The Way to Yourself
A Russian journalist interviewed Brian Orser yesterday in Barcelona. (translated from Russian by Marina Khevk)
- When Hanyu broke his record again, Javier Fernandez was the last
competitor of the event. When he finished the program, I waited for
Brian Orser. As I have known him for a long time, I sincerely confessed
to him about what I was absolutely sure two weeks ago. I thought the
performance Hanyu delivered at NHK would stay as the best performances
in the life of Olympic Champion; he just couldn’t do any better.
I thought so too, smiled Orser. As you can see, we’re wrong.
- The feeling that the coach has when his student is skating like this?
Orser became thoughtful…. Then he said this with amazing tenderness:
This boy…. you know, he always finds in a program the details that
can be improved. His performance in Japan was not happy circumstances or
luck. He was precisely going for this at each training session step by
step, We changed some small details of the program to find the perfect
rhythm, to make skating perfect, to incorporate every detail in it.
And I’m not the one who is pushing Hanyu, but rather, he does this to me.
He is generally very independent. I can say that between the final and
Nagano, we did not have any joint training - I was in Canada, Yuzuru
chose to stay in Japan. Nevertheless, I can only repeat today: the short
program in Barcelona is not a matter of luck or coincidence. It is a
result of hard and painstaking work.
- I saw how delighted you
looked at Hanyu after both performances in Nagano. It was part of the
coaching -to show the student the full extent of his greatness?
Not at all. I actually almost went crazy. It was such a complex feeling:
on the one hand, I could not believe to my eyes; on the other hand, I
was bursting with pride as a coach. The fact is that in training we
have such run-through happening. There were good jumps, for sure,
nothing extraordinary. Also I have to mention the fact that we usually
work in quite closed environment, with no extra viewers. It of course
leaves its mark - reduces emotional tension. Also there were
run-throughs where Yuzuru even failed all three jump elements (combos),
and I was very close to tearing all my hair from my head.
And then
suddenly I saw in front of me him coming into shape. You know, it’s like
whipped cream: first you just see some vague liquid substance, which is
mixed, and suddenly at some point in front of you rises the meringue.
This I mean that Yuzuru became different, now he knows how to set up,
how to control himself.
- When did this happen?
Not so
long ago, by the way. Besides, he grew up in all respects. He changed
and become stronger, his body, I think it is evident; his mental is
stronger too.
- You remember we talked a year ago, and you said
that you do not know how correct the decision was that Hanyu made to
skate with injury at his head during CoC. And now it seems to me that that
this has become to some extent a turning point for him. For
understanding how important what he was doing is to him.
It may
be so. I also thought about this. Now I can honestly say that I was in
some kind of trance when the collision happened. Calmed down only for
the GPF – when I saw Yuzuru begin to resemble his former self again, and
the weakness in his skating has disappeared, there is the old
excitement. In general, I can only repeat: he has become stronger. Now
I’m glad that he, as an athlete, has passed through all the challenges
of the past season.
- In Nagano, Hanyu won the short program with 106 points. Now, four and a half points higher. This result can be improved?
To be sincere I do not know. Probably I have to say yes, but I start
to evaluate the elements of the program and I am lost: jumps were
perfect, the spins - the same, as all the steps at a good speed, and the
music, “tens” in components. What can we improve? As for the result –
in any case, where the athlete is gaining more than a hundred, we can
safely assume it is outstanding. One hundred and ten…. I really have
not yet realized what it is.
- As at this level, how can he keep his motivation?
Probably this season we are lucky. Yuzuru is deeply in love with both of his
programs. It is important. In this case, the motivation is his every
possibility to skate them again. Believe me, I know what I say. I had a
program that I skated hundreds of times per season - and did not get
tired of them. So I very much hope that Yuzuru will be able to surprise
us all again.
Translated by Marina Khevkh [in YH Int’l Fan Gp on FB]
Original article: http://www.sport-express.ru
