Productive partnership: Mie Hamada helps Vincent Zhou find success

[Sylvia]

Latest "Ice Time" column by Jack Gallagher of The Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports...e-partnership-hamada-helps-zhou-find-success/

Excerpts:

In separate exclusive interviews with Ice Time, Zhou and Hamada talked about what makes their relationship work.
“His main coach, Tammy Gambill, asked me to teach him,” Hamada stated, when asked how the partnership began. “I have been teaching him (Vincent) for almost two years.”
...
I wanted to know what she felt Zhou must do to get to the next level.
“He has to work more on his edges and basic skating skills,” Hamada commented. “He is going to be a champion if he gets the passion and good edges, because he already has very good quality jumps.”

“Training with her has brought me much more than I anticipated,” Zhou stated. “She has really great knowledge of the fundamentals of skating. She studies other sports to see how to get rotation, how to get height, how to align the body correctly and she applies it to basic skating skills and uses the alignment that allows for good edges and applies to jumps. It’s stuff that you wouldn’t normally think of, but it instantly makes sense.

“It’s so helpful. It’s not just that, she just really loves skating and teaching. She doesn’t do it for money or recognition.”

Hamada revealed to Ice Time that she has been asked in the past to coach foreign skaters full time in Japan but was unable to due to the restrictions placed on her by Kansai University, where the rink she teaches at is located.

“If I have time (I would like to coach them), but I’m pretty busy,” Hamada commented. “Some American skaters asked me to teach already, but our rink is very strict. My rink is owned by the college, so it’s very hard. It’s not for everybody.

“I feel very responsible for that (teaching foreign skaters).”

 

[Sylvia]

(Missed posting this earlier...) Ice Time podcast interview with Vincent after World Team Trophy in Fukuoka (19 mins.): https://soundcloud.com/user-983930015/no-21-vincent-zhou

Jack [Gallagher] and Ayano speak with world bronze medalist Vincent Zhou about his successful season, his work with coach Mie Hamada, his career, and thoughts about Yuzuru Hanyu, Shoma Uno and Daisuke Takahashi.

ETA:

It's unfortunate Vincent's knee injury at the 2nd Stars on Ice show in Long Island made him miss the rest of the tour (he performed in 2 of the 13 stops), but at least he will get a chance to perform in Japan twice this summer -- Dreams on Ice (June 28-30) and The ICE tour (July 27-August 4).

 

[Wyliefan]

Vincent is now going to be coached by both Hamada and Gambill. https://twitter.com/InTheLoPodcast/status/1143489912710127617?s=19

 

[Sylvia]

This Japanese article also says Vincent will attend Brown University this fall: https://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20190625/fgr19062519360001-n1.html

ETA that @YukiNieve's news, posted in the U.S. Men's thread last night, appears to tie in with Hamada officially joining his coaching team with Tammy Gambill:

Vincent Zhou signed a contract with Kinoshita Group, one of the well-known conglomerates in Japan whose subsidiaries encompass building homes, real estate, elderly care, education, among other things.

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

Kinoshita Group often puts advertisement on the board of the competition rink.

They also support Satoko Miyahara and Koshiro Shimada.
Their website already has Vincent's name and photo here:

スポーツクラブ | フィギュアスケート

スポーツを通じて人々に感動を与えたいという想いから、 木下グループは夢に向かって邁進するアスリートを応援しています。

kinoshita-group-sports.com

ETA: Kinoshita Group has also been the title sponsor for Japan Open since 2006.

 

[clairecloutier]

So Tammy will be long-distance coaching both Karen Chen (at Cornell) and Vincent Zhou (at Brown)?! And with Hamada involved as well for Zhou?

This is gonna be interesting ....

 

[natsulian]

This is huge. To my knowledge, Hamada has never officially coached a no-man-Japanese skater... ever. This is an amazing opportunity and one that MIGHT open new doors for other skaters as well.!

