{"id":7046,"date":"2025-06-13T09:24:25","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T07:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=7046"},"modified":"2025-06-13T09:24:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T07:24:25","slug":"figure-skating-im-more-suited-for-the-olympics-chapter-209-the-offspring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2025\/06\/13\/figure-skating-im-more-suited-for-the-olympics-chapter-209-the-offspring\/","title":{"rendered":"Figure Skating: I’m More Suited for the Olympics – Chapter 209 – The Offspring"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

After winning two consecutive World Championship gold medals, the skating fans still believed in Captain Zhang\u2019s competitive strength\u2014he was still the athlete with the most world record-breaking performances globally\u2014but his condition had become a source of concern for many.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue had excellent mental resilience. No matter how poor his physical condition was, he could always deliver a solid performance. He also had strong adaptability on the spot. Before the season even began, he simulated various unexpected scenarios and practiced several sets of jump layouts in advance, ready to switch them out at crucial moments.<\/p>\r\n

But that was exactly the issue\u2014no matter how strong his mentality was, if his body couldn\u2019t keep up, it was all for nothing.<\/p>\r\n

He had already lost two World Championship golds due to injuries. Even if those losses were only to top-level athletes like Hayato Teraoka and Ilya, no one wanted a repeat of that tragedy at the Olympics.<\/p>\r\n

“Remember how dominant Guan was back in the day? The pioneer of Chinese-American figure skating, the embodiment of the American dream, even had a Barbie modeled after her. She won six World Championship golds, but at the \u201894 Winter Olympics, she was still developing. In \u201898, she was injured and faced a rising prodigy. In \u201802, she collapsed under pressure during her free skate and missed the Grand Slam by just that one Olympic gold.”<\/p>\r\n

After a training session, Yang Zhiyuan performed therapy on Zhang Jue while mumbling: “Just thinking about that kind of career is depressing.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue shrugged: “Not everyone gets to have a flawless career. By that logic, Maquen also missed the Grand Slam by one Olympic gold. He messed up in Vancouver and missed the podium. Then in Sochi, he ran into me and Vasily, and ended up with just a bronze.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why you can\u2019t be like them. There are a lot of people counting on you to bring home the gold!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Yang Zhiyuan looked around, then whispered to Zhang Jue: “You know the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Winter Olympics are coming up. The higher-ups are taking winter sports more seriously than before, and figure skating has grown a lot this cycle. The national team might be given a quota of at least four medals. That includes men\u2019s singles, women\u2019s singles, and pairs\u2014aiming for two golds. And you\u2019re our biggest hope.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue counted on his fingers. Four medals? Ice dance couldn\u2019t be relied upon, so..: “The fourth one\u2019s the team event?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Yang Zhiyuan nodded grimly.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue sighed: “That\u2019s bad news. The team event depends on overall strength. Min Shan, Guan Lin, Huang Ying, and I all have injuries. It\u2019s impossible to give our best in both the team short and free skate and still perform perfectly in the individual events. We\u2019ll probably only do one segment of the team event. And we can\u2019t count on ice dance at all.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

That team medal might be the hardest of the four to achieve.<\/p>\r\n

Lying nearby receiving therapy as well, Hua Taisi and Sai Peng both had gloomy expressions after hearing that.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cCaptain, you have to believe we won\u2019t drag you down!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cYeah! We made real progress training at the Koten Club last year. Didn\u2019t you praise our skating skills?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue replied: “\u2026Sorry, but in my eyes, if you can\u2019t consistently break into the world\u2019s top six, you\u2019re not \u2018strong.\u2019 It\u2019s not that you\u2019re useless, it\u2019s just that my standards are too high.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Everyone: Truly worthy of being Captain Zhang\u2014always confident and glowing.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue\u2019s second competition was the Japan Grand Prix, the fourth stop of the six-event series. Before his event began, both Ilya and Hayato Teraoka had won gold in their respective Grand Prix debuts, performing very consistently. Only Hayato made a slight error when facing Carlson\u2014the victory was his, but the point difference was just four.<\/p>\r\n

When the event started, Zhang Jue lay on the sofa with Qin Xuejun, who for once wasn\u2019t working overtime, and watched the match.<\/p>\r\n

