ゆづくん大好き
Can't help but love his skating, his artistry, his cuteness, his character, his love for his country, his life story, everything.
[I translate and post about things that touch my heart. Do not use nor repost my blog material without my permission]
Some numbers from Yuzuru’s victory celebration parade (22/4/2018) in Sendai…..
1) The temperature of parade day was 29.9°C, the highest ever recorded for April in Sendai. The next day, the temperature fell to 14°C and it was cloudy with brief rain. (*thank God for good weather on parade day!*)
2) Yuzu received the total of ¥10,000,000 /approx.US$93,000 (¥5,000,000 from Japan Olympic Committee and ¥5,000,000 from Japan Skate Federation) as the reward for his Olympic Gold. He donated the whole amount to be used for the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake/Tsunami (¥5,000,000 to Miyagi prefecture and ¥5,000,000 to Sendai City), at the ceremony before the parade.
He did the same four years ago, after Sochi Olympics. At that time, the money he received from JOC and JSF was ¥6,000,000 in total, and he donated it all as well.
(Btw he also donates all royalties he receives from his 2 autobiographies, ’Aoi Hono’ 1 & 2, to Ice Rink Sendai.)
3.a) Yuzu’s parade T-shirts and wristbands were manufactured and sold to cover the cost of the parade. The T-shirt is ¥2500 each and they made 80,000 shirts, and 70,000 shirts were sold by the day of the parade. 70,000 x ¥2500 = ¥175,000,000 /US$1,623,500 b) The wristband (a set of 2 wristbands, purple and blue) is ¥1000 /set and they made 10,000 sets and all were sold out on the day of the parade. 10,000 x ¥1000 = ¥10,000,000 /US$92,800 a) + b), the sales of those items were ¥185,000,000 / US$1,716,300 in total. In addition to this, many people donated for this parade and their donations reached ¥20,000,000 /US$185,550. (note: these are not the final numbers as the amount was still going up at the time of original post)
【¥205,000,000 /US$1,902,000】take away【the material and labour costs (yes, it gave a good influence to the local economy too)】was the profit = fund for the parade. If it is more than the actual expenses for the parade, the rest will be used for the recovery of Tohoku. (They did the same for the parade after Sochi).
4) Over 100,000 people (the official announcement is 108,000, but many who were there say the number should be higher!) turned up for the parade, and 1000 volunteers were ready for the after-parade clean-up, However, hardly any rubbish was found on the streets. Yes, almost zero rubbish!! (*I’m so proud of us! haha*)
5) Another interesting figure… according to the TV program ‘Kininaru’, Yuzu said “arigato” more than 294 times on the parade van! xD
********
Translated by Shuko Doyle, info from yahoo.co.jp and other Japanese media sources. Much thanks to Shuko for giving me permission to share this in my blog; original post in YHIFG. Pic credits are marked on each photo; last 2 photos (showing sale of T-shirts and wristbands) are mine.
Some numbers from Yuzuru’s victory celebration parade (22/4/2018) in Sendai…..
1) The temperature of parade day was 29.9°C, the highest ever recorded for April in Sendai. The next day, the temperature fell to 14°C and it was cloudy with brief rain. (*thank God for good weather on parade day!*)
2) Yuzu received the total of ¥10,000,000 /approx.US$93,000 (¥5,000,000 from Japan Olympic Committee and ¥5,000,000 from Japan Skate Federation) as the reward for his Olympic Gold. He donated the whole amount to be used for the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake/Tsunami (¥5,000,000 to Miyagi prefecture and ¥5,000,000 to Sendai City), at the ceremony before the parade.
He did the same four years ago, after Sochi Olympics. At that time, the money he received from JOC and JSF was ¥6,000,000 in total, and he donated it all as well.
(Btw he also donates all royalties he receives from his 2 autobiographies, ’Aoi Hono’ 1 & 2, to Ice Rink Sendai.)
3.a) Yuzu’s parade T-shirts and wristbands were manufactured and sold to cover the cost of the parade. The T-shirt is ¥2500 each and they made 80,000 shirts, and 70,000 shirts were sold by the day of the parade. 70,000 x ¥2500 = ¥175,000,000 /US$1,623,500 b) The wristband (a set of 2 wristbands, purple and blue) is ¥1000 /set and they made 10,000 sets and all were sold out on the day of the parade. 10,000 x ¥1000 = ¥10,000,000 /US$92,800 a) + b), the sales of those items were ¥185,000,000 / US$1,716,300 in total. In addition to this, many people donated for this parade and their donations reached ¥20,000,000 /US$185,550. (note: these are not the final numbers as the amount was still going up at the time of original post)
【¥205,000,000 /US$1,902,000】take away【the material and labour costs (yes, it gave a good influence to the local economy too)】was the profit = fund for the parade. If it is more than the actual expenses for the parade, the rest will be used for the recovery of Tohoku. (They did the same for the parade after Sochi).
4) Over 100,000 people (the official announcement is 108,000, but many who were there say the number should be higher!) turned up for the parade, and 1000 volunteers were ready for the after-parade clean-up, However, hardly any rubbish was found on the streets. Yes, almost zero rubbish!! (*I’m so proud of us! haha*)
5) Another interesting figure… according to the TV program ‘Kininaru’, Yuzu said “arigato” more than 294 times on the parade van! xD
********
Translated by Shuko Doyle, info from yahoo.co.jp and other Japanese media sources. Much thanks to Shuko for giving me permission to share this in my blog; original post in YHIFG. Pic credits are marked on each photo; last 2 photos (showing sale of T-shirts and wristbands) are mine.
It’s the way you love me
It’s a feeling like this
It’s centrifugal motion
It’s perpetual bliss
It’s that pivotal moment
It’s subliminal
This kiss, this kiss
It’s criminal
(my personal account) (photos are mine, please do not repost nor use for other purposes)
Scheduled time of parade: 1.15pm to 2.10pm.
7am…. wearing my parade t-shirt and wristbands, I left my hotel and walked a short distance to the road where the parade would take place (Higashi-nibancho-dori 東二番町通り). People were already sitting in the ‘1st row’ of the roadside. I met my friend Ella and we decided on a comfortable spot where we could wait for the next 6 hours (omg) and we spread out our picnic mat.
We decided on this area because it was right opposite her hotel (Mitsui Garden) and it was in the middle of the 1.1km route. Ella’s friends would be joining us later because they were lining up to buy parade wristbands. Ella and I bought ours the day before as we arrived in Sendai earlier. (The wristbands were sold on these two days only, 21 and 22 April. Only 10,000 sets and limited to 2 sets per person.)