 

[rosewood]

Cross posting from US men thread.

ビンセント・ゾウが浜田コーチに師事　紀平も指導、世界選手権後に正式依頼／フィギュア

　フィギュアスケートの世界選手権男子銅メダルのビンセント・ゾウ（米国）が昨年１２月のグランプリ（ＧＰ）ファイナル女子で初出場優勝した紀平梨花（関大ＫＦＳＣ）を教える浜田美栄コーチに師事することが２５日、関係者への取材で分かった。米コロラドスプリングズの練習拠点で指導するタミー・ガンビル氏とともにメインコーチを務めるという。同日に木下グループがゾウと所属契約を結んだと発表した。

www.sanspo.com

This Japanese article says Japanese media contacted someone around Vincent Zhou and it was revealed that Zhou works under Coach Hamada. Both Hamada and Gambill will work as his main coaches. It also says Kinoshita Group (a Japanese company that @YukiNieve posted earlier on this thread) signed an affiliate contract with Zhou.

ETA:
It also says Zhou is going to enter Brown University from upcoming fall. And his plan is to train both in Japan and the US.
____

As Hamada has taught him for a while, it's not surprising to me that he'll work under Hamada from now on. However, it was a big surprise to me that Kinoshita signed an affiliate contract with Zhou. It's like a contract which Hanyu signed with ANA or Shoma signed with Toyota. Kinoshita is one of the crown sponsors of Japanese big events such as Japan Open (Carnival on Ice). Kinoshita used to support many Japanese ice dancers and pairs skaters. One thing I remember was Kinoshita didn't support Mervin Tran even though they supported Narumi Takahashi. At the time I assumed it's Kinoshita's policy that they support only skaters who have Japanese citizenship. So it's a big surprise to me that they support Zhou who doesn't skate for Japan nor lives in Japan. Perhaps things have changed since then. Being supported by Kinoshita can mean a lot to Zhou when he trains and participates in events in Japan. Good for him.

 

[rosewood]

This is huge. To my knowledge, Hamada has never officially coached a no-man-Japanese skater... ever. This is an amazing opportunity and one that MIGHT open new doors for other skaters as well.!

No, she taught a S Korean skater in the past.

ETA:
2006-2007 S Korean national champion Kim Chae-hwa.

 

[Sylvia]

Vincent's post on IG today (his photo with Mie Hamada and Kinoshita Group officials, I assume): https://www.instagram.com/p/BzJgqMEHOH5/

Super excited to begin a new partnership with Kinoshita Group, and I anticipate the journey to Beijing 2022 with them. Thank you so much @kinoshita_group_sports for your support!

Also, addressing the questions regarding my matriculation at @brownu, I am just doing one semester then focusing on skating. I will resume after the 2022 Olympics.

 

[aftershocks]

As Hamada has taught him for a while,

When did Hamada begin teaching Vincent?


Since Vincent is approaching his studies at Brown University at the outset with a specific plan that includes taking time off, he obviously recognizes the difficulty involved in dividing his focus in the year or two leading up to the Olympics.

Nathan Chen is aware of that too, except he has to deal with Yale's more restrictive matriculation requirements. Yale has seemed to relax their tough stance for Nathan recently, more than they did for Dick Button eons ago. It worked out fine for Dick though since he was able to attend Harvard College instead, while continuing to train at the nearby Skating Club of Boston. And Dick continued to win major championships while going to Harvard, albeit he decided to retire when he was accepted at Harvard Law School.

 

[Sylvia]

When did Hamada begin teaching Vincent?

From the April 2019 article linked in post #1:

“His main coach, Tammy Gambill, asked me to teach him,” Hamada stated, when asked how the partnership began. “I have been teaching him (Vincent) for almost two years.”

 

[rosewood]

Another thing I remember about Kinoshita Group is training rinks which are under constructions within available area for him.