He frowned: “The scoring in this one was clearly off. Carlson\u2019s jump quality didn\u2019t deserve the same GOE level as Hayato\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Their skating skills were on par, but Carlson\u2019s step sequence GOEs were clearly higher than Teraoka\u2019s. That was the issue.<\/p>\r\n

Also competing in that event was Arthur Cohen, a young skater whose program unusually included six quadruple jumps this year.<\/p>\r\n

He almost pulled it off.<\/p>\r\n

But to insiders, the program was considered completely hollow. Apart from the mandatory step sequence, the rest of it was just transitions into jumps. It lacked content, but thanks to his nationality, he still received decent performance scores. It was a textbook case of a program designed purely for scoring\u2014highly utilitarian.<\/p>\r\n

Figure skating was a sport with an artistic component, but this program clearly had only technique, no artistry.<\/p>\r\n

In contrast, the top three ladies\u2014Keiko, Min Shan, and Kateryna\u2014stood out with impressive performances. They hadn\u2019t faced each other yet in the Grand Prix. Keiko remained undefeated since the B-level events. Min Shan had similar results. Only Kateryna had stumbled at the Russian Grand Prix\u2014she fell on a 4S and lost to her senior, Selina, but still qualified for the Grand Prix Final.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThe ladies\u2019 singles field is halfway into the quad jump era now. Vasily\u2019s 13-year-old girl Raisa just moved up to juniors this year and already landed a 4T at her first Grand Prix. Most of the quad training is happening in juniors now. Once those girls move up, Min Shan will face a lot more competition.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Guan Lin chimed in casually: “In women\u2019s singles, two years is practically a whole generation. Meng Xiaolei, Qin Meng, and Raisa are all the same age\u2014that\u2019s their generation.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue smiled wryly: “Don\u2019t get me started. Brother Shen and I are both training them for quads now. Qin Meng just landed one fully rotated, then fractured her ankle. She\u2019s still recovering and might not return. Meng Xiaolei can jump them too, but her performance is terrible.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Meng\u2019s performance was stiffer than a radio calisthenics routine. The coaching team and Zhang Jue had no idea how to deal with her, so in the end, they gritted their teeth and gave her a men\u2019s program for this season.<\/p>\r\n

Yang Zhiyuan patted Zhang Jue: “Turn over\u2014lie on your back.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue did as he was told, still scrolling through his phone, watching a newly released Twitter compilation of junior girls landing quad jumps. Aside from Raisa, the others had issues with their quads.<\/p>\r\n

For example, some girls were supposedly doing 4Ts, but had serious problems with the toe pick\u2014it wasn\u2019t a toe-assisted takeoff but more like a stomp on the ice, which made it a blade takeoff.<\/p>\r\n

Some skaters scraped more than half a circle on the ice before takeoff, meaning they pre-rotated\u2014commonly called under-rotation cheating.<\/p>\r\n

The worst were those who combined both blade takeoff and under-rotation. Those jumps were truly atrocious and painful to watch.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue sighed: “But to be honest, there were quite a few guys with the same problems too.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Just like quad jumps were first developed in men\u2019s singles, under-rotation tricks also started there. As long as Zhang Jue had competed in figure skating, his eyes had been hurt that long. For instance, Vadim, who once reached the No. 3 position in Russia and retired last year, was a prime example.<\/p>\r\n

Yang Zhiyuan chuckled: “That\u2019s why high-quality quads still depended on top-tier men\u2019s singles, and also the girls who trained with you and Vasily. There were others who had good quads too, but way too many were trying to take shortcuts.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

But before worrying about all that, it was more important to perform well in the Grand Prix.<\/p>\r\n

At the Japan event, Zhang Jue still took the gold with overwhelming momentum, and the Grand Prix Final would be held in Nagoya. After the six events concluded, the other Chinese skaters who qualified for Nagoya along with Zhang Jue were Min Shan and Huang Ying.<\/p>\r\n

Meng Xiaolei also made it to the junior ladies\u2019 final by ranking sixth in points and boarded the plane to Japan with Zhang Jue. To look after her, her sister came along as well.<\/p>\r\n

She was a college graduate of less than six months, youthful and charming, warm and easygoing, and considered one of the more approachable members among the parents of younger teammates.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Junbao had a good impression of the young woman. Zhang Jue, on the other hand, merely greeted her briefly before dozing off against the seat.<\/p>\r\n

