Challengers on Ice (2)

Challenger spirit is inherited from great achievers to younger skaters. Their challenges will continue until they completely retire from both games and ice shows.

We saw many dramas on figure skating rink in Iceberg Skating Palace, Sochi. Hanyu’s gold medal with e historical highest score in short skating, Sotonikowa’s gold medal, Asada’s achievement, etc.  And I believe one of the biggest event was Plushenko’s comeback and retire.

Evgeni Plushenko, a gold/silver medalist of four Olympics, decided to retire from competition after the withdrawal of short skating.  But his challenge is still going on.  He is planning to skate in ice shows after cure.  Throughout his long career, he had been challenging himself both emotionally and physically.  His challenging was so brave, but too severe, and almost cruel or even violent for himself, because he had his own body broken.  His challenging had already reached surgery level.  He had taken 12 surgery operations to heal severe problems in knee joint, hip joint, back, etc.  He had overcome his physical limitation, but got tremendous pains and wounds almost all over his body.

I admire his brave athlete spirit and adore his come back to skating link.  I hope his spirit inspire younger skaters.  But still I don’t hope Yuzuru Hanyu, my beautiful idol, hurt himself with too severe challenge. I hope his challenge will never include surgery one.  I am also concerned with Daisuke Takahashi’s condition.  Have you completely recovered from the injury before All Japan Figure Skating Competition? Be careful, don’t hurt yourself any more.  If you feel danger, please make the best decision, like Plushenko had decided to withdraw the game and could avoid the fatal corruption.

However, I know they don’t hear one fan’s advice. They will go their way even if their challenges are too risky.  All we can do for such challengers is continuing to watch and encourage them.  I expect them to be content with their own presentation and get a real medal from theirselves.

Challengers on Ice (1)

After the Ladies Free Skating Game at Sochi Olympic, Evgeni Plushenko praised Mao Asada:  "You're real fighter!!" on his twitter.  "Fighter" is the most suitable title for her and her fans and many top skaters are also calling her so.  

I think no other skaters, including medalists, could impress the audience like her.  Her freestyle presentation had become Myth on Ice.  We figure skating lovers will remember her at Sochi forever, even though forget the medalists.  Despite missing a medal, she is a real Champion in Sochi Olympic.

We were deeply moved by her presentation, not only for the perfectness but also for too much intensity.  All the components in the program were struggle and challenge.  She tried 8 triple jumps including a triple axel. What she challenged was not a gold medal, nor a record.  But she challenged herself. And after severe experience including the sad result at short program game, she had won herself, the most strict judge.

Her challenge and achievement inspired other skaters. Yuzuru Hanyu, 19-year-old gold medalist, watched her skating at audience seat.  After the exhibition show, this talented teenager told about his next challenge.  He will try to be the first quad axel jumper to the next Olympic. Since the start of his career, he might be inspired by many challengers, like Evgeni Plushenko, Johnny Weir, etc.  And now Mao Asada’s challenger spirit had also inspired him. In this way, Challengers’ DNA is being inherited. 

(To be continued)

Plushenko's hands

Evgeni Viktorovich Plushenko, 2006 gold medalist, came back to Olympic game on February 6. He seemed to completely overcome physical pain, because he perfectly succeeded 4T+3T jump and other two high level jumps.



His SP skating was full of power and nobleness, and gave us something energetic. So, I believed his complete recovery as an athlete.


His FS programme “The best of Plushenko” was his own best collection like a gorgeous jewerly box and reminded us his many beautiful masterpieces. Though his spins were not so fast like the ones at his peak and changed some jumps to 3 to 2 rotation ones, he had never stepped out or fallen down, and not lost the dignity of “the emperor”.



All was energetic and beautiful in skating, but what impressed me the most was his “hands”. What are artistic and expressive hands! I know some motions are from early 20th century ballet dancer Niginski’s coleography. His hands were always much more beautiful than any other skaters, but in that programme they seemed to lead his skating. Some younger skaters might technically overwhelmed this 31-years-old skater, but no one’s had exceeded his hands.



“I have been prepared to be defeated”, Plushenko said to an interviewer in some magazine article. He was the second in the SP competition, but won the first place in FS and brought a gold medal in group figure skating competition. However, that was the last glory.



On February 13, Plushenko withdrew the single game just before his turn after the 6 minutes pre-skating. He couldn’t skate any more because of sudden pain in his back, and couldn’t be defeated any more.



Plushenko skated to the link, raised his both hands. Despite of severe pain, he is still noble and full of dignity. His hands were still powerful and seemed to promis his future recovery.
The only skater who defeated Plushenko in Sochi was Yuzuru Hanyu. He won a gold medal in men’s single figure skating.



Hanyu has been an enthsiastic Plushenko fan since childhood and dreamt to be a skater like him. Pulshenko’s passion and technique has been herited to this 19-years-old Japanese skater. He had already mastered bielman spin and 4 rotations jumps.



Plushenko announced the retire from athlete career, but he hopes to restart his skating as a professional skater. I believe he will come back to link soon, as his hands had already promised us. Please come to Japan again, Zhenya. I will see you at arena!


http://hyperion.cocolog-nifty.com/hyperion/2014/02/post-b694.html

Still seeking Ice Queen like Johnny

I can’t find a male figure skater like Johnny Weir in Sochi Olympic. I still expect to see delicacy and elegance in Yuzuru Hanyu or Daisuke Takahashi’s FS programme, but I know they are not  a type like Johnny and they had achieved and established their own style. 


Of course I know every skater is unique and nobody can be like Johnny.   However, I miss his gorgeous and beautiful skating, and his absence make me sad, although Johnny himself may not be so sad and rather enjoying the Olympic as a commentator.

Now, seeing men’s freestyle figure skating on TV, I am still seeking Ice Queen, but in vain. Some people say Jason Brown, a 19-years-old American skater, is similar to Johnny. They say that this ponytail boy may have some girlish sensibility like Johnny. Although he is not so gorgeous to be called as Queen yet, I am warmly cheering for him because I like his charming skating.


As Johnny wrote “What’s wrong with being unique?”, the uniqueness is the most important thing for us, and so for skaters. However, I am still seeking Ice Queen on men’s figure skating link. Please stop my silly challenge and stop my writing right now! Yuzuru Hanyu will be on the link soon and win a medal.

15 February 2014