On December 7th, in Nagoya, Japan, the final of the 2016-17 figure skating Grand Prix officially began.
The men’s singles finalists included Zhang Jue, Hayato Teraoka, Ilya, Carlson, Arthur Cohen, and David.
Among them, Kharhasha and Arthur Cohen had the same score. However, Arthur Cohen won a silver medal and a fourth place in the earlier rounds, while Kharhasha had two bronze medals. In theory, a silver medal carries more weight than a bronze medal, so Arthur Cohen narrowly made it into the final
This was the first time the young skater had qualified for the senior-level final since embarking on his figure skating journey, signaling that he had finally entered the ranks of top men’s singles skaters.
Even though he once dominated the junior group and was hailed by the North American media as a prodigy no less talented than Zhang Jue, reaching this point still came at a great cost.
Talent only made him a standout in the junior group, but it couldn’t guarantee his continued success in the senior group. Despite his exceptional athletic talent since childhood, he faced harsh realities upon entering the world of top-level athletes. Last season, nearly all of the top ten male singles skaters in the world took turns defeating him, and even with the support of his nationality, he still suffered a harsh sophomore slump.
However, this season, the kid had grown. He was still eager to challenge “Mr. Crocodile” but had developed a newfound sense of awareness.
Though he really wanted to beat “Mr. Crocodile,” he realized he needed to practice more quadruple jumps before doing so.
At present, the young skater could execute two types of quadruple jumps: the 4T and the 4S, but he hadn’t yet mastered any more advanced quads.
Before the official competition began, he hadn’t seen “Mr. Crocodile” on the ice. On the day of the competition, he finally saw him squatting in the hallway, video chatting, with the sound of “I love you” coming repeatedly from the other side, though it was somewhat unclear. Eventually, the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands” started playing.
Zhang Jue whistled a few times, and the other person followed suit. After exchanging a few more words, Zhang Jue contentedly hung up his phone.
Turning around, he noticed Arthur staring at him in confusion. Embarrassed, Zhang Jue smiled and said: “I have a pet parrot at home.”
It was a cockatiel with two red patches on its face, only five months old, but very clever and learning quickly. If well-cared for, it could live for around twenty-five years.
The bird had been brought home by Qin Xuejun, who said he felt lonely when Zhang Jue was away at competitions, and while their hens Chicken no.2 and Chicken no.3 could lay eggs, they weren’t interactive as pets.
Zhang Jue immediately agreed to keep the bird.
Actually, the most intelligent and long-living bird species, the macaw, wasn’t something Qin Xuejun didn’t want, it’s just that macaws in China are classified as protected species. Since Zhang Jue was a national team athlete and both he and Qin Xuejun were party members, they had to restrain their desire, no matter how much they wanted one.
Currently, Qin Xuejun was busy correcting their new pet’s habit of mimicking chicken sounds and teaching it to sing instead. The former had shown little progress, but the latter was going quite well.
Arthur suddenly understood and smiled widely: “I have a pet too, a pearl bird. I call him Dick.”
Zhang Jue was shocked. Isn’t the word “dick” a swear word? Why name a pet that?
Arthur realized what he had said and hastily explained: “No, no… Dick is the name of a very famous superhero. I swear I didn’t name my bird that because I’m inappropriate.”
Zhang Jue said: “Alright, alright, I get it. No need to explain.”
Arthur quickly changed the subject: “By the way, what’s your pet’s name?”
Zhang Jue replied: “Zhang Yingjun.”
Arthur: ?
Zhang Jue explained: “It means handsome.zhang.”
Arthur laughed, giving him a thumbs-up: “Did you name your bird after your coach? Great idea!”
Zhang Jue was too tired to explain. Ever since people learned he had named his bird “Yingjun,” even his uncle thought he had simply borrowed his name for the pet.
Since at international competitions, people who were familiar with his coach now often called him “Handsome” instead of Coach Zhang, even the coach himself had accepted the name. Zhang Jue swallowed the idea of renaming his bird to Pikachu.
This winter was quite typically cold, with temperatures in Nagoya hovering between zero and five degrees Celsius. Aside from the Russians, known for being able to fight bare-chested in the snow, no one else really wanted to be outside at this time.
Figure skaters generally had good resistance to the cold, but Zhang Jue, during his warm-up, still wore three layers of thin, long-sleeved athletic clothes and did 500 double unders before he was willing to take off his outermost layer.
Yang Zhiyuan, wearing a thick down jacket, stood to the side and remarked: “The summer was so hot, I didn’t expect the winter to be this cold. Thank goodness the final isn’t in Russia this year.”
Outside, the music of “Masquerade Waltz” was playing. Of the six women’s singles skaters who qualified for the final, both Min Shan and Katerina had chosen “Masquerade Waltz” for their short program, resulting in a music clash.
Judging by the choreography, their programs were quite similar. Madam Mia and Darya had choreographed for the two girls this season. However, when it came to skating and performance, Katerina had the upper hand and took second place in the short program.
The first-place skater was Keiko. Her health had been excellent this year, with no mistakes, so not only did she win in technical scores, but her performance also left the others with no chance. Meanwhile, Xu Chuo, who had tied with Keiko in performance scores in earlier rounds, fell short in technical scores and ranked eighth, failing to qualify for the final.
After her performance, Min Shan rushed to the restroom. Although she said she was going to remove her makeup and wash her face, it was clear to everyone that she had gone to cry. Unfortunately, with the coaching staff consisting entirely of men, the only thing they could do was have Shen Liu wait outside the women’s restroom.
