Medalist (2025) s01e07 Episode Script

1
Now you Who are you?
If you think this girl
can win against Hikaru,
you're saying you could win against me.
Not so fast!
I don't care who I'm up against!
You hear me?
I will be the greatest coach in the world!
Good morning.
KAGO
S-Sorry. Did I wake you?
Yeah.
LEVEL ONE BADGE TES
Our next meet
will be the West Japan Championship
for elementary schoolers.
Unlike the Meikoh Cup,
you'll be up against athletes
from all over Western Japan.
Kyoto, where this event is held,
is turning out some of the best athletes
in the game right now.
Who knows what we'll see there.
INORI YUITSUKA PRELIM
MEIKOH CUP 12.64
To win, you'll need to score about eight
points higher than you did at Meikoh.
That'll put you squarely in the 20s.
Twenty points.
Yep. We'll need to update your program
with two different types of double jumps.
And she's got
the Badge Test to practice for too.
I know she's been struggling with doubles.
She must be worried.
The heck is that face about?
I thought about keeping this a secret
for a little bit, but I can't!
You wanna know what I did on Sunday?
A double jump.
Wait, for real? Is that true?
I sure did!
She learned a broken leg sit spin
on her own and now a double jump too?
Incredible. She's barreling on ahead
- before I even get a chance to coach her.
- Ha! Got it!
- Go, go, go, go
- So?
- Huh?
- You wanna see me do one right now?
You know I do!
Whoa, are you okay?
I-I'm okay, but
That was great!
Your form's improved immensely
since the competition!
If you've already come this far
on your own,
you're gonna master it by the next one.
I promise I wasn't lying to you!
I really did it last time.
I know. It's okay! I believe you!
And check it out.
I borrowed a tablet today.
Now we can double-check
your form and stuff
while you're still feeling it
all in your muscles.
You wanna go again?
But I did it. I had it
It's okay, don't beat yourself up.
- Okay, I got it!
- Huh.
We're gonna be looking at your head,
torso and legs.
We wanna get everything spinning
at the same time.
So let's check to see
where you're not in sync,
and we can adjust accordingly from there.
- Sound good?
- Yeah.
Ah, your head and shoulders
are rotating at the same time,
but your legs are lagging behind. See?
Can I try again right now?
Wait, hang on.
Oof.
She's falling apart out there.
I'll tell you what,
let's switch gears and practice
for the Badge Test for a while.
No, I want to keep trying.
I don't want to stop till I can land it.
It's no problem for everyone else my age.
She's in a hurry.
Her desire to improve
gives her a lot of strength,
but it also means
she's extra hard on herself.
- Inori.
- What?
Don't worry that you're not
on the same level as the other girls yet.
That's not gonna change overnight,
but don't panic.
You're building yourself up
little by little.
It's okay if you can't do everything.
You don't need to rush.
Plus, the time you spend
working through challenges now
is gonna make you that much better
at facing them in the future.
It'll help in the future.
Yep.
Wow, you always know exactly what to say
to make me feel better, Coach Tsukasa!
Oh, so it's working? Good.
But I gotta stay ahead
of the 8 ball.
Inori moves fast
and I need to start anticipating that,
or I might miss teaching
something crucial for her at this level.
So, how
- That goes for me too!
- What does?
Nothing! Don't worry about it.
I talked a big game about
"No need to rush,"
but I'm freaking out too.
Everything I just said to her,
I need to be telling myself double.
How lucky am I that talking with her
helps me recognize my own blind spots.
We're raising each other up.
And to keep it that way,
I need to focus on the now.
- Hey, Inori.
- Yeah?
Mark my words! I'm not gonna lose to you!
Huh?
DAY OF THE BADGE TES
ICE SKATING RINK
EXAMINEE
REGISTRATION
Just wear another layer.
You'll catch a cold.
Hey, level one
starts at eight o'clock, right?
Yeah, they put level seven
in the early slot.
Where are you, Ema?
Oh, my gosh! I am so sorry!