スケート場 なぜ関西で建設急増？（もっと関西） - 日本経済新聞

関西で通年営業する屋内スケート場の建設が2カ所で進んでいる。京都府が推進する京都アイスアリーナ（仮称、京都府宇治市）と、関西国際空港の対岸の関空アイスアリーナ（大阪府泉佐野市）だ。いずれも2019年開業を目指している。聞けばスケート場が同じ地域で2カ所新設されるのは最近では全国でも珍しいという。「寒冷地でもない関西でなぜ」「採算は大丈夫か」。疑問点が次々と湧いたので取材した。「京都府は通年営業

www.nikkei.com

Kinoshita bought naming rights of 'Kanku Ice Arena' which is supposed to open upcoming December. This rink is near Kansai Airport (=Kanku) in Osaka.

Kyoto Ice Arena is another rink. Local government of Kyoto together with some companies are collaborating for the project. Kinishita (as a construction company) is one of the main companies to build/run the rink. At first Kyoto IA was supposed to open this past spring or so but the project is not going well and the construction will be completed after upcoming fall.

Coach Hamada's main home rink is Kansai University's rink. Even if someone is not studying in the uni or the affiliated high school, the skater can use the rink if s/he joins the uni's affiliated skating club (Kansai Uni Keisers). That said, it will be more comfortable for Zhou if he can use the two new rinks. Signing on a contract with Kinoshita can work in his favor when it comes down to who has the priority to use those rinks.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting this Japan Times article (published July 2, 2019) here:

Jack Gallagher interview with Vincent "Art of the deal: How Kinoshita Group came to sponsor Vincent Zhou."

Excerpts:

The nexus of the pact was the relationship that coach Mie Hamada maintains with both the company and Zhou.
...
Zhou admitted that he and his family had a heart-to-heart talk with Hamada about his financial situation and that is when the coach stepped up and did something about it.
...
“It’s just for one year now,” Zhou said, while not disclosing the financial aspect of it. “We will meet again at the end of the coming season. We will rediscuss, but hopefully I can get some good results this season and show potential for 2022.”

“I’m matriculating at Brown University in the fall semester, so I pretty much won’t be able to go to Japan at all,” Zhou stated. “I will be training in Boston, which is an hour-and- a-half drive from Providence (Rhode Island), where Brown is. It will be a very difficult semester. I will be away for several weeks due to international competitions.”
...
“I’m only doing the fall semester, and Brown allowed me to take a gap semester or gap year toward the 2022 Olympics,” Zhou said. “Hopefully I will be able to. Coach Hamada has been a great asset on my team. It would be good to try and come back to Japan if only for a week or so, just to brush up on some things.

ETA that Zhou's 2 Grand Prix competitions this fall are back-to-back (Cup of China, Nov. 8-10, and Rostelecom Cup, Nov. 15-17, 2019).

 

[Sylvia]

Vincent Zhou to attend Brown University, details new skating situation (July 2): https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019/07/02/vincent-zhou-brown/

 

[DreamSkates]

Sounds like a good arrangement for coaching - this year he definitely upped his game.

 

[Sylvia]

ISU feature (July 10): Let’s Meet: Vincent Zhou (USA)

Vincent's "Moments of the Season" video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irn38cPz-Ak ) is embedded in this July 11th article about him (more to come in the August/September issue of SKATING magazine): https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...ing-for-more-zhou-takes-on-new-challenge.aspx
Excerpt:

For the 2019-20 season, the skater formalized the relationship, announcing Gambill and Hamada as his primary coaches.
...
And just how will Zhou balance his burning desire to improve his skating, with hitting the books at Brown? Ice time will be available on campus at Meehan Auditorium, and about an hour away in Boston. Both Gambill and Hamada will be available via FaceTime.
"I'll be flying out to work with him and I know Mie Hamada said she will be, as well," Gambill said. "Mark (Mitchell) and Peter (Johansson) will make ice available to him (in the Boston area) and watch out for him when I can't be there, so there's a lot of help reaching out."