While I waited at our picnic mat to ‘reserve’ our spot, Ella went on a hunt to buy various local newspapers because Yuzu’s face was on all of them. Information about the parade was front page news, of course. :)
It was nice and cool in the early morning but soon it was hot. And it got hotter and hotter….. Umbrellas, hats, sunshades and sunblock came out of our bags. Later we saw news that it was the hottest day ever recorded for April in Sendai (29.9°C). I told Ella, “Cos Yuzu is sunshine.” She responded, “Cos Yuzu is the sun.” Right! :D
Even though it was very hot, everyone was just so happy and excited to be there. The event was very well-organised. Policemen and volunteers were everywhere to tell people where they can sit and where they can’t. There was always a path kept free for people to walk along the whole stretch of road. The parade planning committee had also asked convenience stores around the area to let people use their toilets, so that was not a problem. For us, we used the nice toilets in Mitsui Garden Hotel as Ella and two other friends were staying there. This photo was taken by me from the 7th floor hotel lobby at about 9.30am.
At about 8 plus, a TV station crew came looking for people to interview. There were 4 young guys who stood out from the crowd. They said they were very inspired by Yuzu and he gave them courage and motivation for their exams. As a result, all of them got into Tohoku University (one of the top universities in Japan). Wow!!!! They came for the parade because they wanted to say thank you to Yuzu. They had started waiting by the roadside since 3AM !!! I was so touched to hear that….. (pic below is when the crew came back to do the live news report)
These 2 ladies were holding a banner with the Japanese words “shiawase desu” (meaning ‘we are happy’) and they said it’s because Yuzu is always thinking about skating to give happiness to others. They want to tell him how happy they all are because of him. Yes! I want to tell him that too!
After hearing their stories, the TV announcer said he would be back in 20 minutes to do the interview on live TV news! Because we were sitting near them, the lady on the left (of pic above) told me to get ready cos we may be on national TV! (Ella quickly ran to the nearest convenience store to get a disposable face mask cos she was so shy, haha…..) Much thanks to a friend who uploaded Japanese TV news that day, we saw the programme that they appeared in: at 2.30 of this VIDEO. So happy to see it!
Later on, I chatted with the lady. Told her I really loved her banner and message and she told me how she carefully made it herself. The two of them were so nice and friendly. Much thanks to them for posing for my photo!
After the TV news excitement, Ella’s friends joined us. They managed to get their parade wristbands (they started lining up at 5am! Sales started at 8am. The previous day, Ella and I lined up from about 7am and sales started at 10am). Here are their Pooh bears happily showing off the precious bands. Behind them is one copy of the morning papers. Ci
Time passed quickly as we occupied ourselves with snacks, chitchat and more photos and selfies. I love my parade t-shirt. Bought both colours, wore the purple one on parade day and the blue one the next day. The S size fits me well and they are so comfortable.
We also took turns to walk around to see other parts of the parade route and soak in the atmosphere. At about 10.30, some volunteers (in light blue jackets) gave out Japanese flags. On the flag handles were the words “Hanyu Yuzuru senshu 2nd straight victory congratulations parade”. (’senshu’ = athlete)
All of us got a flag each…. so happy! Now, when Yuzu approaches, shall I wave my flag or hold up my blue CiONTU towel as a banner or just hold my phone steady to take photos??? hmmm……..
At 11.30, the sidewalks were packed but there was always a part left free for for people to walk. (see pic below). The girl in the blue jacket was one of the many volunteers for the day.
At 12.30pm, the roads were closed to traffic. It’s finally almost time!! We all started to stand up to get ready for the parade. Our group was right behind the barricades. It was good that we came early to get this “front row” spot. :)
Pic below: friend sticking flag into hat so that hands are free to hold camera. xD Blue parade wristband on arm. Most of us wore both the blue and the purple wristbands, one on each wrist, haha.
After the traffic closure, there were some mass movements to be made. The crowd on the opposite side of the road was brought forward to the central divider because the parade bus would only be travelling down one side of the road. So people could cover the road on the other side. It was done really neatly even though the crowd was so huge….. I really love the Japanese for being so orderly. One man with a loudhailer went down the road telling people what to do. Essentially, it’s to hold hands and move forward slowly a certain number of steps on his count. And this was done section by section all the way down that 1.1km route. So now the people on opposite side of the road were much closer to us! (pic below) Our side was also moved forward in the same way by 5 steps. This also meant there was a lot more space for more people to join in and watch the parade.
Another TV news crew came by, and then there were helicopters flying overhead. It’s time!!!!
1.15pm, Yuzu is on the stage!!! So handsome!!! We watched the live stream of the opening ceremony on our handphones. I shared my phone screen with 2 older Japanese ladies near me and they were very grateful. :) Then, finally, Yuzu was getting on the parade van! Being in the middle of the route was good. We didn’t have to wait long to see the start of the contingent approaching!
When the parade van approached our area, Yuzu was looking towards the other side. We shouted loudly, “YUZU!!! YUZU!!!” And he turned to our side and waved!!!
[same pic cropped and enlarged:]
As he waved, he glanced down at our group at one point! I was so happy that my mind went blank! I should have shouted “omedetou!!!” (congrats) but I totally forgot! I just stood there holding my Ciontu towel and looking up at his beautiful face. Then he pointed at something in the crowd and laughed and said something (but we don’t know what)….. omg…… he was really too cute for words. I recovered in time to snap a few more photos before the van became too far away. Aww…… it was so awesome to see him so happy…….
After the parade van passed our area, the crowd slowly dispersed. We went to Ella’s hotel room to watch the rest of the parade on TV. She made coffee for us and we also had some sparkling wine to celebrate. Her friends thanked us for picking a good spot for the parade….. haha, we were really lucky!!!
After the parade was the press conference and part of it was aired live on that TV channel. As always, we marvelled at how well he answered the questions. When the programme ended, we all wrote postcards to ourselves to send back home, so that we would have one more souvenir of this fabulous day. We used Yuzu-postcards that were specially made by one friend. These amazing fans have really great ideas! Look how cute the cards are!
We went to the convenience store nearby to get stamps and dropped our cards into the post box outside the store. While walking through a shopping street, we suddenly saw some people near us giving out newspapers…. it was a free paper with the parade photo and news! Wow that was fast! We quickly lined up and got a copy each. How lucky we were to be passing by!
Being part of the crowd at the parade was a marvellous experience. It was so wonderful to be among Yuzu’s people and to show him our love and support together. Waiting at the roadside for more than 6 hours was fun, thanks to all the fans around me! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Thank you, Sendai!! Thank you, Yuzu-fans!! And finally, the words that I wanted to shout from the bottom of my heart but was struck speechless (Yuzu’s fault)…..
