Post-Worlds news 2011

I read a really really nice article this morning!!
Forgive me my POOR translation.

http://www.47news.jp/EN/201105/EN2011051001000597.html

When I heard this, one man's words, I found myself murmuring "cool".

"Probably I couldn't end my life of figure skating nicely. But it would be also nice to try as far as I can do. I would fall behind, but I want to compete. I want to believe in my own potential. "

The person who said this is Daisuke Takahashi. He placed 5th in the Worlds in Russia, where he originally aimed to win a back-to-back title. I was touched by 25 years old's brave words.

Just after the performance that made him give up the title, he also said he wanted to continue to compete. But he didn't appeared the press interview of Japanese male skaters the next day and the reason for his absence was to "sort out his feelings". When I heard of it, I thought he changed his mind and was going to retire. But I was wrong. The next day he appeared with bright face in fron of the press and blew away my suspicion with the words on the top.

It is said that when to retire is important as an athelete. For example, Shizuk Arakawa said good-bye to her competitive career after winning the gold in Turin. Takahashi himself also thought of retirement after the victory in the last season's Worlds. But he decided to continue because of Tokyo Worlds. Though, when I interviewed him before the beginning of the season, he said to me honestly "This season is a year to find out things like what I want to do after retirement, as well."

The titles of Junior Worlds and Worlds and the olympics medal. He has accomplished "first-ever" things as a Japanese male figure skater. So his brilliant achievements would never dilute even if he placed 5th in his last competition. But still he declared. He keeps competing until Sochi in three years.

While his ability of expression which grabs audience and fabulous foot work is the first class, the physical deterioration can't be denied. Newly crowned Patrick Chan is 20 years old and Takahiko Kozuka is 22 years old. But you don't need to tell him, Takahashi already feels "I'm behind them. It would be even more difficult in future." Even he would have more miserable times which he already had in this season, he said. I just bow to his fighting spirit which moves him forward.

Probably Takahashi isn't a natural-born fighter. He whines and once leaves the ice he is androgynous rather than manly. Utako Nagamitsu who has taught him for years, introduced me an episode that indicates his personality.

During his first overseas comeptition, they were crossing a road to go to the arena. But her pupil wasn't next to her so she looked aound and found Takahashi, a junior high school student, walking very slowly along with a elderly handicapped lady. She asked "What happened?", "I worried if she could cross the road before the signal changed." he answered. While she was impressed "What a gentle kid he is.", she also worried "this gentleness might harm him when he has to face world's top skaters in future." Such a kind of kid grown up and won an olympics medal. She recalled yound Takahashi when he put the bronze medal around her neck in Vancouver. "He's come that far." She was filled with deep emotion.

In fact there used to be a time when he was called as "glass heart" because of his mental weakness. I think, even during such a tough time, the fact that Nagamitsu was there for him to share all his joys and sorrows with him, led Takahashi to success.

The day Takahashi didn't appeared in the press interview, coach Nagamitsu answered instead of him. Rgarding the accident, she said "I was extremely cautious to check them. But it happened. It was all my fault. I'm really sorry for him." and tears appeared in her eyes. Even though it was nothing but jsut an unfortunate accident, she was prepared to take the all responsibility.

In figure skating, many skaters change their coach. Some change in order to step up to another level, some change as a result of breakdown in relationships. In such a kind of world, Takahashi and Nagamitsu have walked together for more than ten years. We will be able to witness the story about them a little more, and it's a wonderful gift for us reporters.

Masashi Inoue @ Kyodo Tsushin

A wonderful article, isn't it?


And also this. Please use google translater for it!!

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/news/110511/oth11051109450003-n1.htm

Hi, miyu, thank you for the translation!!
I'm glad to hear that he will compete next season!!
Looking foward to watching his new programs.

miyu, thank you so much for your translation! Poor?!!!! Poor??!!! I wish I could translate from Japanese to English with such an ease!

