Alexei Yagudin: “I don’t understand Hanyu. Only crazy go for such jump when you don’t have it.”
Alexei Yagudin, the 2002 Olympic champion in men’s single skating, summed up the results of the individual event at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
source: sport24.ru
Alexei Yagudin: Today, Chen did not have such ease as in the short program. It was noticeable that still it was hard to skate the last. He fought for every jump, pulled them out. Although we laughed that the person made two quadruple flips at the beginning and already scored 35 points. Then he did the first four elements – and already scored over 50. This is a phenomenon, I’m glad that a few years ago I said that he would win the next Olympics. Naturally, many said that I shouldn’t say such things in advance, and anything could happen. The beginning of the season was not very successful for him, but then, literally from the next competitions it changed. Well, it was just cosmic. Shoma Uno, Kagiyama are close to space, but Chen is its researcher.
Should he continue?
Alexei Yagudin: I think yes.
What for?
Alexei Yagudin: Good question, but I’m more concerned with another question. Why did Hanyu go for a quadruple axel? Who needs it?
For history, heritage.
Alexei Yagudin: You can try anything, but for history you need to do it. For history I also can go for a triple salchow at the show in Yekaterinburg. I will also break, but I will go down in history, my own.
I didn’t understand it. If he at least have been landing it from time to time, but I didn’t even see it close to clean. Moreover, okay, the base value would be 20 points, and with a fall, he would score like a quadruple flip or lutz. But the base is scanty – 12.5. Only crazy go for such jumps when you don’t have it. Oh no!
But the base is small – 12.5.
Alexei Yagudin: Small, it needs to be raised. I didn’t understand what for. If you chase two rabbits, you won’t catch either. He skated with two goals – a quadruple axel and winning an Olympic medal. In the end, neither one nor the other.
He already has a lot of “rabbits” at home. And Winnie the Poohs.
Alexei Yagudin: You can have as many medals as you like, but it is unlikely that he came here to be fourth. Still, he was aiming for a top three.
Could he beat Chen?
Alexei Yagudin: I think no. Only perfect skating in the short and free programs. He has no lutzes, flips, loops. And Chen even made his program easier, he understood what he needed to win. He skated wisely.
Who is cooler, Valieva or Chen?
Alexei Yagudin: Papadakis and Cizeron.
Why?
Alexei Yagudin: Because there are two of them. In general, it’s cool that the men have Nathan Chen, the girls have Valieva, Papadakis Cizeron in ice dance, there are Chinese and ours in pairs, there is no such gap in scores there. It’s great to watch them with your own eyes, you just don’t understand how they do it. Same is Kagiyama, I hope this is the future of men’s skating. He will learn more jumps, he has a loop. Let’s see if he will be a world champion, an Olympic champion.
Should Hanyu continue?
Alexei Yagudin: Well If just for fun then it’s worth it. But it seems to me that a person who has two Olympic golds always sets the most ambitious goals. And it is unlikely that he just wants to skate for fun and come in fourth or fifth places. There are no former champions. Depends on what he wants for himself.
Of course, I wouldn’t want him to leave sport. He’s still cool in skating, gliding. We saw today – he is the only one who left the ice like that. Beautifully, theatrically. Like a dancer. And it wasn’t feigned. He thanked the ice. That’s how it worked out for him.
Related topics: Alexei Yagudin, Nathan Chen, Olympic Games, Yuzuru Hanyu
Yuzuru is the first man in history landed 4Lo.
“He has no lutzes, flips, loops.” What? Really? Yuzuru landed his first 4Lz in Russia – Rostelecom. Where Yagudin was that time? Yuzuru is constantly doing 4Lo. Several times he was injured on those jumps.
So what’s “the base value” of this opinion if person doesn’t even know what he is talking about.
SG… you’re very confused. No one, ever, has matched Yagudin’s breathtaking combination of astonishing footwork and flair for the dramatic.
Everyone is free to express his opinion, and I stand by my statement, and absolutely support and in agreement with Yagudin.
Do you feel better now that you’ve hit your daily quota for Hanyu hate comments SkatingFanCa?
Though I understand your point, we all know that Hanyu will not be satisfied with the perfection of his legacy thus far. For all that he has won already, there’s nothing left to win nor prove. He is a challenger and someone who has endlessly strived to push the boundaries of the sport. That is why he is such a legendary skater. In no way is this goal a “desperate attempt to seek attention”, rather it is to prove new heights and excellence for skating, a mission that he has been on and proved time and time again. When he lands that 4A (as seen by the near perfect landings during Japan Nationals 2021 practice and FS), it will only solidify the never-ending perseverance, artistry and strength that makes Yuzuru Hanyu the G.O.A.T!
Though I understand your point, we all know that Hanyu will not be satisfied with the perfection of his legacy thus far. He is a challenger and someone who has endlessly strived to push the boundaries of the sport. That is why he is such a legendary skater. In no way is this goal a “desperate attempt to seek attention”, rather it is to prove new heights and excellence for skating, a mission that he has been on and proved time and time again. When he lands that 4A (as seen by the near perfect landings during Japanese Nationals 2021 practice), it will only solidify the never-ending perseverance, artistry and strength that makes Yuzuru Hanyu the G.O.A.T!
Though I understand your point, we all know that Hanyu is not one to stay satisfied and accept the perfection of his legacy as is. He is a challenger and a skater who strives to push the boundaries of the sport. That is what makes him the legend that he is today. In no way is this goal of landing a 4A one that is a “desperate attempt to stay relevant in the limelight”, rather it is one that will broaden the level of excellence that skating can reach, a mission he has been on and proved time and time again. When he nails the 4A (he has already almost landed it in Japanese Nationals 2021 practice), not only will it prove that the sport has reached new heights, it will also solidify the never-ending perseverance, showmanship and strength that makes Yuzuru Hanyu the G.O.A.T!
When it is the time that a person needs to leave the stage that he used to be the shining focus of the limelight for others who now have been shining much brighter than him, there are two options one can choose: He either bows out himself gracefully and leaves a unspoiled legacy remembered by all with great respect, or, if he doesn’t want to do that, he will be pushed out regardless, and any desperate move like empty promise to land a 4A to cling to the limelight and attention is not only pathetic but also casting a negative shadow of his character and reputation. Unfortunately, he seems to choose the latter path. But the writing is clearly on the wall: He has been consistently beaten by Nathan since 2019, by both Nathan and Yuma at Worlds in 2021, and now by all three of Nathan, Yuma, and Uno, with the latter two being his country compatriots!
Buffoons cannot understand the GOAT Hanyu nor Chen. They both are at different league than yours, even at your prime Yagudin.
I think it’s not about understanding why Yuzuru did that. He just did. Had it’s own personal reasons.One must look deep down inside his heart to understand. He is a little at a crossroads right now. Maybe he wouldn’t have wanted to feel like he took away the medal from Shoma. There are his feelings we don’t know about. He is different, a pure and unpolluted person. Don’t try to understand him just see him