Chapter 61: He won't go easy on him during the extra training because of any emotions.

After Yang Yiyan got off the ice, she took the jacket from the coach and put it on. Her breathing was still a little rapid, and her cheeks were flushed from the intense exercise.

Unlike last time, she didn't silently wipe away her tears and walk to the waiting area. Instead, she hugged her little devil doll tightly, sat down in a chair, and talked to the coach about her performance.

“I went back and took two acting classes. The teacher told me to distribute my emotions through hand gestures and facial expressions so that I wouldn’t be too controlled by my emotions during the performance.”

Xia Yuezi put her arm around her, and she was a completely different person compared to when she was training. She praised her without reservation: "Your way of conveying emotions is different from others. It is a rare direct expression, but learning some techniques will not do you any harm."

Meng Xin chimed in, "Yeah, Coach Xia just said you did well and he'll give you extra training when you get back."

The extra meal they were referring to wasn't the weight-loss meal athletes eat, but rather the chocolate that Yang Yiyan had been longing for.

Figure skaters have very strict dietary restrictions when it comes to high-sugar and high-fat foods. Yang Yiyan used to be allowed to eat a couple of balls when she performed well, but ever since the young girl started intentionally controlling her weight, her mother not only changed the menu, but also thoroughly searched her luggage before she left for competitions and after she arrived at the hotel.

During the competition in Russia, Polina asked her why she looked so downcast. Yang Yiyan was too embarrassed to say that her coach had taken away her snacks, not even leaving her a pack of plain biscuits.

Sure enough, the two coaches' eyes lit up the moment they saw Yang Yiyan, just as the score came out.

With a technical score of 77.94, a program component score of 63.78, a free skate score of 141.72, and a total score of 211.74, he is currently ranked first.

In other words, Yang Yiyan has at least secured a silver medal, guaranteeing her a ticket to the finals.

Ms. Chishima took the coat that Yumikawa had taken off and said to her, "She only got one 3A. As long as you can keep your mindset steady, you can get the gold medal."

Yumikawa Ria looked up at the waiting area, then exhaled, relaxed her tense body, and raised her hand to give Ms. Chishima a fist bump.

Shirai Nanako stood behind them, watching her junior sister's figure grow further and further away, just like the distance between them.

Judging from recent reports in Japanese media, the Japan Ice Hockey Federation may be considering promoting Ria Yumikawa to the number one position at the Sochi Winter Olympics.

This is perfectly understandable.

Now, her overall physical abilities are gradually declining, and she can no longer meet the expectations of many people. The Japan Ice Hockey Association is eager to cultivate a replacement for her, preferably someone with the same brilliant achievements and the ability to withstand the overwhelming pressure.

As it happens, Yumikawa Ria fits this description perfectly.

Both the difficulty and the experience were replicated one-to-one. However, this child is very individualistic and has always resisted the title of "Shirai the Second" and does not want to be a substitute for anyone.

Thinking of all this, Shirai Nanako gave a wry smile, but quickly adjusted herself in front of the camera.

In fact, even she herself felt that compared to these competitors who had only been promoted for one or two years, the chances of her body competing for the podium were too small. The only thing she could do was to put on her last dance in the last competition of her career.

With her coach's promise in mind, Yang Yiyan sat contentedly on the sofa, watching the performance on the field.

Like Polina, Yumikawa Ria has a double 3A setup, and she also brings a 3LZ+3LO, giving her a higher margin for error than other contestants.

Xia Yuezi stood aside and discussed with Meng Xin: "After the finals, should we use Xiao Yan to train her physical fitness? Although she can't fit two 3A's into her free skate like Meng Chuan, it would be a bonus if she could add another combination jump to the second half."

During the off-season, Xia Yuezi spent a lot of time doing physical training with Yang Yiyan, spending more than six hours a week lifting weights in the equipment room.

Meng Xin glanced up at the area near the waiting area. Yang Yiyan was holding a baby and gazing at the ice rink, unaware of their presence.

"Are you sure? This is a bit rushed."

The finals will be held in early December, and less than a month later will be the National Championships. The list of national training team members will be selected based on the results. The team will then be assembled and sent to high-altitude areas for training. There will also be a Four Continents Championships before the Winter Olympics.

The actual training time, at most, is less than three months, not even counting Yang Yiyan's usual study time, although her mother has promised to give her a long leave after she obtains an Olympic spot.

Xia Yuezi's gaze fell on the ice rink, where Mengchuan Liya's 3A was clean and crisp.

She sighed softly: "Time is indeed tight, but it's not entirely impossible. Do you remember the amount of training she did for 3A? I even suspected that I had arranged too much intensity for her. I massaged her every day to help her relax, afraid that I would ruin her. But this child managed to master that jump."

If Yang Yiyan heard this, she would definitely look at the coach with a "Are you a devil?" look.

God knows that in order to achieve 3A, she ran 15 kilometers every morning, along with cardio and core training. Although she still looked thin, anyone who touched her arm would find that her muscles were firm and had the outline of her biceps.