I'm so glad Daisuke's staying. The age is just a number. It's all about the fighting spirit, imo. And the article proves Daisuke still got it.

Thank you very much for this translation, miyu.

Such a wonderfull article. I'm happy he will compete!
And once again I want to say that I love Utako-sensei.

Hello Miyu

Thank you sooooooooo much!! Tears filled my eyes while reading your beautiful translation. What a character! And what a great coach, feeling so much with him! They are a very good team and I hope that they will have fun together while doing his new programmes :-)

Thanks once again!

Gudrun.

Hi there

Here is a nice picture showing Dai skating to "Amelie":

http://daisha-daily.livejournal.com/

All a lovely weekend! I am off to Berlin so I won't have time to go online :-)))

Gudrun.

miyu, thank you for wonderfull article!

miyu wrote:

But you don't need to tell him, Takahashi already feels "I'm behind them. It would be even more difficult in future." Even he would have more miserable times which he already had in this season, he said. I just bow to his fighting spirit which moves him forward.

Daisuke, please be strong! We need to see your fight & your art, medal doesn`t matter.

miyu wrote:

While she was impressed "What a gentle kid he is.", she also worried "this gentleness might harm him when he has to face world's top skaters in future."

May be his kind heart is what touched people.

Gudrun, also thank you.

Lil wrote:

May be his kind heart is what touched people.

Certainly
Kind heart and a firm intention - this is a possible combination, this should strive, and the team should help Daisuke.

Gudrun, thank you.

panther, before I was too upset about whole situation in worlds, but today I watched Dai`s FS & now I agree with you. I think it was best interpretation of this music, like seeing a true spirit.

Lil wrote:

panther, before I was too upset about whole situation in worlds, but today I watched Dai`s FS & now I agree with you. I think it was best interpretation of this music, like seeing a true spirit.

I am very glad that you saw these feelings. Thanks, Lil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNHGzoXCF1M

Amelie in better quality, German Eurosport.

Love Amelie, thank you very much, Lil

My plesure.

Reading about Dai-chan talking about "the potential", I recalled the talk between him and Kumakawa-san, which was filmed in last October and aired in Jannuary (Feb?) in Japan. (I think you guys remember Kumakawa-san well, a ballet dancer, who Dai-chan visited in a TV show last summer. The cutest video ever!)
They talked about motivation and knee injury. Have anyone found a translation of the video anywhere? If not, I will tranlate some from it. It's very interesting especially a part where they talked about their knee injury.

Lil wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNHGzoXCF1M

Thanks! but the link doen't work in Japan....

miyu wrote:

Reading about Dai-chan talking about "the potential", I recalled the talk between him and Kumakawa-san, which was filmed in last October and aired in Jannuary (Feb?) in Japan. (I think you guys remember Kumakawa-san well, a ballet dancer, who Dai-chan visited in a TV show last summer. The cutest video ever!)
They talked about motivation and knee injury. Have anyone found a translation of the video anywhere? If not, I will tranlate some from it. It's very interesting especially a part where they talked about their knee injury.

Thank you, miyu, we will wait for translating the most important parts of this wonderful conversation.

miyu wrote:

Lil wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNHGzoXCF1M

Thanks! but the link doen't work in Japan....

This link doesn`t matter anymore, cause there is video from British Eurosport!
Thank you guys, just love your comments!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWg5U4pmxWE

I'm sorry I made you wait! (And for my poor translation! )


I can't find the video in youtube, even in Niconico-douga. I hope you guys have seen it once. (I believe it uesed to be in youtube.)

Dai-chan went to see Tetsuya Kumakawa's stage (Coppelia) in last October and after the stage Dai-chan and Tstsuya talked together for TV and it was aired in last January. (So this conversation occurred in last October.)

Tetsuya Kumakawa who is 38 years old and has been a top ballet dancer in Japan for years, torn his ACL a year and half earlier than Dai-chan did.