YUZU, おめでとう!!!そして ありがとう!!!(congrats and thank you!!!)
–I really enjoyed my Sendai holiday. The local people were so warm and friendly and many of them thanked us for coming for the parade. I plan to write soon about other parts of my trip…. like chatting with locals while queuing for wristbands and realising how pure and simple their love and support for Yuzu is; going to Ice Rink Sendai and skating there; being moved to tears at Sunao Noto-san’s photo exhibition; eating delicious gyu-tan and zunda-mochi; visiting places with Yuzu’s signature and simply enjoying the beauty of his hometown….. Update: [Part 2 of my holiday] [Part 3] [Part 4]
–Except for the parade route map which is from Japanese news, all photos are taken by me; please do not use or repost without my permission. Thank you.
This is a report from the representative director of the Ice Rink Sendai, Mr Matsuhiko Kato, on the Ice Rink Sendai homepage. (translated by Shuko Doyle) Original: http://icerink-sendai.net/donation2018 ——————–
We have received a donation from Mr Hanyu.
To our customers,
Thank you very much for always using ‘Ice Rink Sendai’ and supporting us.
I would like to report that we have received a large donation from Mr Yuzuru Hanyu. Mr Hanyu previously made frequent donations to us as well, for which I am beyond words in gratitude. Mr Hanyu loves his hometown Sendai deeply and also cares for ‘Ice Rink Sendai’ very much. Here I express my sincere appreciation for what he has done for us.
As for the donation we received, respecting Mr Hanyu’s wish, we are going to think about the useful way of using this money so that everyone can use our facility comfortably.
We wish for Mr Hanyu’s further success and everyone’s good health.
The donation we received from Mr Hanyu this time : 1,695,739 Yen (15,336 USD) The grand total of the donations from Mr Hanyu : 27,008,514 Yen (244,265 USD)
A note from Shuko in YHIFG: This is the donation Yuzu made to Ice Rink Sendai only; it does not include his donations for the recovery of the disaster-affected areas. I know that Yuzu never expects his generous donations (and his continued support) to be made public or discussed about by people. However, I saw this being tweeted by many, so I wanted to share the report with you.
Have you ordered your Yuzu-T? (that’s what the Japanese news article called it, haha) I bought 2! One of each colour cos both are so nice! Couldn’t decide on just one. 2500 yen each. Order here: http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/fl/1/784/4/ (it’s really easy!) The money goes towards the cost of the victory parade in Sendai.
From news articles: Internet sales started on 4 April and 20,000 T-shirts were sold in just half a day. They plan to sell a max of 80,000 tees. This is 3 times the number of tees for 2014. In Sendai, sale of Yuzu-T will start on 11 April at 7 shop locations. The purple and blue wristbands designed with his silhouette will be sold in Sendai from 21 April (i.e. the day before the parade). They are sold in a set of 2 bands, 1000 yen for a set. Limited to 2 sets per person (10,000 sets will be available). The committee would like people going to the parade to wear the Yuzu-Ts and wristbands to cheer for him.
Yuzuru Hanyu’s Mentality that Continues to Win. –article by sports writer Toshimi Oriyama, from magazine ‘文藝春秋 2017年 02 月号’ (published in Jan 2017), translated by me.
(it’s a very long and good article)
Last year, in the figure skating Grand Prix Final (GPF) held in Marseille, France, Yuzuru Hanyu achieved a 4th consecutive victory, something that no one has done before. On the first day, his short programme (SP) was almost perfect and he was in 1st place, then 2 days later, for the free programme (FP), he made some mistakes. But he managed to escape the chase by younger skaters, Nathan Chen and Shoma Uno.
The 22 year-old, who is the Sochi Olympic gold medalist and who has since broken the world records a few times, thought back calmly about GPF 2016. “As a goal, I am very proud of the 4th straight victory. But I am not satisfied with my performance. I am extremely 'kuyashii’ (frustrated/regretful) about the FP score which was in 3rd place. I did a good performance for SP and I thought if I did a fairly good one for FP, I could aim for world highest score; I need to review this point within myself.”
GPF is the high point of the first half of the season. It is a competition that shows the world’s best, similar to World Championship of the 2nd half. Hanyu’s 4th victory puts him on par with the 'emperor’ Evgeny Plushenko (Russia). However, for Hanyu, instead of the joy of victory, he felt more of the regret that he 'could not do a convincing performance’. And this ambition and hungriness is the mentality that is the source of Hanyu’s strength.
2010, Hanyu won the World Junior Championship, and the next season, he moved to the senior competitions. From that time, his supple and graceful performances already had a charm and the beauty of his jumps had a good reputation. Then, in 2011, in his hometown of Sendai, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck; that painful experience and recurring thoughts like “I think I will not be able to skate again” surely led him to grow as a person.
However, to possess that special mental strength to be able to stand at the highest point at the Olympics and to continue winning after that, there were 3 other turning points. The presence of Patrick Chan (Canada) who was called 'the absolute champion’. The 'kuyashii’ (regretful) gold medal at Sochi Olympics. The accident at 2014 Cup of China.
Hanyu’s mental strength that could be seen in glimpses from the time of his debut, the 2013-2014 season added 'calmness’ and a 'spirit of study’ to that. The year before, he had moved to the Cricket Club in Canada to train under Brian Orser and his abilities continued to blossom. And there was a rival who was a big impetus for him. 3-time World champion Patrick Chan who also won GPF twice and was acknowledged to have the best skating skills in the world, plus huge battle strength on the big stage.
Hanyu faced Chan in 2 GP series competitions in 2013. The 1st one was Skate Canada where his score was lower than Chan’s by 27 points and the 2nd one was Trophee Eric Bompard where the gap was 32 points. He was 2nd place in both competitions and you could say it was a crushing defeat.
But these 2 straight losses caused Hanyu to change. Especially Chan’s clean performances at Trophee Eric Bompard that hit record scores for both SP and FP, “it was a trigger for me to look at my own abilities objectively”. “I had nothing but respect and admiration for Patrick’s perfect performance. But at that competition, if both Patrick and I did perfect performances, I knew clearly how much of a gap there would be, and that made a big impact. At that time, I would have lost by about 5 points.”