Sorry for being so adorable, that is.
Wha
Wait. You're Suzu Kamoto, aren't you?
Second place in Novice B last year?
Yep, that's me. Nice to meet ya.
Second place?
- You're a Kyoto girl, right?
- The best athlete after Hikaru Kamisaki.
My coach did.
- Hey! Pardon me.
- Huh?
Sorry, but I lost track
of one of my elementary school-age kiddos.
You ain't seen her, have you?
Uh
Yeah. There's my buddies.
Nothing like a squirmy little wormy
to help calm me down.
I wish I could get Coach
to appreciate you like I do, though.
Huh?
Pigeons.
Is she some
kind of pigeon goddess?
She's so cool.
I kinda can't believe she's not scared
with all those birds on top of her.
Help is on the way!
- There she is.
- Inori?
DEFEATED
Thanks for helping me track her down.
I appreciate it.
Nah, it's all good. Seriously.
Happy to lend a hand.
Well, thanks anyway.
I'm Yudai Jakuzure, by the way.
Rengecha FSC.
This is Ema Yamato.
She's here for her level one test.
Level one? So am I!
Thank you kindly for your help, Inori.
You were so valiant out there.
V-Valiant?
Not like you to go runnin' off.
I'd expect that from Suzu.
That's not very nice to say!
Now let me go already!
Coach, you're so rude!
I know I'm a cutie patootie and all,
but really!
If you don't stop carrying me around
like some kinda rag doll
- Coach Jakki.
- Hmm?
You're supposed to say "Then what?"
Oh, all right. Then what?
You wanna know?
I'll get all cute-mad
and you won't hear the end of it!
Ooh, boy. [chuckles] We can't have that!
Now, let's get you girls registered.
Hey! You didn't listen
to a word I said, did ya?
He seems so used to
wrangling grade-schoolers.
Respect.
All right,
let's get your level one test started.
First up, we'll be looking
for a single Salchow.
Go ahead and line up for me.
Ema! You got this!
Inori is so calm.
Talk about growth!
Okay. Next.
She did that so easily
it looked like she was in slow motion.
It was just a single, but,
it reminds me of watching Hikaru.
Wow, she looks like
she eats singles for breakfast.
LEVEL ONE
PASS
I passed level one!
I can't believe I get to start
competing in meets at this level.
Well, I can't wait to compete
in the level seven free skatin'.
But did you see the way everyone was
watching me during the exam, like, gosh!
They were all like,
"Wow, what a cutie-pie.
I hope she doesn't have
to go back to Kyoto so soon!"
I don't think that's true.
Well, pretty successful day.
Heya. Are you gonna
head straight back to Kyoto?
Nah. I figured we may as well
skate here this afternoon
and at the Minato rink tomorrow.
As long as we're not gettin' in
anybody's way.
In that case, if it's all right with you,
I'd like to pick your brain
a little bit tomorrow.
Oh?
I really want you to show me
your technique for teaching jumps.
No, no, no, no, no, no!
Whoa.
What are you doing?
Don't bother other coaches!
Rengecha is the strongest FSC
in Japan right now!
You can't just go asking them for help!
What? That's why I'm asking.
Lower your voice!
Those stronger clubs put in
the work and time and research
to refine their training methods.
They take it so seriously!
They're not just gonna share that stuff
with any bozo who asks!
I'll try anything to improve myself,
but it's not just for me.
Because when you're an athlete,
you only get one shot.
Uh
Sure thing, bud!
Sure thing?
Good Morning.
Morning.
Inori!
Aren't you lucky you get to
see me again so soon.
Uh, yes?
Yeah, I know.
Thanks again for your time, man.
Sure thing.
I genuinely think this is a great idea.
If you ask me,
we ought to be sharing info more often.
Cheese.
On top of which,
I know exactly how you feel, Coach.
The West Japan Championship next month?
I was getting Ema prepped
and ready to sign up at level one,
but she came down with a fever
and couldn't take
the earlier Badge Test in Kyoto.
That's why you came to Nagoya.
