User:Henni147/sandbox

Active user sandboxes and draft pages

 * Yuzuru Hanyu source container
 * Figure skating legacy of Yuzuru Hanyu
 * Philanthropy of Yuzuru Hanyu
 * Professional figure skating
 * Shinya Kiyozuka

DYK hook for Philanthropy of Yuzuru Hanyu
Did you know that ...
 * ... Japanese figure skater and philanthropist Yuzuru Hanyu has donated the full prize money of his back-to-back wins at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics for the reconstructions after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami?

Contributions to figure skating
Hanyu is regarded by analysts as an accomplished skater known for his high-level technical elements as well as mature and versatile artistry. His performance is often characterized as "the perfect combination of skills, strength and elegance", tending to "[blur] rigid gender lines". According to four-time Olympic medalist Evgeni Plushenko, Hanyu had a "decided edge over other skaters in the completeness of his performance—spins, skating skills, transitions between jumps and musical interpretation". Two-time world champion Stephane Lambiel described him as "the most complete athlete in figure skating, probably ever."

Skating philosophy and conflicts
Hanyu is regarded as part of the vanguard of the "quad revolution" in men’s figure skating. He was the first skater to land a quadruple loop, a quad toe loop-triple Axel sequence as well as a quad toe loop-Euler-triple flip combination. He was also the first to land three quad jumps in the second half of the free skate and among the pioneers to approach the quadruple Axel. According to him, a clean and seamless execution of the jumps is essential for a good figure skating performance. However, he repeatedly stressed the importance of well-rounded programs, including advanced transitions and intricate footwork as well as the precise interpretation of the music. Regarding the ongoing debate about the relation between technique and artistry in figure skating, he noted: "That so-called balance between [technical] difficulty and artistry, to me that doesn't actually exist. Artistry is founded upon absolute technical prowess, that's what I think." Towards the end of his competitive career, Hanyu’s and the ISU’s philosophy of skating have continuously diverged. This included the abolition of mandatory steps before the solo jump in the short program in 2018, the proposal to replace the short and free skate program by a "technical" and "artistic" program in 2020, and the removal of transitions and interpretation as separate program components in 2022. While feeling of having evolved in various aspects of his skating compared to his record-breaking performances in 2015, his scores had become lower, making him wonder if he was "no longer needed". At his transition from competitive to professional skating, he remarked that he "stopped wanting to be evaluated", and stressed his intention to keep pursuing his "ideal skating". Have found the source for Hanyu saying the current judging that emphasizes jumps is not his ideal FS here, but it's paid article. I'm trying to find a way to bypass it. - Yolo4A4Lo (talk) 12:17, 17 September 2022 (UTC). Translation:

「例えば (プログラムの)『バ ラード第1番』 だったり 『SEIMEI』 だったり、あの (平昌五輪までの) シーズンでPCS (表現面などを評価 する演技構成点) の限界値に達する ことができた. それって僕にとって は努力が報われた瞬間だったし、僕 自身が目指しているジャンプと、ト ランジション(技のつなぎ)とスピ ンと、という全ての融合みたいなも のが、なんかピタッてきた瞬間でも あったんですよ. それが評価しても らえたのがすごくうれしかったんで すよ. そこからさらにもっともっと こうやろう、ああやろうとやってい るにもかかわらず、PCSというもの の限界がやはりあるので....... そこ の葛藤が強くありました」

"For example, in my programs Ballade No. 1 and Seimei, that season, I was able to reach the upper limit of PCS (until the Pyeongchang Olympics. That was the moment I felt that my efforts had been rewarded; when the fusion of jumps, transitions, spins that I had been aiming for came together. The fact I had that acknowledged made me really happy. Beyond that point, I continued to do more and more, tried this and that, but after all, there was still a limit on PCS. I felt that conflict very strongly."

「自分が（もっともっとと）やっているんだけれども、結果的に（得点の）限界値を超えることはできないので. なんで点数伸びないのかなあ、みたいなことは感じてはいた. あとは年々、（自身の演技の）難易度がどんどん上がっていく中で、確かに単発で（ジャンプを）跳べば何とかなるというのはもちろんあるんですけど、それをやっていくのが楽しいかと言われたら、僕の中ではそれがフィギュアスケートとしての醍醐味（だいごみ）ではないなと. また、それも葛藤の一つだった. それをやったら点数は出る、でもそれをやってしまうと僕じゃないみたいな葛藤は常にありました」

"I tried to do more and more, but in the end, I could not surpass that scoring limit. I wondered ‘why aren’t my scores increasing?’ And then, year by year, while the difficulty of my own programs was increasing rapidly, it’s true that if you treat the jumps as a one-shot thing, I could indeed manage that somehow, but if you asked me whether doing that was fun, I personally do not think that’s the charm of figure skating. That was also a point of conflict for me. If I did that, I could get the scores, but if I did that, then that would not be me - it was that kind of conflict that I felt constantly."

