Chapter 46 Who Cares? I really don't want to talk about certain leaders...
Besides the athletes' competitive form, one of the most unpredictable things in the world of skating is the decisions made by certain leaders of national skating associations.
For example, in a domestic selection competition, a skater who had performed relatively consistently throughout the season lost to a skater who had a breakout performance due to a mistake. Then, a national skating association made the final decision and designated that skater to compete, who ultimately made a spectacular impact on the international stage.
For example, the team had already arranged training times with foreign clubs and paid for the training fees, but a certain leader detained the players and refused to let them leave, then turned around and blamed the team and the players themselves.
Such incidents are countless, especially before the Olympic season, which is a good time for some leaders to get promoted and make money. Most of the shady practices also emerge at this time.
Even so, when the team leader called the three coaches to his room for a meeting last night to convey the urgent task assigned by the skating association leadership regarding the number of medals, the coaches still wore expressions of speechlessness and sneers.
Xia Yuezi stared at the team leader for a long time with the look of someone looking at an idiot, as if to say, "Did you guys drink too much at dinner last night? You dare to think about something like this? You're even more daring than the athletes and the vast majority of ice skating fans."
The atmosphere in the room was so oppressive it was suffocating. Suddenly, the team leader was stared at by the three coaches with fierce eyes. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he silently moved to the lower part of the air conditioner to minimize his presence.
He was also a former figure skater, so he naturally knew more about the current development of figure skating in China than the leaders sitting in the office. But he was just a messenger and couldn't influence the leaders' thoughts.
Fortunately, the coaches didn't make things difficult for him. After they went outside, they discussed it and decided to keep the matter a secret.
Anyway, there are only two promising young men's singles players in China. Even if the leaders hold them accountable, they won't immediately make things difficult for the two kids. If they're really that petty, they can just let them play on their own.
On the day of the free skate, the coaches of the two Chinese men's singles skaters had blank expressions on their faces after leaving their hotel rooms, but they put on their usual smiles when they saw the athletes.
Xia Yuezi patted Lin Ye on the shoulder and said in a relaxed tone, "Let's do it the way we discussed before and put all the quad jumps and consecutive jumps at the beginning."
Meng Xin then tidied up his competition equipment for him, afraid that saying too much would lead to mistakes.
Before the competition began, the three coaches stood backstage without saying a word, but the two athletes seemed to be in high spirits, and their land jumps looked very steady.
Among the athletes training nearby, besides the veterans who also squeezed into the last group, were the second and third-ranked American athletes and the top athlete from Kazakhstan, who were relatively conservative in the short program. Their serious expressions made it seem as if they were about to go into battle at any moment.
Meng Xin tilted her head to the side and pointed in the direction of the two veterans to Xia Yuezi: "Do you think they have a chance in the free skate?"
Kevin, the third American, was just promoted by the judges, but he didn't have any quadruple jumps to his name, so he was directly excluded from the podium list.
American skater Karl just turned eighteen and had been relatively unknown until last season when he mastered a quadruple jump and broke through at the U.S. Championships. Based on his performance, he is considered a rising star in figure skating.
As for the Kazakhstani player, he stands out from the crowd, carrying the banner of their country's men's singles since the youth group, winning numerous medals for Kazakhstan.
As a result, not only did the country's skating association fail to pay out prize money, but the athletes were also so poor that they had to take out loans to pay for training fees, and the association did not offer any assistance. I heard that the expenses for going abroad to compete this season were all raised by the athletes themselves through crowdfunding, and the coaches even covered part of the costs.
This guy probably couldn't stand being so heavily in debt, so he retired due to injuries after the Sochi Winter Olympics and went to work as a coach at a well-known club in Canada, while also taking on some choreography and ice performances to pay off his debts.
Xia Yuezi silently withdrew her gaze. It was truly a case of each family having a harder time than the last; no one could really say anything about anyone else. If you really compared them, at least the Chinese Skating Association had never had a poor child.
"Their free skate setups are all pretty similar; it'll be a test of who can maintain their composure."
After the competition started, the competitive atmosphere backstage became intense. When the penultimate group was about to take the stage, Meng Xin went out to watch the competition and catch her breath.
Xia Yuezi sat near Feng Simai, with her ice skate bag and small travel bag at her feet, and holding the water he had drunk from in her hand, seemingly lost in thought.
The cheers from the audience grew louder and louder. Xia Yuezi glanced at her watch, calculated the time, and walked towards the door, just as she bumped into Meng Xin who was walking in.
Xia Yuezi glanced at her, but Meng Xin didn't say anything, just shook her head and walked forward.
The penultimate group performed very well, with several well-known skaters maintaining their setups, especially Kazakhstan's Sayram, who secured a 4T+3T in his free skate, bringing his total score to 230.
This is a score that is very difficult to surpass. The score of the winners of the previous two Four Continents Championships was roughly the same, and it would rank in the top ten even in previous World Championships.
Many figure skating fans off-screen took advantage of the sixth practice session to start calculating scores based on the lineups released by the last group of skaters, while others kept a close eye on the performance of the final six skaters.
If bullet comments existed in this era, the screen would probably be filled with "step on the free skate" or "not a jinx".
Lin Ye and Feng Simai stood behind the two coaches, jumping and warming up while watching Fujiwara Yoshino constantly pounding his thighs on the ice. Even Albert and Wayne, who came on later, stopped warming up.
Speaking of which, he landed a 4S at this year's All Japan Championships, becoming the first Asian skater to complete two different quadruple jumps in the free skate.
Although he landed on both feet and received a penalty kick, many of his critics said that the domestic judges were lenient and only acknowledged the jump because they felt he would be demoted in international competitions. Even so, Fujiwara Yoshino's strength should not be underestimated.