Ema's my first student who's this green.
I've been working with her
since way before Prelims.
But she's got talent.
I want folks to see that.
Yeah! Heck, yeah, Coach!
I so get it! I know exactly how you feel!
Let's both put in that there elbow grease!
All right, cool it with the accent
or I'm gonna think your makin' fun of me!
Wow.
What do you think?
Mmm, let's see.
It's hard to find areas of improvement
for kiddos I'm not coachin'.
Frankly, I'm really impressed with her.
How long has she been skatin'?
It's been about four months now.
Four months?
Dang. And she's this stable.
Y'all been workin' hard.
Great job.
That really was
some beautiful skatin' there, girlie.
Your landings are real strong,
and when you nail a move just right,
you got the cutest lil smile.
Wow, thank you very much.
It's a great smile
that proves you're having fun.
Ain't it? Back me up, Coach!
Yes, he's exactly right, but
I still think that compliment
is inadequate.
- Perhaps he just doesn't understand yet
- What's with the face?
Say something, man.
You're freaking me out.
Oh.
Nothing. Sorry.
Well, you wanted to talk jumps, right?
Are there any problem areas
in particular, or
Oh, yeah. It's her doubles.
Her legs are lagging behind
the rest of her pretty bad.
Oh, I gotcha.
She's got more than enough speed,
but she's getting destabilized
by her own centrifugal force.
So I think her spin is off
'cause she's subconsciously
slowing down right before she jumps.
I think if she digs in with her edge
a little more on her very last step,
she'll be in a better position
to use that momentum for her rotations.
Oh What?
- 'Kay, so, why not go with that?
- Huh?
You just said pretty much everything
I had to say on the matter,
so you should run with it.
Anything else?
Or are we just gonna call it there?
Well, can you stay a little longer?
If you already knew all that, I don't know
what you need my input for, but, sure.
Huh? Is there is there not like
a special pedagogy for singles skating?
Hell, if there is, I'd like to know!
I just worry.
I don't have competitive singles training.
I was only really taught ice dancing.
And even then, I only started at 20.
At 20?
So, you know
I get so anxious about coaching correctly!
Seriously, I have no idea what I'm doing!
Gettin' all fired up
about your lack of confidence
ought to prove to you
that you know what you're talkin' about!
So chill out!
B-But
You got nothing
to be anxious about whatsoever.
Really?
Maybe it's because
you were an ice dancer,
but you got a real good eye
on ya there, Coach.
Oh
Ema, give me a double Salchow real quick!
Mmm.
Her double is as pretty
as her single
Now why don't ya tell me
what you saw with my kiddo, huh?
Might help a rookie coach
get a little more self-confidence,
you know what I'm sayin'?
Oh. You think?
Yeah, go ahead! What'd ya see? Hmm?
Hmm.
Well, uh, she flies and lands beautifully.
But on her approach, she's not really
tapping into the full momentum
I think she should have.
If she can keep her head steady
through the cross,
that might give her a little more oomph.
The full momentum
she should have? Meaning?
Huh? Oh, let me think.
I try to consider what a trajectory
should look like from point A to point B,
and I think there's a discrepancy
in her posture.
In the cross before her windup,
she tilts her head down
to look where she's going.
If she can keep her head up,
she can push off the ice more firmly.
- Wow.
- Wow?
That's the kinda thing I do too:
Fix the stuff that seems wrong to me,
but I can't diagnose anything
to that extent with just one look.
I'm willing to bet
your ice dance background
is what makes you so good at that.
Gotta know where your partner is
at all times.
But still, ain't everyone
got those chops, Coach.
You think so?
Not that you asked me,
but you wanna know what I think?
I think your biggest issue
is believing in yourself.
You know what I mean?
Tsukasa.
The only thing
you don't have enough of is time.
And your biggest problem
is believing in yourself.
Yeah, you're probably right.
But hey,
- we all got our own stuff to worry about.
- Huh?
We just gotta keep calm and skate on,
and it'll all work out.
Yeah! Skate on!
