “the strength to aim for”–

Last season, Hanyu scored above 300 points in consecutive wins at NHK Trophy and GPF, and his GPF score was registered in the Guinness World Records. This season, he makes further evolution with the 1st successful quad loop in history and challenging 4 types of quads [t/n. should be 4 quads and 3 types] in his free programme. With a 4th straight GPF win which was a first in history, he prepares for World Championships coming up in March [t/n. and also 4CC coming in mid-Feb].  To Hanyu who continues to evolve, what kind of thing is “strength”? We interviewed him. ———

The ‘strength’ that I am thinking of is not just about abilities, it is also a bit different from strength of spirit; it is actual performance/competition strength….. strength with regards to the environment. Humans, when they face a change in environment, anyone will be anxious, and they cannot perform as usual. Any sports would be like that. Figure skate also, the competition is not in the same environment as the practice. The person who can perform as desired is really a strong competitor. For example, one can be affected when the body feels different due to jet lag or plane movements, or by the mood of the competition or the different feel of the ice. But in the midst of all that, to be able to perform like the usual practice, to perform as desired, to fully show your abilities, that person is really a strong competitor. In that sense, I still have a long way to go. To be able to do a perfect performance without being affected by changes in the environment – I think that is the real meaning of 'strength’.

During competition, to be under the most tension, to join it with peaking and to show fully your own abilities, I think it is necessary to become such a skater. In any case, that is what I want to aim for. The reason why I admire/ look up to Plushenko is in there. I have watched him since I was little. When he jumps, even if he leans forward at times, he never falls, he does not make mistakes. I have almost never seen him fail in competition. HE is the undisputed champion.  I want to be like Plushenko;  no matter what competition, to show fully my own abilities without being shaken, I want to aim to become such a skater.

In various environments, the rink for example, the feel of the ice (or texture or quality of the ice) is different. In those conditions, when I jump, how do I get into the feel of the jump, all this becomes experience.  In the end, it is my own feeling, it is not something that someone can teach me, it is whether I can believe in myself or not. That moment before a jump, if you focus and believe 'I can do it’, then you will definitely be able to jump, there is such a thing for sure.

I like listening to interviews of various athletes and coaches.  They all have their own theories… a certain “thing that one can believe in”.  I think my own “thing that I can believe in” will change depending on changes in my mental state and physical condition. But how to respond flexibly to those changes, hereafter how much will I make into experience the “thing I can believe in”, I think that is the work I have to do.

–translated by me. Source: P&G myrepi.com 

For previous translations of YUZU DAYS: here

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Chopin Ballade No.1

He embodies every note as if he were Chopin’s muse. It starts as a quiet display of power and grace and explodes into a glorious, passionate frenzy. Otherworldly.