All-Japan Junior Women's FS (Part 1) (Japanese: 全日本ジュニア女子FS（前編） Zennihon Junia Joshi FS (Zenpen)) is the fifty-first chapter of the Medalist manga.
Characters[]
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Story[]
Hikaru recalls the time when she was first adopted by Jun. Jun did not teach her anything directly, but would frequently bring her to his skating sessions. His magic-like skating captivated Hikaru, but when she expressed interest in skating herself, Jun denied being her coach, believing she was only feigning interest for adults, and warning Hikaru that the figure skating he teaches would never bring her happiness.
In the present, Hikaru begins her free skate program at the All-Japan Junior. Her dances begin with marionette-like, and distinctly masculine motions — a metaphor for Jun Yodaka. Tsukasa initially assumes that Hikaru has been further influenced by Jun, but as the performance progresses, she changes into a feminine style of skating, making clear her deliberate portrayal of different roles.
Hikaru realizes she had been fixated on the Jun Yodaka she saw within Inori while overlooking the effort and courage that fueled Inori's passionate skating. This mistake has also made her recognize that she's been ignoring herself and that she's yet to showcase her own strength in skating, which is why she has altered her program to skate as herself instead of an imitation of Jun.
When she lands her first jump, the audience erupts upon realizing it was a Quadruple Lutz. This is followed by a 4T4T + 3T3T + 2T2T combo and a 4S4S. Watching a stream with her friends, Kino Takaihara wonders why Hikaru is pushing herself so hard, given she is still in Novice class and has little at stake in this event.
True to Hikaru's promise, Inori finds herself desperate to understand how Hikaru can execute such jumps. Tsukasa explains that Hikaru's method of jumping with her arms above her head, the "tano jump," helps her establish a narrower axis that allows for faster spins, though the risk of failure deters most skaters from attempting it.
Subsequently, Hikaru makes eye contact with Inori. Hikaru wasn't looking at the judges, as Inori believed — she was looking at Inori, the very person she is skating for. She attempts a 3A3A meant to be part of a combo but fails to connect the second jump due to dwindling stamina. She then successfully executes a 3Lz3Lz + 3T3T. In the audience, Inori has broken into tears, overwhelmed by a deep desire to be in Hikaru's place.