Now that's a man
who's ready to go in guns a-blazin'
Forgive me, Inori.
I must go.
I wish I could stay,
but the poor citizens of Kyoto
are weeping in my absence!
All right. See y'all around!
Hey, don't leave without me!
I'm gonna catch up to you
in level seven one day, Suzu!
I'm gonna work hard to be your rival too,
not just Hikaru's!
Bring it! We'll have a skating battle
of the belles!
'Kay
Don't you just be focusin' on
lil ol' Suzu, now.
'Cause by the time
you make it up to level seven,
Ema's gonna be there too.
West Japan's around the bend,
but that's only the first time y'all
are gonna be pitted against each other.
And we're going for the gold, honey.
Better bring your A-game, then!
Nah.
We don't need our A-game to win.
Winning in high-stakes situations
is easier if you don't psych yourself out.
But I think we're a pretty tough
opponent regardless,
and I'm lookin' forward to fightin' y'all
for a spot on that podium.
That sound good to you, Coach?
Yeah! Bring it on, dude!
I can't believe
I didn't realize it until he said it.
No one else can give me confidence.
LUCKY DAY
I have to trust myself,
over and over again.
I need to believe that anything
and everything can be a strength,
a weapon,
and use that as fuel for victory.
Trust your abilities,
use them to their fullest,
and never stop looking
for what you can improve.
I hate admitting
when I can't do something.
I just want to erase
those parts of myself.
But that can be an asset.
I just need to take that feeling
Keep my head up
and look!
She landed a double loop!
UJI, KYOTO ICE ARENA
- Well, we're here
- Yep.
Let's go in, I guess
Hey, Coach Tsukasa! Inori!
Huh?
It's a pleasure
to see you folks again so soon!
Nice suit.
Man! Should I be wearing one too?
You're fine. This is just my style.
I don't want you to go feeling
like you're underdressed or something.
Let's go inside.
Come on!
Hey! Stop pulling!
There's so many people here.
That's amazing!
They've got two whole rinks in this place.
You could practice as much as you want
in here and it would never get crowded.
Boo!
Hey. What level are you?
Oh, me?
Um, level one.
Really? Yay! I found another level one!
This is my first time
ever competing at this level.
But that doesn't matter
'cause I'm gonna win!
Seira Shishido.
O-Oh, that's your name.
Mmm. Well, I'm aiming to win today too!
So let's both do our best out there!
Oh, you won't win. Sorry!
There's always next year, though! See ya!
Watch where you're going.
It's too crowded in here
to be running around.
You're right. My bad.
You're not hurt, are you?
- I'm fine.
- Oh.
But who would have guessed
that someone so horrid and ill-mannered
would even be allowed to
figure skate here in the first place.
How times have changed.
She's mad.
Whatever, I bet you suck anyway.
I skate better than you!
You think? Well, we're just gonna
have to see about th--
Stop it, idiot!
Quit making our club look bad,
it's embarrassing me.
I can't take it!
- Oh.
- Oh.
It's Rengecha FSC.
The Nedefuji triplets
and Suzu Kamoto in the back.
If I wanna compete
at the All-Japans at the senior level,
I'm gonna have to beat
all of these athletes, huh?
- I really wanna win today.
- Oh.
Except for Ema,
all of their level one skaters
are kindergarteners.
That club must be really strong.
I wonder if I can beat 'em.
Don't worry about them. Relax.
Hi, Coach.
We got a while before we start.
Let's go stretch and warm up.
We even have time to go through
your program a couple of times too.
Go put your skates on
and grab your yoga mat, 'kay?
Yes!
Okay, uh, got my yoga mat and my skates
Oh, that's right, they're in my suitcase.
Uh
Huh.
Where'd I put it? Oh, man.
What if someone thought it was theirs
and took it by accident?
Um, I got to the arena,
and they said this is where
I was supposed to leave my stuff.
So I came and put my yoga mat
and my backpack down by the wall
Oh, no, I didn't have it then either.
My skates. I don't have my skates!