No matter how perfectly he himself skated, there was a difference in the difficulty of jumps, the level of programme components and such; the reality was that if the opponent does not make mistakes, he (Hanyu) would lose. That was thrusted clearly at him in the form of results. “To cover the gap between Patrick and me, there was a need to increase PCS. To do that, I had to relook at /improve my skating skills which is the foundation, and I had to be more aware of maintaining my expressive abilities during the run-through practice of the physically demanding programme. In addition, I had to get points for spins and steps, and higher GOE for jumps, I thought about all these things.”
Being conscious of the specific scores, having a strategy in the programme, he also came to have a deeper understanding of the meaning behind the practice that Coach Orser laid out for attaining high scores.
Also, he got a hint for his own growth from the words that Chan said. During the press conference after the competition, sitting next to him, Chan was explaining in detail to the reporters how he was mindful about the way he used his body to express the music. Hanyu listened and “it was a good reference for my own performance”. After moving to Toronto, he had started learning English, so he probably understood the words between Chan and the reporter.
Hanyu at that time was only 19 (t/n. it was just before his 19th birthday). I have interviewed many athletes, not just figure skaters. But at press conferences of international competitions where foreign reporters overwhelm, even I feel that the nervousness is very pressurising. To turn that situation into a “learning area”, that 'spirit of desire’ deserves special mention.
When he received that impetus from Chan, at the same time there were words that made one feel the power of Hanyu’s inquiring mind. “Surrounded by reporters and being interviewed on-the-spot is useful,” he said. “After a competition, media people surround me; in the exchange that I have with reporters, I can look back at my performance and talk about it right after I finish performing. I like to analyse my own performance, so it is very stimulating to have questions flying at me from various view points, and also, it enables me to think in a way that’s different from before. Interviews become a place for learning.”
Even veteran athletes find it hard to say something like this. It clearly shows his youth, and stemming from it, his frankness and inquiring mind.
The result of the impetus and learning points from Chan was seen quickly, at the GPF merely 3 weeks after the crushing defeat at Eric Bompard. Hanyu rewrote the world’s highest score for SP that was previously held by Chan, and his FP score was also his personal best. His total score was 13 points more than Chan and he won his first senior GPF.
Using the gold medal
Maintaining that energy/momentum was the key to the Olympic stage 2 months later.
His SP was a masterpiece and, for the 1st time in history, the score went above 100. He was in 1st place with 101.45. But for the FP, he fell at the 4S and 3F. He thought Chan who was 2nd after SP, would overtake him to be the winner. However, Chan also made mistakes and the result was that Hanyu won the gold medal.
“When I finished my performance, I thought the gold medal was not possible anymore. The failure of my FP made me realise the fearfulness of the Olympics, and I also felt the weight of the Olympics. I don’t know why but somehow my body could not move at all.”
The Olympic stage that’s once in 4 years. Participating for the first time and suddenly, he stood right at the top. Winning the first figure skating men’s gold medal for Japan, Hanyu decided immediately after that he would continue to evolve.
“In these next 4 years from now on, the pressure and the attention from the media and such, I think there will be a lot more of these extra things following me. In competitions, judges will not give me a higher evaluation just because I am an Olympic champion. How others see me does not matter. I myself must give a performance that’s worthy of a champion and really receive a gold medal evaluation. In this sense, I must make use of the position of 'Olympic Champion’. Because it is a chance for me to keep putting pressure on myself. Like telling myself, 'Oi, show us an Olympic champion-like performance! Hanyu Yuzuru, show some growth!’ (laughs)”
Then, the performance that left regrets on the Olympic stage, it became the will and desire to move forward to the next step. Thinking back, he said, “For the FP at Sochi, if I had landed the quad salchow and done a no-miss performance, I would very likely be dragged by the Olympic champion result. Precisely because the Sochi gold medal was one that was carrying regretful thoughts, that’s why the present me exists. I got the Olympic gold medal at such a young age, and in addition, I received some problems to work on. As an athlete, this was really a lavish situation.”
A shocking collision
The season after Sochi, just as he said, he grew further, stepping his foot into unknown territory. To prepare for the coming era of quads, he put a 4S and two 4Ts in his FP, and one of the 4T was in the 2nd half where more points would be given. To get used to this, he also put a 4T in the 2nd half of his SP. He spoke about the objective. “It’s also preparation/groundwork for incorporating other kinds of quad jumps in future.”
However, his efforts met an unexpected setback at the 1st competition of the season, Cup of China (CoC). In the 6 minute warm-up before FP, there was an accident; he and Han Yan of China crashed into each other. Blood could be seen dripping from Hanyu’s head (t/n. his chin) and there were screams from the audience. Coach Orser quickly called the doctors (t/n. U.S. team doctors came to help). After checking him, the doctors said there were no signs of concussion, but people around him told him not to skate.
However, Hanyu was stubborn. “I will skate.”
Orser reluctantly sent him into the rink, but of course, it was not the performance (that was planned). His whole body was battered and there was no strength, he fell a total of 5 times. What was pushing him on was his will power alone. After this, he continued to compete until GPF, but the venture to make his performance one rank higher had to be shelved.
At the end of the year, due to intermittent abdominal pain, he went to the hospital for a checkup. He was found to have Urachal Remnant Disorder and underwent surgery. After that, he needed to rest and recover for one month. When he started to train again, he sprained his right ankle. Due to all this, he was 2nd in the World Championship that he was aiming for a 2nd straight victory. Even though he had a 2nd straight win at GPF, to him it was a year of stagnation.
After Worlds, he looked back on the season that was troubled by many accidents. “The injuries and illnesses were hard on not only the body but on the mind/spirit as well. But even under those circumstances, I could at the very least leave some results; to me this experience was not not totally negative. For the accident at CoC, there was insufficient attention on my part, so it triggered a re-looking at the way I entered into the competition, including the way I manage my body condition. And also, more than anything else, the way I was supported by my coaches and the people around me, it was a season where I felt it even more deeply than the Olympic season. All these experiences will be a plus in my competitive skating life, and also in my 2nd career after I retire.”
He also thought about the development of figure skating as a competitive sport. Based on his own accident, he said, “figure skating is a sport with an element of danger that can be a risk to life –that this is known to more people is a plus to the development of the sport.” He also said he was happy that it gave rise to a tide of thoughts on what is necessary to prevent concussions and other life-threatening accidents.
No matter what 'minus’ elements there are, he transforms them into 'plus’, seizes them and looks ahead. As a reporter, this attitude of his amazes me from time to time.
Even when he is bleeding from his head, he is determined that he must go on with the competition; it was also due to the pride that comes because of achieving the title of Olympic champion (t/n. 'pride’ in the positive meaning). Hanyu very naturally has that on him.
The next season, 2015-2016, Hanyu once again challenged the programmes with a quad in the 2nd half.
