En Bref (Short Stories)

One Year of Uno (Essay, Figure Skating)

Silver, February 16 & 17, 2018 Pyeongchang

Yuzuru Hanyu, a demigod in his own right, won Olympic gold in Pyeongchang in figure skating, men, individual. Whoever thinks that a man is not capable of unassisted flight, they had never seen Yuzuru Hanyu. Maybe he was breaking the rules of physics or the rules of physics broke themselves for him... who knows. Either way, it was the stuff of legends.

One step down the pedestal, the silver medalist, Shoma Uno.

Third in the short, third in the free skate, 104.17 & 202.73, one fall.

He was not ethereal.

One look at his legs dispelled any question as to how he could jump like that. There was no mystery, but not a trace of doubt either.

Blades, what blades? Oh, these ones, attached to the feet? The better to speed up with, dear. That glide, the take-off, and the blur - the quadruple jump. If you could see the revolutions, that was a triple.

Silver, March 22 & 24, 2018 Milan

The World Championship, the winner - Nathan Chen

One step down the pedestal, the silver medalist, Shoma Uno.

Fifth in the short, second in the free skate, 94.26 & 179.51, three falls.

He was in pain during practice, no diagnosed injury. He skated and fell, fell and skated, skated and fell. The athletes, they do that, have to. He fell and regained his footing in tempo with music, as if he were in control when he was out of control.

Silver, December 6 & 7, 2018 Vancouver

The Grand Prix Final, the winner - Nathan Chen

One step down the pedestal, the silver medalist, Shoma Uno.

Second in the short, second in the free skate, 91.67 & 183.43, one fall

Had 'always the bridesmaid, never the bride' ever sounded witty? The goofy smile that used to animate Shoma Uno's face, gave way to the focused expression that cut through the glitter like that blade-on-ice sound slices through the music. It was not enough.

February 9 & 10, 2019 Anaheim

Four Continents Championship

Fourth in the short, with 91.76, Shoma Uno climbed the Stairway to Heaven on an ankle sprained two weeks before that, in Japan Nationals.

Don't look away just yet.

Under the bright lights, in sequins, Shoma Uno bent over backwards, then relaxed some more to nearly touch his head to the ice. The last cord of the Moonlight Sonata played out. It played for seven minutes, flawlessly, the same way he skated.

It did not matter that Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan Chen did not compete in the event.

First in the free skate, 197.36, one world record.

The social media reported one chocolate cake waiting for Shoma Uno at home.

Nobody tallied how many humans threw a party in their hearts because the earthy Shoma Uno did not end a few points behind this time.

Ladies and gentlemen,

                  Shoma Uno:

                          the winner, men, individual...

GOLD