Shen Liu covered him with a blanket: “You always fall asleep the moment the plane takes off, unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue mumbled a bit, and soon his breathing became steady.<\/p>\r\n

Keiko Shiratsuka typed rapidly on her phone, fingers flying over the screen.<\/p>\r\n

[Brother Sang: Aaaaah! Thank you, little sis! Her hard work finally gave me a chance to see Captain Zhang\u2019s glorious face up close!]<\/p>\r\n

[So jealous of the group owner. Is Captain Zhang not wearing makeup now?]<\/p>\r\n

[Brother Sang: Except for competitions and exhibition skates, he never wears makeup! Even when being interviewed on national TV, he\u2019s barefaced. He looks amazing in person! And he\u2019s super tall\u2014figure skating is full of shorties, and he stands out like a crane among chickens! He\u2019s also super friendly! He even took the initiative to shake hands with me! His fingers are so long! His hands are so white and soft~]<\/p>\r\n

[Group owner! More handsome Zhang photos, please!]<\/p>\r\n

[Group owner, I want Zhang\u2019s autograph. Think of our five years of being loyal fans\u2026 you know what I mean.]<\/p>\r\n

[Group owner, more fancam footage of Zhang\u2019s programs, pretty please~]<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

\u2026<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

Nagoya was a major hub for Japanese figure skating and the birthplace of the Nagoya faction. During the drama over snatching Teraoka Hayato, the Nagoya faction had made a strong presence, and Hayato\u2019s decision to go with Coach Mori had earned him a lot of resentment.<\/p>\r\n

Though arriving in Nagoya didn\u2019t mean Hayato would be hounded like Meimeng Chengzhen in South Korea, he still wasn\u2019t greeted with friendly stares.<\/p>\r\n

When Zhang Jue got off the plane, he saw Hayato and Keiko in the arrival hall and happily waved: “Hey, are you guys here to pick me up? Didn\u2019t you say there was no need?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Hayato rolled his eyes: “Don\u2019t flatter yourself. We\u2019re not here for you.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue tilted his head: “Not for me? Then who else\u2026 oh, has Takeshi arrived too?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Keiko nodded: “Yes, Takeshi flight lands in three minutes.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

As mentioned before, Coach Mori rink wasn\u2019t big, and she mainly coached ladies\u2019 singles. She had other little girls in her group too. After Hayato joined her, he mostly trained independently, and the coach just provided assistance.<\/p>\r\n

But while mature Hayato could handle that, his junior Chiba Takeshi couldn\u2019t. So after careful consideration, Goshi went to Canada during the off-season and joined the Koten Club, becoming a student of Sarena and Choi Jeong-su.<\/p>\r\n

As coaches, Sarena and Choi weren\u2019t among the most famous names. Although Sarena had been hugely popular during his competitive years, that was nearly 20 years ago. Many people doubted Takeshi move.<\/p>\r\n

But once the new season started, the kid blazed a trail and ended up outperforming David to become the sixth and final qualifier for the men\u2019s singles Grand Prix Final.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue sat on his suitcase munching on an apple. After a while, Chiba Takeshi and his coaches came into view.<\/p>\r\n

Training alone in a foreign land had been a silent trial by fire, and the young man\u2019s gaze had become noticeably sharper.<\/p>\r\n

Chiba Takeshi, a 16-year-old rising star, was beginning to shine in his second senior season, baring his fangs at the top-tier skaters.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Junbao clicked his tongue: “Tsk, although everyone\u2019s saying Arthur Cohen might be the next men\u2019s skating king, Takeshi overall ability is clearly stronger.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

These two youngsters had both already mastered three kinds of quads and were working on their fourth, with successful landing videos online. They were the most promising of the new generation.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue rested his chin in his hand, fearless: “If they want to rise, they\u2019ll have to wait until I retire.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cSo when are you retiring?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cAt least not until after the 2022 Winter Olympics.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\"This<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After winning two consecutive World Championship gold medals, the skating fans still believed in Captain Zhang\u2019s competitive strength\u2014he was still the athlete with the most world record-breaking performances globally\u2014but his condition had become a source of concern for many. Zhang Jue had excellent mental resilience. No matter how poor his physical condition was, he could […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-figure-skating-im-more-suited-for-the-olympics","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/fg.png?fit=200%2C281&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7046"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7046\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7047,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7046\/revisions\/7047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7046"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7046"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}