In the 1st competition, Skate Canada, he was too conscious of the “quad in 2nd half” and made some unthinkable mistakes. As a result, he lost to Chan who had just returned from a year of rest.
However, it was different from before. Chan’s programme layout was lower in difficulty than his own, and he lost to Chan’s 'safe driving’ performance. It made him check/confirm if the direction and path that he was going was correct. “Seeking even greater evolution is what is most like me.”
For his SP, in exchange for not having a quad in the 2nd half, he put 2 quads in the first half, 4S and 4T, making it even more difficult. No matter what, he wants to challenge himself and this also raised his concentration power. At the next competition, he scored 322.40, the first above-300 points in history. And then at GPF, he broke his own records with 330.43. With difficult programmes and clean performances back-to-back, it was a stunning victory over rivals Chan and Fernandez.
Storming through the 300-mark which no one has even touched before, Hanyu’s mental aspect has also reached that high level which normal people cannot comprehend.
“At Sochi Olympics, my free skate performance failed. When I finished, I thought 'the gold medal is gone’. And at that moment, I realised, 'ah, so I was conscious of the gold medal and I was nervous’. This time, that experience at Sochi was put to good use. Before entering the venue, I was aware that I was thinking 'I want to surpass 300 points’. So first, I acknowledged that I am thinking about that and putting pressure on myself, and then, 'if so, I have to do this’ and I think I controlled well my mental state.”
In a situation of being closely chased, the strength to look at himself calmly brought forth a spectacular feat.
For the 2016-2017 season, he decided on new challenges, having a quad loop in both SP and FP and a layout that’s more difficult. When 2016 started, the pain in his left foot (t/n. lisfranc injury) became worse, and after Worlds, even walking was not allowed and this restriction period continued for one and a half months. But in spite of that, he still aimed for further evolution.
Connection with the audience
But it was also an inevitable decision. The previous season, Boyang Jin (China) had 3 types of quads, including the most difficult (of the quads jumped til now) quad lutz, and 6 quads in total for SP and FP and he was 3rd in Worlds. Then Shoma Uno did the world’s 1st quad flip in the Team Challenge Cup in April.
Hanyu himself opened up the frontier of 300 points. Rising young skaters have quads as weapons to challenge him. And it’s not just about having quads, it is about the number of quads and how well they are done; this era of competition has come.
This season, in addition to jumps and layout, Hanyu is widening his range of expression. This can be said as his real value/ ability.
His SP is Prince’s 'Let’s Go Crazy’. It’s rock music that brings to mind his Sochi Olympics SP 'Parisienne Walkways’. FP is 'Hope and Legacy’ which is a combination of 2 pieces of piano music from Joe Hisaishi that Hanyu likes very much. They are 2 contrasting types of music. SP is an uptempo music that Hanyu is very good at; FP piano music has a rhythm and sounds that are harder to grasp for jump timing. Having 2 completely opposite types of music was for raising his own expressive abilities. At GP Final which he won for the 4th consecutive time, he spoke of being aware of a 'connection with the audience’.
“This season’s SP, I am performing it like a rock star having a live concert, so it’s a programme that is not possible without the audience. In France (GPF), the audience also became very excited and it was very fun. Then for the FP, I could perform while feeling the music with my whole body. It’s different from the SP, it’s not a programme where the audience becomes more and more excited and clap and go WA!!! But during the performance, I could feel the gaze of the audience, and when I did my jumps, I could see there were people praying for me. I connected with the audience, in other words, our feelings became one, and I felt this happiness.”
Something that is in the beat and the meaning of the lyrics of Prince; abandoning yourself to the piano music of Joe Hisaishi and feeling the wind, the trees, the air and other things of nature. Sharing with the audience the world that you express through skating, wanting to create a programme that’s like having a conversation with the audience – that is one of the complete forms of figure skating which is sports and also art.
From TV and books etc, Hanyu studies the ways of thinking of athletes from other sports and reflects them in skating. He often says that this is his weapon. Recently, gymnast Kohei Uchimura who won a consecutive victory at Rio Olympics said, “I had to win, it was good.” Words in which you could feel the heavy pressure on someone who stood at the top, those words left a deep impression on him. Without being imprisoned by existing boundaries, he wants to pursue figure skating further and further, this is his thinking.
“Receiving the programmes from the choreographer, integrating jumps into it and performing it, that is my job/work. When all the jumps are completed beautifully, then it can be called a real performance. That is why I am so regretful (kuyashii); while adding in a new quad and doing a layout that’s more difficult than last season, I am still not able to make a new personal best score this season. If I speak my true feelings, I want to raise my scores and become the Yuzuru Hanyu that no one can catch.”
For his own growth, for figure skating as a sport, his desire/greed never fades, and this is his true strength as a skater. And it can also be said that this is why he makes us feel that for him there are infinite possibilities.
– original article by sports writer Ms.Toshimi Oriyama; very sorry if I didn’t translate it well enough.
Fantasy On Ice, Sendai, May 31 (Fri) to June 2 (Sun) 2019 ~my account~
[wrote it for myself, to remember all the little details]
When I heard that Sendai was one of the places for Fantasy On Ice 2019, I
immediately knew I had to get tickets. I made my first trip to Sendai
in April 2018 for Yuzuru Hanyu’s Olympic victory parade and I fell in love
with Yuzu’s hometown. FaOI Sendai would be the perfect occasion to
visit again! I quickly asked some friends for help and,
miraculously, they managed to get tickets for all 3 shows from the
official ticket draws. I’m eternally grateful! At that time, Yuzu’s participation was not yet
announced but we knew he would be there. Even if he couldn’t do jumps
yet, he would definitely make an appearance in his hometown. Weeks later, it
was announced that he would be in the shows in all 4 locations.
Fans were delirious with joy! Besides the thought of seeing him, it also
meant he was recovering well!
This would be my 4th Yuzu-ice show. 2015 I went to FaOI Kobe; 2017 Niigata; 2018 Shizuoka. So glad Sendai is an FaOI location this year; it’s the first time!
I flew into Tokyo Haneda Airport and took the shinkansen to Sendai. My hotel is very near the main station. The show venue is Sekisui Heim Super Arena, in a small town called Rifu, north of Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture. It is not easily accessible, so there were special shuttle buses to take us there from Sendai Station. We had to buy the bus tickets from a vending machine in 7-11 in advance. Cost for a 2-way ticket was 2500 yen, half-price for one-way.
Day 1, Friday (show time: 5pm)
At about 3pm, I followed signs that pointed to ‘FaOI shuttle bus’, which basically meant following the crowd. (The long queue was to the right of this photo.)