After the women’s event, the men’s singles followed. Arthur Cohen was the first to skate, performing to “The Great Gatsby.” The program, with its decadent, luxurious atmosphere, featured elaborate and lively footwork but was challenging for skaters.
Arthur Cohen’s ability to execute such complex steps impressed everyone with how much his skating had improved.
Watching, Hayato Teraoka stroked his chin and commented: “This footwork is interesting. It’s the work of Rita Faison, isn’t it? That’s rare. She usually only choreographs for ice dance and pairs, but if Carlson or I performed this, the steps would look even better.”
Zhang Jue could probably do it too. His skating was just as strong, and he also had an extraordinary ability to express himself through his movements.
Arthur Cohen hadn’t fully tapped into the potential of this program, but the portion he had already mastered was enough to earn him a performance score of over 43 for the short program.
Next up was David, who skated to “Up.” Known for his eerie and mysterious skating style, this time he opted for a whimsical fairy-tale approach.
A commentator remarked: “David looks like a sentimental version of the Mad Hatter. As the oldest men’s singles skater in the competition, his performance is already very polished.”
David was five years older than Zhang Jue, making him 24 this year and a member of the “older” men’s singles group. But since he was the only male singles skater from Belgium, as long as he could still skate, he would continue competing.
Being the only one from his country was both his blessing and his curse, as it left him no room to retreat.
The next skater to perform was Ilya, whose short program was set to Saint-Saëns’ “Violin Concerto No. 3.”
Saint-Saëns is a popular composer for figure skating, with at least half of all skaters in history having skated to his music at some point. Academician Liang Sili, who passed away in April 2016, even wrote in his will that instead of traditional funeral music, he wanted Saint-Saëns to be played at his memorial, showing the composer’s exceptional talent.
Ilya performed the elegant and lively classical piece in a vivid manner. To describe it metaphorically, it was like a little bear playing in the snow.
His costume had a cute and whimsical style. Although this was Ilya’s first time attempting such a theme, he executed it very successfully, earning consistent praise for his new program since the start of the season.
After all, if he could confidently make bold claims before the Grand Prix Final, saying he would take down both Zhang Jue and Hayato Teraoka, he had to have some real skills to back it up.
In contrast, Hayato Teraoka’s program: “The Legend of 1900,” carried a melancholic ocean breeze. His collar was embroidered with a microphone, and his performance on the ice resembled a weathered middle-aged man standing on the deck of a ship, singing a song of past memories.
For this program, he even grew a beard. Unlike the baby-faced Zhang Jue, Hayato’s beard suited him well, enhancing his handsomeness to a whole new level, like the ice-skating version of Yutaka Takenouchi, especially in his “Long Vacation” role—cool yet slightly roguish, but still irresistibly handsome.
Zhang Jue tossed a banana peel into a nearby trash can and mumbled: “Wow, a lot of people are cheering.”
Was there really such a large fanbase for these “bad boy” types?
Min Shan honestly replied: “Aren’t handsome guys always popular?”
She liked them all.
The reality was, the unprecedented popularity of men’s singles figure skating over women’s singles, pairs, and ice dancing was due not only to the fierce competition among the “Three Musketeers” but also largely to the fact that all three had very attractive faces!
One enthusiastic fan even remarked: “When I see Hayato with his beard, I want to date him, but I wouldn’t marry him. When I see Ilya, I want to protect him as my little prince for life. But when I look at Zhang Jue, I just want to love him, knowing that this celestial being will never descend to my world.”
The immense pressure from two of the three big bosses almost crushed Carlson. His young shoulders seemed to carry an invisible mountain. When he took the ice, he looked tense, pale, and overwhelmed.
Although Carlson had a reputation for good luck, the enormous psychological pressure made his performance incredibly tight. He fell on two of his jumps. By the time he finished his program and reached the kiss-and-cry area, he looked like a dark, gloomy mushroom.
Finally, it was Zhang Jue’s turn to skate.
As he removed his jacket and prepared to take the ice, the audience erupted, as if a bucket of water had been poured into boiling oil, causing it to nearly explode with excitement.
Zhang Jue’s costume was the same one he wore in commercial performances, one of the simplest and most modern outfits he had ever worn, yet it perfectly highlighted his youthful energy.
Before his performance began, he glanced sideways at the camera, placing a finger on his lips and giving it a light kiss. His phoenix-like eyes were filled with innocence, like a playful child intentionally teasing the audience.
Then, a smile spread across his face. It wasn’t the perfectly controlled, staged smile often seen from idols, but a genuine grin that exposed his teeth, his eyes squinting in pure joy—a smile full of authenticity and infectious energy.
Later, fans would refer to this Grand Prix Final as the “Century’s Men’s Singles Showdown,” where all the male skaters were at the peak of their careers, none hindered by injuries, and their performances were extraordinary. Even Carlson, who fell on his jumps, didn’t falter in his artistry.
At that moment, watching Zhang Jue’s smile, fans who would usually feel nervous during competitions found themselves grinning along with him.
【Jia Jia: Zhang Jue looks fantastic, so confident. Just from his energy, you can tell he’s feeling great.】
【Boss Crash: What a beautiful smile! I’ve already taken a screenshot for my wallpaper!】
【East City Cool Guy: Zhang Jue is the best! Zhang Jue will definitely win!】
【Health Always: Official merch, please release new posters! My wallet is ready! And increase the pre-sale quotas, or I’m worried my internet won’t be fast enough to snag one.】
【Split: Even though all three Musketeers are handsome, my favorite is still Crocodile God. He can be both cool and youthful. Boys at 19 are truly the best! I used to think he was like a flower on a high mountain, but after seeing his smile, I suddenly want to date him!】
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