Q: From your expression after you finished your performance, we can tell you carried a lot of things as you fought to get here. What are your feelings on finishing your third Olympics?
Y: Um, well, I think of course the [quad] Axel this time was the closest I’ve gotten, up until now. I feel that maybe this is the utmost of what I can do for now, the best of Yuzuru Hanyu’s Axel so to speak. And also, of course, the fall on the [quad] Salchow was a big [loss], but, I skated while kind of thinking of it as being incorporated in what made this story of “Ten to Chi to” possible.
――フィニッシュで手を挙げたのは6秒間だった、何を思っていたのか
Q: In your finishing pose, you lifted your arms for six seconds. What were you thinking during that time?
Y: Yes, that’s right, that pose signifies the “heaven” of “Ten to Chi to [Heaven and Earth and]”, and, well, in a way, in my mind I envision it as if I am sending my spirit to the heavens. It’s the same pose that I had in the program “From Russia, With Love,” which I skated when I was nine years old. So, it’s kind of like projecting my current self on my past self, and it’s hard to explain succinctly, but there are a lot of emotions swirling around. Well, in a way… hmm how should I put it, it’s difficult. I think that the story of my program continues up to that point, until I’ve finished that pose, until I’ve sheathed the [metaphorical] sword, until I’ve exited the rink.
――リンク出る時に氷に顔をつけていた
Q: You put some ice on your face when you exited the rink…
I was thinking that I was truly thankful. To be honest, uhm. Such a thing happened in the short program. Well, of course I was frustrated, somehow… yes, in my opinion, I’ve accumulated a lot of things and also put out the right efforts until now, and I think I’ve done everything that I could think of. I’ve done all of it till this day thinking “Ah, (those efforts) are not rewarded”. However, truly, in the end, I felt thankful thinking “thank you for letting me jump to this level until now”.
――この五輪は楽しめたか
Q: Were you able to enjoy the Olympics this time?
「全然、楽しくなかったです、はい。もう、いっぱいいっぱいでした、はい」
Y: No, it wasn’t enjoyable at all. No, [because] there was so much going on.
Haha, I can’t express it in one word, after all. The Sochi Olympics were its own event, and I won feeling a lot of regret. In a sense, that might have been the occasion where I was able to improve myself. I think Pyeongchang was where I put out all the improvements that I’ve made. This time, how to say it. It might become clearer after some time has passed, but I think it’s been an Olympics where I fought my best with all of my pride.
Y: Um, to be honest, I’m really conflicted on how in-depth I should talk about it. Well, I’ve been thinking that I could probably talk about it if I won. Frankly speaking, I don’t know how I should put it, but probably, uhm, I received a lot of treatment. I feel like that’s solely why I could somehow keep standing.
――そういう状況でリンクに向かう一番強い気持ちは
Q: What was your strongest emotion heading to the rink in that state?
Y: I was thinking “I definitely have to land the (quad) Axel”, “I’m definitely gonna rotate all the way”. I was thinking I would bring out my own skating.
Y: The response was good. Well, amazingly, (I thought that) this is the rotating speed of a quad Axel. Landing after such rotations might be a bit dangerous, it might be impossible for a human to do it. But in a sense, I think that I’ve been able to do the best quad Axel that I can deliver.
――空中でどんな気持ち
Q: What were you feeling while in the air [while doing the quad axel]?
「へへ、なんて言えばいいんだろう。たぶん、僕しか感じたことないものだと思います」
Y: Hehe, what should I say? I think it’s probably something nobody other than me has felt.
――4Aの挑戦、まだ続くか
Q: Will you still continue your challenge for the 4A?
「もうちょっと時間ください。ちょっと考えたいです。それくらい、それくらい、今回やりきってます」
Y: Please give me some time. I’d like to think about it a bit. The amount [of effort] I put in this time was really everything I could.
――エキシビジョンの時にもおりますので…（中国メディア）
Q: [from Chinese media] You can also do it at the exhibition…
「エキシビあるんですか、僕？」
Y: Am I included in the exhibition?
――もし、チャンスがあったら、どういう気持ちを出したいか（中国メディア）
Q: [from Chinese media] If you do have a chance [to perform in the exhibition], what kind of feelings would you like to express [to your fans/audience]?
Y: Um, I really truly want to express my gratitude to everyone. I don’t know if my performances this time lived up to everyone’s expectations, and I don’t know if I was able to connect all of the support I received from everyone to it. Honestly, I also really feel sorry. That’s why, I hope my feelings of gratitude will be able to reach everyone through my performances, even if just a little bit. Thank you very much. I ask for your support once more.
The mixed zone exchange was reported also in this article (first published 10 February 2022), including parts that did not air in the TV segment. We have therefore translated the article as well, including additional parts not covered in the video.
Y: Rather than get stuck… it’s more like… um, when I say I got stuck, I mean that I got stuck in a hole that I traced before, which is what happened in 2019 in a short program. The mistake in that Short Program in 2019 was probably because um, during the 6 minute warm-up, I was fixed on my jumping position down to the millimeter, and I ended up jumping in the same spot later [in the actual competition]. This time, I was already aware of that past mistake, and I had that experience in my mind. So, during the 6 minute warm-up this time, I adjusted my position a little bit. And so, during the actual program, I went in with the perfect form and the perfect timing for the jump, and the moment I tried to take off, there was a hole there. It was a hole from a toe jump. So there’s nothing I could do about it.