Skating philosophy (Mainichi fan-translation)
 * FTV original Japanese transcript: "難しいジャンプをやるのは凄く楽しいんですよ. 挑戦することに凄く燃えてて. それは昔から変わらないんですけど. なんか、難しいジャンプ跳べた、やったー、で終わっちゃうフィギュアスケートが今、やりたいとは思わないんですよね. なんか、そうじゃない、っていう. 自分が望むフィギュアスケートっていうのは、なんか、頑張ってルールに対抗しよう、って思ってたけど、なんか、自分の中で違う位置づけのスポーツになってきちゃっているんで. それを何とか、自分の中に取り戻したい、っていうのがあって. それは世界がどうとか、ルールがどうとか関係なく、自分自身がやりたいスポーツとして."
 * FTV English translation: "It's great fun to do difficult jumps. It's exciting to face the challenge. That hasn't changed since the old days. However, I don't think I want to do [the kind of] figure skating now where you land a difficult jump and say, 'I did it, yay!', and that's it. I mean, it's not [supposed to be] like that. The kind of figure skating I want to do is ... I tried my best to compete within the rules, but in my mind, it has turned into a different type of sport. I wanted to somehow get that back in my mind. It doesn't matter what the world says or what the rules are, [I want to remind myself of figure skating] as a sport that I want to do."

Axel jump of Yuzuru Hanyu
Notable is the Axel jump of Japanese single skater and two-time Olympic champion, Yuzuru Hanyu. His triple Axel was awarded a maximum score ten times, the most among skaters since the introduction of the ISU Judging System in 2004. As of January 2023, the only other skaters to earn a perfect score for that element were Javier Fernández from Spain, Yan Han from China, and Hanyu's compatriot Shoma Uno (one each).

Hanyu's Axel jump is known for its clean edge take-off with minimal pre-rotation, strong vaulting technique, and a variety of difficult entries, including his signature backward counter turn. At the 2019 World Championships, his triple Axel was the largest measured jump in the men's short program, with a trajectory of 70cm height and 3.62m distance. According to analysts, a key to Hanyu's success is his ideal take-off angle of 22 to 23 degrees, which was also measured at American Mike Powell's record-breaking long jump of 8.95m in 1991. In 2018, Hanyu's triple Axel from the 2018 Winter Olympics was used as a demonstration example by the International Skating Union for the judging criteria "very good height and very good length" as well as "steps before the jump, unexpected or creative entry". At the 2021 World Championships, 1998 Olympic champion and NBC commentator, Tara Lipinski, praised Hanyu's Axel performed in the men's short program: "This triple Axel was so stunning. Look at that deep knee bend, control over the edge. Difficult entry, exit—he's got it all."

Besides the quality, Hanyu's triple Axel strikes out for its consistency. He landed 51 triple Axels with a positive grade of execution (GOE) in 53 international senior short programs, recording only two mistakes in a span of twelve years. This feat is particularly impressive, since the Axel jump is a mandatory element in men's singles and can only be attempted once in this competition segment. At his first solo ice show Prologue, Hanyu was able to circumvent the strict repetition rules of figure skating competitions, and perform three triple Axels in one program, two of them being executed in combination in the second half.

Apart from the triple Axel, Hanyu is one of the few current skaters who regularly performs a delayed single Axel in his programs. The jump was notably featured in his Olympic exhibition programs "Notte Stellata (The Swan)" and "" among others. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Australian commentator and former competitive figure skater, Belinda Noonan, remarked: "With one delayed single Axel, one triple Axel, Yuzuru Hanyu, double gold medalist, just gave a masterclass of what figure skating actually is." At the 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki, Hanyu became the first skater to land a quadruple toe loop-triple Axel jump sequence in international competition, with the triple Axel being executed as the second jump within an element for the first time. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, his attempt of a quadruple Axel had been the closest in competition until Ilia Malinin's successful execution at the 2022 U.S. Classic. Malinin named Hanyu's pursuit of the quad Axel as inspiration to land the jump.