Meng Xin pondered for a moment and nodded: "Let's give it a try first, but we still need to discuss the specific training methods when we get back. We can't let her get injured at this crucial moment."

Xia Yuezi looked up and smiled, "That's true. It would be best to ask the team doctor for another medical report when we get back."

Yumikawa Ria's final score was 216.87, winning the championship on home soil. No one seemed surprised by the result.

Meng Xin nudged her arm and pointed to the scores on the big screen, saying, "If Meng Chuan's P score and GOE were higher, he could break the records for both the free skate and the total score."

The current world records for free skate and total score are 150.06 and 221.56 respectively. Yumikawa Ria is less than 5 points away from these two records, which is just a matter of the judges raising their hands and letting a few points slip through their fingers.

Xia Yuezi looked unsurprised: "Before the Winter Olympics, did you think anyone could break the record under the pressure of Russian referees?"

Meng Xin choked for a moment, glanced up at the unlucky kids sitting in the waiting area, then closed her eyes and refused to look at them.

After the women's singles competition, the ice rink will face a large-scale ice clearing. Feng Simai had already started warming up backstage, placing her skate box nearby so she could see it when she turned around.

He took a deep breath and did a few simple stretching exercises. Then he heard his coaches talking in the corridor. Xia Yuezi walked into the room, while Meng Xin took Yang Yiyan to get a drug test.

"How are you feeling?" Xia Yuezi asked.

"Not bad, I feel better than Hele T." Feng Simai moved his ankle, his eyes calm.

"Relax. You're under less pressure than Fujiwara Yoshino. Just stick to your current setup."

In the last competition, Yoshino Fujiwara attempted three quadruple jumps in his free skate but fell on one, ultimately finishing fourth. He is determined to win the gold medal in this competition to have any hope of advancing to the Grand Prix Final.

But Wayne is no easy opponent either. His quadruple jumps have become consistent, and he also has the advantage of double triple A and the support of European and American judges.

Xia Yuezi checked the free skate setup yesterday, and Fujiwara Yoshino still included three quadruple jumps in the free skate. She felt that given Fujiwara Yoshino's ambition, this was unlikely to be a smokescreen.

Feng Simai responded and continued training.

The sound of the icing machine gradually faded, and the staff in the commentary room resumed their work. Even across the long aisle, Meng Xin could hear the music coming from the ice rink.

Yang Yiyan came out of the restroom looking unwell, clutching a half-empty bottle of mineral water. The staff member in the suit behind her didn't speak to them and left with the samples.

The young girl sat on the bench for a while to recover. No matter how many drug tests she had undergone, this experience was something she didn't want to recall, not because of any physical harm, but because of the immense psychological impact.

Every time I go for a drug test, I'm watched while I go to the toilet. Only those who have experienced it can understand how that feels.

Meng Xin sat beside her, gently patting her back.

Faint sounds of music and cheers drifted from the direction of the ice rink. Yang Yiyan looked up at the end of the corridor and asked, "Has Lao Feng gone on the ice yet?"

Ever since Feng Simai started explaining problems to her and constantly urging her to do her homework, in Yang Yiyan's eyes, this male singles player, who wasn't much older than her, was no different from a teacher, and even her usual way of addressing him changed to an old-fashioned, cadre-like manner.

Meng Xin, however, was already used to it. She raised her hand to look at her watch and exclaimed, "Oh dear, he should already be on the ice at this time."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yiyan immediately jumped up from the bench, grabbed Meng Xin, and ran towards the ice rink. Before they even crossed the backstage gate, they heard a wave of enthusiastic cheers.

"What's going on?"

Xia Yuezi stood behind the barrier. Hearing Meng Xin's voice, she turned around and glanced at her before saying, "He missed both of the first two quadruple jumps. It's up to him to see how he handles the combination jump in the second half. If he can complete it, he'll have no problem getting a ticket to the finals."

Yang Yiyan stood between the two coaches and looked at the ice, just as Feng Simai was entering the choreography.

Feng Simai's skating is so good that it's almost unbelievable that he was a child who started learning in China. Although he can't be called a "butter knife", every turn and step has a unique sense of rhythm.

“It’s the last jump,” she heard her coach say.

Feng Simai maintained his skating speed, pressed his left foot outward, and then found the right moment to touch the ice, landing with a 3LZ.

He wasn't far from where the three were standing, and he could clearly see the relieved smile on Feng Simai's face. He maintained this position, pulling his free foot up to the level of his head, and completed the last set of spins.

Fujiwara Yoshino, who was next to take the stage, stood by the barrier and clapped, his expression unchanged.

He admitted that he greatly admires Asian players like Feng Simai and Lin Ye, and even feels a certain degree of camaraderie with them, but he would not hold back on the field because of these feelings.

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Author's note: I was wrong (kneels down to apologize). If I hadn't checked the backend, I wouldn't have known I set the time wrong. [crying emoji]