Boarding the bus in an orderly manner. Each bus moved off once it was full.
On the bus, I looked around me and wanted to laugh…. everyone’s phone screen or wallpaper was Yuzu’s face! hahaha…… it was surreal. xD
It was a long bus ride, about 45 minutes. We finally reached and I saw many stalls selling food outside the arena. But the sky was grey and rainy, and suddenly the drizzle became very heavy rain. I quickly lined up to go into the arena. Thank goodness I had my waterproof parka. Much better than an umbrella!
When I got to my seat, I had a nice surprise. The people sitting
next to me were Taiwanese fans that I had met during Yuzu’s parade last year! So happy to see them again!
Besides the great company, my
seat position was really good too. Right in the centre of one long side (East) and not far
from the rink for an ‘A’ seat! (First row is Premium, then Arena, SS, S,
A, B.)
While waiting for the show to start, we chatted and exchanged gifts. One of them gave me a little drawstring bag with a single feather embroidered on it. A simple design that is so beautiful, especially for us Yuzu-fans. I was so touched. I only had snacks from my country to offer. :P
Then the show started. When Yuzu
came out for the opening, we all screamed!!!! He
danced with so much energy and happiness pouring out of him and his
jump was awesome! It was a 4T with a high kick, and then, as he danced
in front of the whole group of skaters, he did a “I can’t hear you,
c'mon” kind of gesture to the audience. (You can see it HERE.) OMG he was so cool!!! I don’t know how the
people sitting on the short side, right in front of him, survived.
2nd
part of the opening: Yuzu skated in with Jeff, Javi and Luca, and they were joined by 4 ladies.
His pair dance with ice dancer Anna Cappellini was so cute! And he was so smooth and
confident!
Individual performances: so many wonderful
performances…. I will mention some of them at the end.
When singer ToshI came onto the stage, he
said, “Sendai is figure skating and we have 2 Olympic gold medalists
here… Arakawa Shizuka (loud cheers) and Hanyu Yuzuru!!!!!!” (loud
screams) Then he did the Yuzu-call……
ToshI: YUZU!! (points mike to audience) Audience: YUZU!!! ToshI: YUZU!! Audience: YUZU!!! ToshI: YUZU!! Audience: YUZU!!!
ToshI: But he’s not coming out yet. (hahaha…..) (Next was Stephane
Lambiel.)
Yuzu’s performance was last, as usual. ‘Masquerade’ was
so passionate and intense that my heart was thumping like crazy and I
had to scream at many parts (and I heard others’ screaming as well).
The music plus ToshI’s singing was very loud and drowned out our
screams, thank goodness. When Yuzu threw down his glove at the end, we
all jumped to our feet and screamed and clapped. MASQUERADE WAS
ELECTRIFYING!!! Video here.
Finale: Yuzu came out in the finale costume (black and
white with frilly sleeves). So handsome! After the group number, he
disappeared backstage while the others did their jump or spin battles.
He appeared again wearing the FaOI tee, wiping his face with a towel
and sipping from a water bottle. Then he went to stand next to
Plushenko. He tried the quad lutz, popped first time, then 2nd time he stepped out a bit. When all the skaters started to go back in, one by one in a
line, he did the 'high ten’ with each of them, some hugged him, he
twirled Anna, and then Luca twirled him! haha…. that was so cute! Then
as always, he stepped out of the rink, and from the side of the stage,
he shouted “arigato gozaimashita!!!” He bowed, walked backwards while
waving, and before he disappeared through the curtains, he blew us a
kiss!! I think I died……
The show ended at about 8.30pm. Rainy, dark, and took forever to get onto one of the shuttle buses that took us back to
Sendai Station. But head is totally filled with Yuzu and Masquerade, and
heart is totally happy. :)
Day 2, Saturday (show time: 2pm)
On Day 2, I did not take the shuttle bus. My friend Ella came to watch the Saturday and Sunday shows. Her Japanese friend rented a car and drove us there. (5 of us in the car made the shared cost much cheaper than the shuttle bus ticket.)
It was a sunny day and I was very excited about the food (which I did not try on Day One due to rain). From afar, I saw the tentage…..
When
I got there, the whole place was like a carnival! As I wandered around, someone suddenly tapped my arm. It was my fan-friend K-chan! How amazing that she spotted me among the crowds! The last time we met was one year ago at FaOI Shizuoka! So happy to see her, even if it’s only for a minute. xD
The stalls were awesome. I have never seen food at previous ice shows! The
food sold here were specialties of Sendai and the regions nearby, and there
were long queues at every stall. There was nama biru (draft beer),
miso ramen, yakisoba, gyu-tan (grilled beef tongue), croquette with bits
of gyu-tan inside, skewers of Yonezawa beef (famous beef from
Yamagata), and zunda soft serve ice-cream (zunda = sweet edamame bean paste).
Above: my Zunda ice-cream…. so yummy.
Above: Gyutan. Below: Croquette and Yonezawa beef.
I wish I could eat everything! But I only had time to try these 4 things over Sat and Sunday. They tasted SO GOOD. (Thanks to Ella for her recommendations!) There were many benches near the stalls and people were sitting there enjoying the food under the blazing sun.
It felt like a festival to celebrate Yuzu being there. :))
Besides the official merchandise, there were also booths selling
Sendai snacks in beautiful FaOI packaging and music boxes of Ballade
No.1 and SEIMEI. There was even a photo booth with staff helping fans to take photos! xD
And when you got into the ice arena, every
seat had a plastic bag with some promotional material and a pack of FaOI
Sendai wet wipes! haha….. so you could wipe your sticky hands and
mouth if you brought food in to eat!
Sendai, you really are the best! :D (So, I have 3 of these wet wipes from the 3 days but I can’t even bear to open one of them to use!)
For Day 2, I was on the other long side (West) and a bit
off-centre nearer the short side. So I had a totally different angle of the show and my row was nearer the rink than yesterday – fantastic! The person next to me was also Ella’s friend and she offered me some lovely sweets. Yuzu-fans are really sweet! :)
Opening: Yuzu fell on his opening 4T, so when
he came out again with the other 3 guys (Jeff, Luca and Javi), he did a
beautiful 4T before doing the usual steps with the others. Hahaha, I
was laughing inside, that is so HIM!