References



Original key event sections
Full chronological summaries stored for revamp of Hanyu's main biography article

In the 2010–11 season, Hanyu moved up to senior level as the reigning World and National Junior champion as well as the Junior Grand Prix Final winner. He faced significant competition in the Japanese senior field, including Daisuke Takahashi, Nobunari Oda, Takahiko Kozuka, and Tatsuki Machida, who all had finished ahead of him at the previous Japan Figure Skating Championships. At the 2010 NHK Trophy, Hanyu landed his first successful quadruple jump, a quad toe loop. In the same season, at the 2011 Four Continents Championships, he won his first medal at a main international senior competition, where he placed second behind Takahashi.

When the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami caused severe damage to his hometown of Sendai and the local ice rink, Hanyu was forced to move his training base for the rest of the season. He participated in numerous ice shows to get additional practice time and raise money for the areas affected by the disaster. He launched the following season at the 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, where he won his first gold medal at an international senior competition. During the event, he shared his career goals with the media: "My goals for the future are to land all quad jumps in competition. I would also like to learn the quad Axel. Another goal is to win the next two Olympics, or at least win medals." At the 2012 World Championships, Hanyu became the youngest Japanese World medalist, finishing third behind then two-time world champion Patrick Chan and Daisuke Takahashi. After the competition, both skaters acknowledged Hanyu as a potential strong rival in the future. Upon the conclusion of the 2011–12 season, Hanyu changed coaches from Nanami Abe, with whom he had trained since 2004, and moved to Canada to train with Brian Orser at the Toronto Cricket Club. Hanyu's main motivation for the change were the consistent quadruple jumps by Orser's student Javier Fernández. The move resulted in immediate success; at the 2012 Finlandia Trophy, Hanyu landed his first quad Salchow in international competition. During the 2012–13 Grand Prix series, he set his first two world records in the short program. At the Grand Prix Final, which served as a test event for the 2014 Winter Olympics, Hanyu finished second behind Takahashi and beat Chan for the first time in competition. Two weeks later, at the Japan Championships, he won his first national senior title, defeating the reigning and five-time national champion, Daisuke Takahashi. After the 2013 Four Continents Championships, where he had finished second, Hanyu suffered a knee injury and resumed training two weeks prior to the World Championships. An additional ankle sprain in practice forced him to compete using painkillers. Placing ninth after the short program, he fought back to fourth place overall, which earned the Japanese national team the third spot at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

For Hanyu, the 2014–15 season was shaped by a series of injuries, starting with an accident in practice, where he hurt his back and was forced to withdraw from the 2014 Finlandia Trophy. In his first Grand Prix event at the Cup of China, he collided with Chinese skater Yan Han during the free skate warm-up, suffering bruises on his head and chin along with injuring his midriff, left thigh, and right leg. Despite his severe condition, he competed in the free skate and finished second overall. In his second Grand Prix assignment at the 2014 NHK Trophy, Hanyu came in fourth, securing his place at the Grand Prix Final, where he successfully defended his title with the highest total score of the season. Upon the conclusion of the Japan Championships, where he had won his third national title in a row, Hanyu was diagnosed with a tubal residual disease and had to undergo surgery on his bladder, being hospitalized for two weeks and resting for another month. His series of injuries continued with a sprain of his right ankle that forced him to stay in Japan until the 2015 World Championships, where he finished second behind his training mate Javier Fernández.

During the 2014–15 season, Hanyu was struggling with his short program layout, which featured a quadruple toe loop and a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination in the second half of the program. The issue continued in the following season, where he placed sixth in the short program at the 2015 Skate Canada with two invalid jumping passes. While his coach Brian Orser suggested a more "conservative" change, Hanyu decided to add another quad, stating: "I thought by the time of the Pyeongchang Olympics, you cannot win without a short program that includes two quads with difficult entries and exits—plus excellent footwork, spins, and presentation. As the reigning Olympic champion, I want to be absolutely dominant." The offensive strategy earned him a series of back-to-back world records in all three competition segments at the 2015 NHK Trophy and the Grand Prix Final. His short program and combined total score from the Final remained the world records until the Olympic season. He also became the first skater to score above 200 points in the free skate and 300 points in total. At the Japan Championships, Hanyu won his fourth and last national title before the Olympics. The lingering pain in his left foot worsened throughout the season, threatening his participation at the 2016 World Championships, where he finished second again behind Fernández. It was subsequently announced that he had been diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury in his left foot, forcing him off ice for two months.