Fisrt, Kumakawa-san asked Dai-chan if he has become more flexible. (Do you remember Kumakawa-san was suprised how stiff Dai-chan's shoulders were, when they met the last time?) And yes! Dai-chan showed Kumakawa-san his progress.

Then they talked about when to retire. They both think one should quit when his level of performance falls. It was very interesting Kumakawa-san thinks it would be a mental issue more than a physical one.

Then they started to talk about the injury.

K: How is your knee?
D: It's fine lately.
K: You don't feel discomfort anymore?
D: Totally different from it used to be a half year ago.
K: Right.
D: It's really reacting differently.
K: Has the balance of the body come back to you, too?
D: Yeah, the balance has come back, too.
K: People never know how terrible that injury is unless you actually have it. I can dance freely withtout thinking of my knee on stage recently at last.
D: It's true, I also became able to move without thinking of it much.
K: If we think about our knees just before we go into an element, even if less than a second, we might lose timing.
D: Yeah, like can I make it?
K: Such a kind of unsureness leads you to a mistake.
D: Yes, end up with a failure.
K: So that (kind of feeling) is disappearing recently at last, right?
D: Yes.
K: It's been only a year and half, hasn't it? Probably one year later, you will find that you have improved much more.
D: Is that so?
K: I think you feel you've improved already. But you will improve more. Motivation and muscle, there is another unknown world in front of you, I think. Is there any room you want to improve?
D: Well, there are a few things I can do better.
K: Glad to hear that. You have to find your motivation. Unless you can find the place where your motivation is buried, you will collapse mentally first perhaps. Why I want to you to continue is because you keep giving us wonderful performances.
D: Please tell me to quit (when the performance falls.)
K: I will when we become closer friends.

Now I'm feeling, probably I don't need to translate the whole coversation.....

Kumakawa-san know how the injury heels and a person recovers from it better than Dai-chan because he tore ACL a year and half earlier. He knows what kind of progress is ahead and he says a year later Dai-chan will improve much more. And even Dai-chan hasn't remove a screw yet!! (Perhaps the surgery is planed this week.)

I guess that's why Dai-chan uses a word "potential" the other day. And probably he feels he is still getting better actually.

And he's found the motivation, hasn't he?

WOW, great, thank youuuuuu, miyu

Hello Miyu

Thank you so much for the text!! I think it was so important for Dai to speak about it with someone who knows what's going on by experience! And it is good that Kumakawa-san had said that Dai had already improved. I am very happy that the 2 met and talked about it! Many things are connected with the mind, and I am sure this is, too. Let's hope nothing changes because of the removed screw (physically) so that we can see Dai and his great performances soon :-)))

Gudrun.

Hi there

Today I found some nice pictures from the Worlds Gala in Moscow:

http://daisha-daily.livejournal.com/50972.html#cutid1

What a lovely laughing / smiling Dai :-))) I especially like the photo showing Dai looking intensely at the flowers :-)

Gudrun.

miyu, thank you so much for the translation!

Loved that conversation between the two artists.
Also loved this part:

Quote :

D: Please tell me to quit (when the performance falls.)
K: I will when we become closer friends.

Wonder if they've had a chance to meet and talk again, since.
Couldn't find the video either, just a photo of Kumakawa-san that I particularly like:

http://www.tascafe.com/art/m_kubota/tetsuya_kumakawa.jpg

Gudrun, those are great pics Looks like Daisuke's having the time of his life there

"Why I want to you to continue is because you keep giving us wonderful performances."

So true, but also we want to see Dai`s happy smile!

thank you, miyu!

also thank you Gudrun & panther!

Hello Lil

You are absolutely right, we also want to see Dai's happy smile :-)))))))

Gudrun.

Hello all

I can't find topic, which was posted a link to YouTube with music Ocean Waves. Perhaps someone remembers where the link is.
Thanks in advance.

Sorry Panther, I cannot help you here ... :-(

Hi panther

I must have missed that link, but here's the music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4herH8hITTc