In the middle of show: ToshI’s YUZU-call this time was even longer than Day 1! Felt like we were at a rock concert! He made each side of the rink call out “Yuzu!” 3 times, like a battle
to see which side was louder. So it was one long side first, then the
short side (in the video below, you can hear it’s a bit softer cos short side has less
people), then the other long side. Toshl says in his blog that this is the “やりすぎ編😅
”, meaning the “too much (or overdone) version”. Haha…. I like Toshl. (Didn’t know him before this.) We were all so high
shouting “YUZU!!!” with all our lung power! xD Video of Day 2 Yuzu-call (ToshI’s blog)
Something comical: During the flying acrobatic skaters’ performance, I could see 4 or 5 men at one corner outside the rink pulling the rope to raise the skaters into the air. They were running to and fro holding the rope and they were so funny! End of performance, when the 2 skaters bowed, the men also bowed in their corner and waved as they marched off in a line! Haha…….. (this could only be seen from seats on the West side.)
Intermission: In previous FaOI’s, during intermission, 2 of the skaters (but never Yuzu) came out in zambonis and shot little presents to the audience, like signed FaOI tees. So I waited a while but there was nothing happening… (same for all 3 days). So I went for a walk to stretch my legs. Went to put my fan letter into the gift box for Yuzu. It’s just a simple postcard from my country. :)
Last performance: Yuzu’s ‘Crystal
Memories’ –- so beautiful I think I forgot to breathe. The Y-spiral was
near my side of the rink. His right leg raised up high was slowly
lowered in a beautiful line with his body and it was just so
heavenly to watch from where I was. So many other exquisite moments…… words won’t do justice. Watching live,
costumes always sparkle and glitter 100 times more than what we see on screen. Yuzu was so sparkly he looked like an angel of light, sent from heaven to bring beauty and love to our world. Video of 'Crystal Memories’
Finale: As
the skaters skated around the rink waving, Yuzu skated slowly, looking
up at the audience. I think he was trying to see as many fan-banners as
he could. Like yesterday, he went backstage to change out of the
finale costume and wore the FaOI tee to do the quad challenge. The 4Lutz
today was a step-out/hand-down. The staff were putting some chairs onto the ice
near the stage. When Yuzu realised it’s group photo time, he dashed
backstage and came out very quickly in the black-and-white finale
costume again, and he was grinning away.
Haha, it was a really quick change! I wonder who the lucky person was,
helping him backstage. xD
At the very end: He shouted
'arigato-gozaimashita!’ and we shouted back 'arigato-gozaimashita!’
Then, just before he disappeared into the curtains, he did the phantom
'take-off-the-mask’ gesture. And we SCREEEEEEEEAMED!!! xD
I floated on cloud nine to the car park….. Soon we were on our way back to Sendai Station area. In the car journeys to and fro, the music was excellent, thanks to a friend who has a Yuzu-playlist in her phone which she connected to the car stereo. All the music that he has skated to, from novice til now…. SP, FP, exhibitions….. ahhhh what great music….. it was really the GREATEST selection!
As we reached Sendai Station area, a funny thing happened. Our friend drove onto the wrong road and we found ourselves on a highway going off to a different area! She frantically looked for an exit but there were none. We just had to keep going on this highway, further and further away from Sendai Station! Then I saw a sign saying we’re heading for「泉中央」…… hey, isn’t that the area of Ice Rink Sendai? We’re heading for Yuzu’s home? Our friend kept apologising for going the wrong way but we told her IT’S OKAY!!!! We’re going to Yuzu’s home!!! Hahaha….. the wrong road suddenly felt so right! xD
The sun was setting….. We became quiet…. gazing at the golden colours of Yuzu’s hometown while his music serenaded our senses.
(Glad these photos I took with my iphone in a moving car turned out well.) After driving for some time, our friend found the way back towards Sendai Station. We were late in joining a group of fans for dinner but what a nice little detour we had! Very grateful to our Japanese friend who did all the hard work while we just
soaked in the sights and sounds!
Day 3, Sunday (show time: 1pm)
For Day 3, I bought a one-way shuttle bus ticket as I would return by rental car. Like Day 2, I lined up for food before the show. The lines were very long and there were staff holding signs that said “end of line (food name)” for each stall so that people would know exactly where to queue. Moving slowly in line, I used the time to admire the Yuzu-world around me. Almost everyone was wearing or carrying things that showed their love, like Ciontu tees, Pooh keychains and Irene bags. I myself was wearing the Phiten mirror ball necklace. Some things were so beautiful and unique and I took photos. (edit: separate post made on this; link is below.)
After eating, I walked around and spotted Yuzu’s signature near the arena office! It was from year 2010! At that time, the wing in his signature was very distinct. So cute. :)
Close to 1pm, I went into the arena to look for my seat. I had an ’S’ ticket and I was excited about being much
nearer the rink than the previous 2 days with 'A’ tickets. But when I got to my seat, I saw that I was only just in front of my row yesterday! Realised that my 'A’ seat
yesterday was the FIRST row of all the 'A’ seats and my S seat today was
the LAST row of all the S seats. Hahaha…….. I was a bit disappointed but then I was really lucky for the A seats! (Seat order: Premium, Arena, SS, S, A, B)
The good thing is, I was on the West side again and nearer the stage this
time. I would be able to see Yuzu going in and out very
clearly! And I had my concert binoculars! I bought it just the night before, from a budget shop near my hotel. Sometimes the shows provide rental of binoculars but this one didn’t. I usually use it for the finale, when the skaters are just having fun, so I can see Yuzu’s cute expressions. :)
I was also extra happy as I would be sitting next to Ella who came into the arena soon after me. 2 Japanese fans behind us heard us talking and knew we were not Japanese. They showed us a huge folder with many Yuzu clear files and pamphlets, and asked us if we already have them. We said no and they took out some to give to us! Omg….. what super nice fans!! They said they would be going for Kobe FaOI and Toyama FaOI as well! They were at Worlds in Saitama too! (Wow, I wish I could say the same!) How lucky we were to sit in front of them!
Opening: Wonderful like the other days and Yuzu did a beautiful 4T.
After the group performance, as he
walked towards the backstage curtains, he took off his outer mesh top and
swung it around, just before he disappeared thru the curtains. Haha….
how cute can he be…… xD
Middle of show: ToshI said he talked too much
yesterday so today he would say less. The audience protested a bit
with an “Ehhhhhh??” But there was no Yuzu-call today. :(
During Masquerade, Yuzu fell on both his jumps. For us fans, it did not matter at all, but we knew he would feel terrible about it. I
wondered if the temperature was affecting him as the venue was very
warm. Day 1 was OK but it was warmer on Day 2, and on Day 3 I was
actually sweating a bit in the middle of the show. And I wasn’t the
only one feeling it cos I saw people fanning themselves. Literally a very hot FaOI.
