Takahashi to Make a Comeback

[danibellerika]

Oh rest assured, should he make the team JSF will make him go!!

Yeah I think he was just being polite. If he makes top 3 at Nats with Yuzu and Shoma, he's going. I'm really excited to see him again!! Quads or no quads, for me there will never be no room for someone like a Daisuke Takahashi in this sport.

 

[muffinplus]

Best news this off-season yet...

So many juicy news tidbits in the last 2 months, it's crazy

 

[Spun Silver]

I can't stop smiling!

 

[rosewood]

My Main Man!

I can't stop smiling!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVHLl1LZAK0
Time to re-watch this MAD.

 

[arakwafan2006]

This is a wonderful announcement as he’s the man that i often head to YouTube for. I hope that fans can enjoy his performances, no matter how technically proficient he is when he returns. Daisuke is an absolute master of interpretation with a range of genre’s he does well. Camerlengo and Bourne are the choreographers i really liked him with for the Free Skate with David Wilson’s In the Garden of Souls short being amazing. I do respect how Morozov brought his talent to the forefront but i liked his consistency and progress under his coach Utako. No matter what , i am happy and pleased that i will get to see him again. I don’t know what his goals are and expectations of himself are and honestly, i don’t need to know. I just hope he is satisfied with how things turn out. This is a great time to be a Figure Skating fan.

 

[arakwafan2006]

i TRULY wish that he would NOT use Benout.... i wish fewer than those that do use him would. I get that Dai probably prefers the lesser sampled choreographers. I get it. Lori and David will give you predictable. It will be good but new and innovative? Not usually. A lesser known choreographer has fresh ideas. Still, Benoit is in my opinion inferior and nowhere near ready to work with Dai. At best, i see him as a step up from someone like Drew Minkins... maybe.

Tom Dickson would have been my pick for a free and Buttle for a short.

 

[caseyedwards]

He will benefit lots from +5/-5!!

 

[Sally1214]

WOW. All I can say is "Why?" I loved Daisuke when he was skating in his prime. But ... he ... is ... too ... old ... to ... return to competitive skating now. But, best of luck to him.

 

[nimi]

twitter thread summarizing Kozuka's comments on Dai's press conference: https://twitter.com/redgreendress/status/1013459373434245122

He also said that watching the press conf he felt that Dai has a lot of regrets left from the 2014 season. Taka thinks Dai prob needs to return to high-stakes competitions, which is the life he's most familiar with, before he can reset and move on to the next thing.

 

[rosewood]

Watching Kaori Sakamoto's Amelie made him want to ask Richaud to make his program.
https://twitter.com/KG_akiyama/status/1013424456088182785

Watching Sota Yamamoto in last season's Nats was one of the reasons that inspired him to compete again. He used to think it's not worthy to compete if you are not going to win since he was aiming at international competition(=Worlds?), he said. But after watching last season's Nats, the thought came to him that everyone here has his/her own goals/background and they are doing their best all through the process, and competing in this way is acceptable [to him] even if you are not going to win. Sota was one of the skaters who gave him the inspiration. (note: Sota repeatedly got injured. In the regionals he was able to do just single rotation jumps. In the Nats Sota was not on the level where he can aim at a podium but he had pushed himself up to the level where he was capable of doing triple jumps.) Here is a video clip of his interview.
https://twitter.com/marikoby26/status/1013440677508624384


_______
It's just my impression based on watching the NHK's video of the press conference posted earlier on this thead and this clip about Sota, but he sounded that he's been regretful about the way he ended his career four years ago plus he feels he needs to re-push himself up to the high level where you can even skate in a competition in order to show a satisfiable skate in ice shows. He actually mentioned that 5-6 years ahead will be the time limit that he can keep his good shape for skating in shows on a satisfiable level. It's a very professional of him. Maybe he's been struggled with these two thoughts for years. I felt last season's Nats was nothing but one of the stuffs that pushed his back to be brave enough to stand on a startline to re-do his ending of his competitive career in a more satisfiable way to him. All the good luck to him in this brave endeavor!

 

[TAHbKA]

Um.. With the living and kicking Hanuy and Uno does he even have a chance to make it to the team?
I will sure enjoy his skating if I ever get to see him in a competition!

 

[Fairuza]

Um.. With the living and kicking Hanuy and Uno does he even have a chance to make it to the team?
I will sure enjoy his skating if I ever get to see him in a competition!

Hoping to kick the likes of Kazuki Tomono off the team? Team Japan has got three spots for the Worlds.

 

[TAHbKA]

Hoping to kick the likes of Kazuki Tomono off the team? Team Japan has got three spots for the Worlds.

There are about 5 of `the likes', each of those `the likes' is 10 years younger, less injured and has quads Takahashi didn't have at his best times.

 

[Fairuza]

There are about 5 of `the likes', each of those `the likes' is 10 years younger, less injured and has quads Takahashi didn't have at his best times.

Not so sure. Mura and Murakami have retired, who are we left with? Tanaka, who is very inconsistent, Tomono, who was brilliant at the Worlds, but has quite a lot to prove... who else?
We’re leaving Hanyu/Uno out of this, they’re untouchable.

 

[nimi]

Um.. With the living and kicking Hanuy and Uno does he even have a chance to make it to the team?
I will sure enjoy his skating if I ever get to see him in a competition!