In the pre-Olympic season, Hanyu continued to increase the technical difficulty of his programs, including four quadruple jumps in the free skate. At the 2016 Autumn Classic, he became the first skater in history to land a quadruple loop jump in competition, which he included in both the short program and the free skate. In December, he also became the first skater to win four Grand Prix Finals in a row. At the Four Continents Championships in Pyeongchang, the test event for the 2018 Winter Olympics, Hanyu had to take the silver for the third time, finishing second behind American Nathan Chen. At the 2017 World Championships, he won his second world title with a new world record in the free skate, which remained the standing record until the Olympic season. In July 2022, Hanyu named this free skate performance of his program Hope and Legacy as the one that he thought would represent him best and was the most perfectly executed of his competitive career. By the end of the 2016–17 season, four other skaters had also passed 300 points in the combined total score: Javier Fernández, Nathan Chen, Jin Boyang, and Hanyu's compatriot Shoma Uno.

At the 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki, he set world records in all three competition segments under the new judging system and became the first skater to land a quad toe loop-triple Axel sequence in competition. With his victory at the Rostelecom Cup, he managed to win both Grand Prix assignments for the first time. However, after a heavy fall on a quad loop attempt in practice, he injured the same ankle that had forced him off competition before the 2018 Winter Olympics in practice. Despite the risk, Hanyu decided to compete at the 2019 World Championships with painkillers. He managed to set new world records in the free skate and the combined total but finished second behind Nathan Chen.

Hanyu started off the following season strongly, winning both Grand Prix events with margins of more than 55 points and clearing the 300 mark twice in the combined total. At the 2019–20 Grand Prix Final, he attempted multiple quad Axels in practice but did not succeed. In the free skate, he landed five quadruple jumps for the first time in his career, among them the quad loop and quad Lutz that had caused him two career-threatening injuries in the past two seasons, yet he lost the competition to Chen. The defeat at the Final was followed by another second-place finish at the Japan Championships behind Shoma Uno. Plagued by doubts, Hanyu confessed that there was a moment where he had felt tired of competing yet was unwilling to disappoint the people who had supported him. In the next competition, he took a fresh approach by returning to his programs from the 2018 Winter Olympics and won his first gold medal at the Four Continents Championships with a new world record score in the short program, which remained the standing record until the 2021–22 season. With that title, Hanyu became the first male single skater in history to complete the Super Slam.

In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hanyu returned to his hometown of Sendai. He was coached remotely, trained alone at his home rink with focus on the quadruple Axel, and created large parts of his programs' choreography himself. Due to concerns about the risk of the coronavirus, he withdrew from the 2020–21 Grand Prix series. In order to qualify for the World Championships, he competed at the 2020–21 Japan Championships, where he performed a clean free skate with positive grades of execution for all technical elements, winning his fifth national title and scoring a new unofficial national record of 215.83 points in the free skate. At the World Championships, Hanyu took the lead after the short program, but struggled in the free skate and finished third overall behind Chen and countryman Yuma Kagiyama, resulting in his lowest competition placement since the 2014 NHK Trophy. With the bronze medal, Hanyu helped to secure three Olympic berths for Japanese men and became the second male single skater after German Jan Hoffmann to win seven world medals since World War II. He concluded the season with a second-place finish behind Chen in the men's event at the 2021 World Team Trophy. During the practice session of the exhibition gala, he attempted multiple quadruple Axels for the first time since 2019 but was unable to land the jump.

At the 2021 Dreams on Ice show, Hanyu explained that he did not feel the same drive to win the 2022 Beijing Olympics compared to the 2018 Winter Games. In an interview at the 2021 World Championships, he stated his goal for the 2021–22 season: "I am aiming for the quadruple Axel, but if the Olympics happen to be on the way to land the quad Axel, I will think about it. However, my primary goal is not to win the gold medal at the Olympics, but to succeed in four and a half revolutions."

Other drafts
Tables of figure skating jumps and figure skating steps and turns

Figure skating jumps


 * Anomalies in the take-off and landing highlighted in bold and italic
 * All basic figure skating jumps are landed backwards.

Figure skating steps and turns


 * Turns listed as difficult in the ISU Technical Panel Handbook for single and pair skating since the 2015–16 season highlighted in bold
 * In 2020 Skate Canada changed the terminology for the Choctaw turn to "S Step" and the Mohawk turn to "C Step".