Finale: After the group number, Yuzu disappeared backstage to
change into the FaOI tee while the others did jump/spin battles. Came out with towel and water bottle.
Wiped sweat, drank water. Then he did some stretching, and sat on steps
at the side of the stage and massaged his legs for quite a long time. (So
glad I was seated that side and I saw him so clearly.) I guessed he was
getting ready for the quad lutz ….. because he fell on both his jumps
during Masquerade, he really wanted to do a good jump for us. He tried 3
times - popped twice and fell on the last one. And decided it was
enough. Thank God! I was getting worried because he had only just
recovered. My heart was in pain watching him try so hard. Yuzu, we know you always want to give
your best. But please take good care of yourself!
(One week later, he did a beautiful 4Lz in Kobe Day 3!
YES!!!!!!!!)
At the end, instead of the usual deep bow towards all the
skaters and artists, he knelt down and bowed with his head on the ice…. orz. He looked so cute and funny doing that and we all laughed, but our hearts
were aching cos we knew he was feeling truly apologetic and extremely ‘kuyashii’….
For the final
skating around the rink to wave to the audience, he went to Plushenko
and pushed him to the start of the line, then Plush and Yuzu 'circled
around each other’ trying to make each other first in line, haha….. it
was so sweet. Video (from Plushenko’s IG)
At
the very end, at the side of the stage, he took the mike and said a few
words. I cannot remember what he said except for this: - Actually
this is not Sendai…. (it’s actually Rifu, just outside Sendai) - He wishes FaOI will come here again. (what else did
he say…….. sigh, my head must have been too overwhelmed by this
time.)
After shouting arigato-gozaimashita (without the mike), he walked
backwards towards the curtained doorway, and just before he disappeared,
he bowed deeply and said 'arigato-gozaimashita’ again (with the mike).
My heart deeply and sincerely also says, “Yuzu, arigato-gozaimashita!” Thank you for everything you do!
At past FaOI’s, I always bought one tee and one towel. (I think they
only had one design each.) This year, they had 2 designs each and it was
so hard to choose and Yuzu wore both tees and I love both colours of
the towel….. so I bought everything (goodbye my money). And the FaOI book of
course; the cover and photos inside are so beautiful.
I felt this was the best FaOI I’ve ever attended. I will mention briefly some performances that I love a lot.
~Shizuka Arakawa: so beautiful and elegant; love her skating, esp her spiral and layback ina bauer. Love her costumes too. One was white and sparkly, the other had a Japanese style. Both performances were excellent.
~Nobunari Oda: Music from the movie 'Ghost’ - his skating was so sad, I
almost had tears. Then 'Mission Impossible’ was so funny!!! Really
love Nobu-kun! ~Stephane Lambiel: Love both numbers, especially the one with ToshI singing the sad and beautiful Japanese song 'I Love You’. ~’Akai Sweet Pea’, sung by ToshI, skating by Johnny Weir. I love this song! Originally sung by Seiko Matsuda. ~'Monochrome’
by Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte: So amazing!!! Everything looked
like a black-and-white movie! The colour on their skin must have taken a
lot of time and effort. Their performance was superb! ~Rika Kihira: So energetic and strong! Love the choreo. ~Satoko Miyahara: skated her new SP on Day 1 and her new FP on Day 2 and 3. I like both a lot! ~Javier Fernandez: the flamenco performance was so fun!
Plus all the other performances, I enjoyed them all! Thank you to all skaters and artists and staff!
On Sunday, once the show ended, Ella rushed out of the arena with her huge bag. There was a taxi waiting to take her to Sendai Airport to catch her flight home. I was a bit worried she would miss her flight but she made it, phew! And she saw some skaters at the airport! Jeff, Scott, Rika and Satoko! Wow, they are fast! :D
A big thank you to Ella and all the Yuzu-fans I met. I received so much love and so many gifts….. really grateful to all you wonderful people!
The little pouch with a feather was perfect for my new binoculars. Will be bringing them along for future events. :)
So many beautiful things and memories added to my treasure chest….. Dear Yuzu-kun and Yuzu-fans, til we meet again, take care and God bless!
(Next, I will write about the other places in Sendai that I visited on this trip.)
*All photos are taken by me. (some faces are blurred for people’s privacy.) *If my memory is not so accurate for some details of the show, my apologies. :)
A bit more from Yuzuru’s interview after FS at Autumn Classic (2016). I translated some that include one sentence he said. “If not, I’m not Yuzuru Hanyu.” Please note that this can also be translated as “If not, it’s not Yuzuru Hanyu” or “If not, it’s not what Yuzuru Hanyu is.” Because Japanese sentences often have no subject when the speaker thinks it is understood from context, what he said was just “If not, ___ not Yuzuru Hanyu.”
Japanese news reported different parts of his words. Some were badly edited (cut and joined) to make it sound more sensational. I am sharing only the ones that are more well-edited, ie more accurate. I have also put in the word ‘cut’ to show where there was a snip in the video, ie. some words were cut out.
From news videos: 1) “When you see me next, I want to be able to do a performance that you will say, not one but 10 or 20 layers of skin have been shed, we have waited for this Yuzuru Hanyu; I will practise while looking forward to that. [cut] If not, I’m not/ it’s not Yuzuru Hanyu.” (video)
2) “I really need to practise more. [cut] Next competition I will do it with no mistakes. I will do it, definitely. I will practice that much. If not…. if not, I’m not /it’s not Yuzuru Hanyu.” (video)
3) “It’s tough. But even though it’s tough, it’s fun/enjoyable, and I do get fired up. [cut] Next competition I will do it with no mistakes. I will do it, definitely. I will practice that much. If not…. if not, I’m not/it’s not Yuzuru Hanyu.” (video)
So basically he’s saying if he does not practise that much, so as to do a much better performance, then it’s not him.
(my translation; thanks to pino2 for the videos) (a lot of this stems from huge frustration immediately after his FS, but it is also very much part of his character.) (Yuzu, please take good care of your body.)
Translation of article from website of Tohoku High (Yuzu’s high school):
Yuzuru-sakura in full bloom! (Izumi campus, April 18th)
The “Yuzuru-sakura” that was planted to commemorate Yuzuru Hanyu’s 2014 Sochi Olympics figure skating gold medal is in full bloom.
Coincidentally, the day before, Hanyu-senshu gave a spectacular free skate performance and dazzled in 1st place for men’s singles at the World Team Trophy.
Although this season had all sorts of happenings like an unexpected accident, injuries and rehabilitation, he showed the true strength of a world number one and finished the season with a magnificent performance.