He didn't do a quadruple jump in the short program, nor did he change his free skate setup to include more than three quadruple jumps, but who can guarantee that he won't save his energy for a big surprise in the free skate?
As the music began, Yoshino Fujiwara's gaze sharpened. His free skate program for this season was an original piece by a Japanese pianist, with a stirring style and very clear musical cadences.
At least for him, who has difficulty with the slide, it's enough to help him find the right rhythm and incorporate his body into the song selection.
His opening jump slowed down, and then his legs formed a V-shape, which is the preparatory movement for the Sakhov jump.
Fujiwara Yoshino's first jump was a 4S, with an exceptionally high takeoff height, estimated at 70 centimeters.
The second jump on the configuration sheet was a combination jump of 4T+3T, but he landed a triple spin on his first jump, drawing all eyes to him. Even the usually calm Japanese coach pursed his lips and his fingers trembled slightly.
Fujiwara Yoshino did not risk taking the subsequent consecutive jumps; instead, he chose to conserve his energy to complete the subsequent triple jump.
Coach Ma from Heilongjiang Province squinted and exclaimed, "This child has the potential to become a major competition athlete."
A qualified competitor not only needs a sufficiently challenging program, but also a strong mentality and a calm mind to respond promptly to any unexpected events on the ice and to rationally allocate physical energy and program configuration.
Xia Yuezi was well aware of Fujiwara Yoshino's potential; otherwise, he wouldn't have become one of the formidable opponents among many European and American players, and he wouldn't have been able to win the World Championship gold medal despite the referee's discrimination against him in the P-score.
Fujiwara Yoshino maintained his clean second half of the free skate, achieving a decent score. At least for him, this score is quite good for his first year in the higher division, and there's room for improvement.
Next up was Lin Ye. Before going on stage, he performed a full set of actions, including licking his lips and taking deep breaths. With the rise and fall of his chest, many ice skating fans could feel his tension even through the screen.
It wasn't that Xia Yuezi was jinxing him; given Lin Ye's current experience in major competitions and the pressure he was under, he was like a ticking time bomb right now. It would be quite difficult for him to complete two quadruple jumps on his free skate in this state.
Moreover, his free skate program is very popular. Although he did not clash with other skaters, many skaters have used it in previous competitions, including many world champions and Olympic champions.
Perhaps Coach Ma had reminded him, because Lin Ye's first free skate jump was a 4T+2T, and after skating for a while to the music, he quickly completed the 4T with a toe-to-point jump.
Seeing the two quadruple jumps land, not only the fans watching on the sidelines with their hearts in their throats, but also the three coaches off the ice secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Xia Yuezi thought to herself that Lin Ye was in pretty good shape today, but of course, she wouldn't be able to get a ranking.
Lin Ye's final score was after Fujiwara Yoshino, but it was still certain that he would be in the top seven overall.
Meng Xin glanced to the side and saw Coach Ma happily holding his child. She then glanced at Feng Simai and noticed that the child was breathing somewhat rapidly.
She put her hand on Feng Simai's shoulder and pushed him toward the audience seats, enveloping him in her shadow. From a distance, it looked as if she was hugging him, or as if she were facing the wall in contemplation.
"Take a deep breath, relax, and don't let the other players distract you."
This trick was devised by Meng Xin's male partner to alleviate her nervousness when she was nervous during a competition. He would wrap Meng Xin in his own scent, immersing her in a familiar environment. Because of her trust in her partner, Meng Xin would be able to adjust quickly.
Feng Simai had his ears covered by the coach to try to avoid the cheers from the sidelines. Gradually, he could only hear his own heartbeat.
Xia Yuezi also noticed the situation, but stood aside without making a sound to disturb it.
She looked up at the ice rink, and when she felt it was about time, she gently patted Meng Xin's shoulder. Meng Xin understood and released Feng Simai's ear.
Feng Simai took off his sling, and a second before going on stage, he heard Xia Yuezi say, "If you don't land the first jump steadily, then go for the triple jump. We'll have another chance."
Feng Simai nodded, then raised his hands amidst the cheers of the home crowd, waving and smiling in all directions. When the music started, he composed himself and returned to his martial arts world.
Like Lin Ye, his first jump was 4T+2T, but when he took off for the first jump, his ice blade got stuck on something and he missed, ending up with a 2T.
Xia Yuezi's face darkened as she immediately realized the situation was dire. Meng Xin beside her also clenched her fists, but her face remained calm.
Feng Simai was clearly stunned when he landed on the ice. He quickly recovered and did not jump up again, nor was he able to catch it.
He calmed down as quickly as possible and jumped 3A on his second dive as planned. His expression was very calm, as if the mistake he had just made had never happened.
"Well done," Meng Xin said in a low voice.
Xia Yuezi kept a close eye on the ice rink and noticed that he increased his skating speed after landing on the 3A, which was a signal that he was preparing to make a temporary adjustment to his setup—he did not want to give up the quadruple jump in the free skate.
After accelerating, Feng Simai quickly made a tipping motion, landing with a 4T and then jumping up with all her might to make a 2T, making up for the mistake on the first jump.
In the second half, Feng Simai skated relatively smoothly, but Xia Yuezi could still feel his stamina gradually failing. Fortunately, he completed two difficult combination jumps in the first half.
As a men's singles player known for his skating, Feng Simai rarely showed off his skills in the second half of the game with his spins and footwork. The two coaches exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness and relief in each other's eyes.
His opening mistake didn't affect his performance; on the contrary, he managed to stay calm and find a way to make up for it later, which is already commendable.
As for the rest, who cares?
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