Maybe he actually meant what he said in the Q&A. Making the podium at Nats and making the World team aren't even his main goals at the moment (although I'm sure that on some level, he'd like to make it to the team and skate in at Worlds in front of home audience). See e.g.:

As for getting on podium at Nationals, I think it will be hard to get there judging from the current situation, but I might see something new as I continue practicing. If I see it, I might make that my goal, or maybe not.

Yes, right now I am not thinking about competing internationally. With different environments, my feelings my change but I want to see what I can do and grow while still in Japan, not in the World.

If there is a chance, I’d like to think about it but I’m not sure whether or not I should compete internationally. When I think about the future, I think it’s better that younger generations compete and I don’t want to be in the way. So if it turns out to be like that (a chance comes up), I will think about that before making a decision.

Several factors behind this competitive comeback, like Dai himself has said (see e.g. @rosewood's post above) and others like Taka have observed. I sure want to see him skate at Worlds, but if this comeback ends up being only a domestic one, I'm happy as long as he feels he achieved some of the goals he's set for himself.

BTW:

Dai is part of Kansai University SC again! Kansai University president and chairman said they would support him fully. They have high expectations for him: "if it's him, he might do it"

(source)

 

[aftershocks]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVHLl1LZAK0
Time to re-watch this MAD.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! That's the badass Dai Taka video I was trying to locate and link earlier, but I couldn't recall the exact title (the 1 in D1sk is what tripped me up ).
Cool isn't even a good description. It's rockin' dynomite!
First part is fun anticipation, but the real biz gets rockin' at about 3:37

And now, where's that video of the kitty cats in front of a tv watching Dai Taka perform?!

The threesome number of Takahashi, Lambiel and Kostner at Ice Legends 2016 is still the best show number ever for me. There is always room for an artist like Daisuke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMs9pfdAMMY Dai/Stephane - Anthem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thznfCRyxwU (Behind the scenes of Anthem)

 

[lala]

I don't care about the choreographer....I'm curious!!!!!!!!!! great news!

 

[MINAM]

Maybe there's no need to mention, but....Takahashi had a pretty decent post-competitive skater career. Along with Oda, he's done commentator jobs and MCs. (BTW, Takeshi Honda now is an expert on home electrical appliances, LOL) He's said that he regrets pulling out of Worlds after the Olympics.
Anyway, pretty much looking forward to him competing.

 

[4rkidz]

This is when I wish we had a decent professional competitive series, not fluff but proper competition for pros. I don’t see the point of coming back unless he has several quads as it takes away the development of his fellow countrymen. Although if he places at his nationals then I guess he deserves it.

 

[all_empty]

Thrilled to see Dai back. In the early '00s I declared he would be a world champion (quite possibly on this board or it's predecessor) and I remember the reaction being .

I hope he stays injury free and accomplishes his goals.

Re: Miki Ando, she had a very respectable comeback and had more content than say, Kanako Murakami. And let's not forget she had a baby in between.

And of course Dai's contemporary -- Nobunari Oda -- has kept up a very high level of skating and he's 31! Good basic technique is a boon at any age.

 

[ostile17]

From OHK Local

Some footage of Daisuke who has started training today at Kansai Uni Takatsuki rink

https://twitter.com/moco0611chi/status/1014085993517862912?s=19

To say he has had a pretty decent post-skating career is an understament. He has challanged himself in so many different fields, and always very successfully.

 

[nimi]

If you go here, you'll find a link to Dai's TV appearance (where they also interview his coach) with English subs.

The uploader has "hidden" the video so that it doesn't get removed right away, which is why I choose not to copypaste the link here...

Well worth a watch!

 

[Marco]

I don't care about results, just glad to see him skate again.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting from the Japan Open thread:

... The impression I got from his interview is that he does not want to participate in international competitions. Rather, he wanted to have a proper ending to his career IN Japan.

Oh, so he isn't aiming to perhaps score a GP invite? or possibly making Worlds / 4CCs?

No, that's not his goal now.

 

[Wiery]

Just watch his Blues for Klook program before any of you decide whether or not he can make a successful comeback.

 

[Coco]

I'm amazed his career continued as long as it did given issues with his Landing knee. Didn't he have a pin in it during the 2011 worlds? That's just mind-boggling I don't know how any skater performs with that kind of situation.
I'm thrilled he's coming back I hope he has reasonable expectations for himself and is satisfied when it's all said and done.

 

[ostile17]

I'm amazed his career continued as long as it did given issues with his Landing knee. Didn't he have a pin in it during the 2011 worlds? That's just mind-boggling I don't know how any skater performs with that kind of situation.
I'm thrilled he's coming back I hope he has reasonable expectations for himself and is satisfied when it's all said and done.

Yes, the bolt that was inserted in his knee during the surgery in 2008 was removed in May 2011.

 

[ostile17]

The translation of the Press conference with Daisuke Takahashi Q&A part 2

https://cantilovertranslations.tumb...ess-conference-qa-with-daisuke-takahashi-part

 

[Meredith]

I have been revisiting Daisuke Takahashi's past performances since his announcement of his return to competition, and it has been a joyful experience.

Reading translations of his press conferences, though, is a gift. Thank you to everyone who translated and shared Daisuke's words.

 

[Marco]

I have been revisiting Daisuke Takahashi's past performances since his announcement of his return to competition, and it has been a joyful experience.

Reading translations of his press conferences, though, is a gift. Thank you to everyone who translated and shared Daisuke's words.

Please do share.

Which competition is the best Cyber Swan?