――朝に初めて本番リンクを滑った。調整方法を振り返って
Q: You skated in the main rink for the first time this morning. Looking back on your preparation method, what are your thoughts?
Y: Well, it was pretty good, if anything. The 6-minute warm-up was also really good. I also felt really good about my physical condition. Well, of course, facing the Free Skate, I’d like to stay in this good condition. Today’s mistake was something that I couldn’t have prevented, no matter what I did. Well, looking ahead towards the Free Skate, I want to properly put everything I have into it.
――サルコーの後はどんな気持ちで滑ったのか
Q: How did you feel when skating after the [quad] Salchow?
Y: Well… kind of like, “well, that happened”. In any case, to my senses, that kind of thing wasn’t a mistake to me. So, I think that’s why I was able to continue on with the program without it affecting my mind at all.
――今日は感情を抑えていたのか
Q: Were you able to refocus your feelings [after the mistake] today?
Y: Rather than refocus my feelings [after the mistake], how do I put it… it’s like when you see something, and with just one small piece coming out of place, I wasn’t quite able to bring it all together. It is what it is, yes.
Y: Well, I’m really thankful to be even getting 95 points with [that kind of error]. I think that’s because I was able to complete the other elements with high quality and I’d like to commend myself for that. How to put it. Well… truthfully speaking, I wondered if I had done something bad. Hahaha. Like somehow…was it because I had done something bad that it turned out this way? It was the sort of mistake where I could only think about that kind of thing, yes.
Photo by Yoshiki Kogaito, Sponichi
PART 2
――ここは五輪という強い気持ちはあったか
Q: Did you have any strong sense of this being ‘the Olympics’?
Y: Of course I had. Well, the atmosphere was different from usual [competitions]. Um. But I was really in a super concentrated state, in a condition where there was nothing out of place, so if I try to search for the cause of the mistake, I won’t be able to sort them out. I don’t think there were any mistakes with the skating element. It’s like… I wonder if I did something to be hated (laughs), like I skated while thinking I must be really hated by the ice.
――2日前に入った理由を
Q: What was the reason behind you arriving 2 days before [the SP]?
Y: Um… for me personally, since I became a Senior skater, I’ve felt that the longer I stay [at a competition], the more I become listless, and my condition gradually worsens. Things like the World Championships are also long [events] but if I do things for too long, then I get into the competitive mindset too much, and tire out. When the Team Event members were announced, that was when I decided I would cut it close [in arriving].
――初めてSP首位でない順位でフリーを迎える
Q: You’ll be heading into the Free Skate not as the leader of the Short Program for the first time (at the Olympics)
Y: Well, (at the time of the interview) the starting order hasn’t been decided yet so I can’t really say anything but, well, I can only do my best in the free program, yes.
――（英語で）4Aはフリーで跳ぶのか、成功できるか
Q: [In English] Will you jump a 4A in the free? Can you land it?
Y: [in English] I think I can do it. I know this jump is difficult for me. I must focus on every aspect, and going forward, I want to give my best in everything.
――10日にどんな「天と地と」をみせたいか
Q: What kind of performance of “Ten to Chi to” do you want to show on the 10th [day of the free program]?
Y: Well, hopefully one in which I don’t get caught in the ice [laughs]. Rather than the saying “one good deed a day”*, I’m wondering if I now have to do like ten good deeds a day [to avoid this happening again] (laughs). But, I think I’ve done enough practice to justify that much. I think I’ve come here with a lot of confidence in my performances. As for the rest, well, maybe only God knows. In any case, there’s still time. Also, by making good use of the time after the short program [until the free], and really taking in everyone’s feelings, I want to turn my performance into something complete. Thank you for having me. Thank you, I’ll do my best [in the free program].
*T/N: Referring to a Japanese proverb, 「一日一善 」 “[doing] one good deed a day”
A: Thank you for your hard work! U~m, I was really able to concentrate, I think. Of course, I was more nervous at the start, eh… but I was kind of trying to adjust to the feel of the ice. I think I was able to internally adjust, little by little, and ultimately was able to focus while practising. I think it was a good feeling.
Y: Well, of course… um, I think my condition changes every day, and also, this is the first practice after arriving so I feel like I’m not doing it with all my strength yet. But little by little, I hope I’ll make some improvements even here (at the Olympics)..
Q: What have you been putting your efforts into since the Japanese National Championships?
Y: Well, indeed, I’ve been practising the 4A. Well, I practised it while thinking that it’s really hard. However, it is, after all, the goal I want to achieve no matter what. Well, for me personally, I think it’s absolutely necessary for me to rise to the top at this Olympics. I’ll do my best.
Q: This being your third Olympics, what’s different from the past ones?
Y: Well. In all the previous Olympics, I went in thinking something like if I just put out what I had been practising and doing up until then, I’d be able to win. But this time, I’m in a position where I still have to up my level. In a sense, it’s similar to [what I said] at Japanese Nationals but, I think the tension of a stage such as the Olympics is indeed something unique.
Y: Hm~ I haven’t yet. Anyway, um, since I’ve come here I’ve been feeling pretty good, and today I was able to practice while feeling that my rotations were coming pretty easily. First and foremost, I want to rotate [the jump] fully.
――団体戦の刺激は
「ああ、うーんと、刺激というよりも、リンク凄く良さそうだなあと思ってちょっと安心してました」
Q: What was motivating about the team competition?
Y: Ah, um, well rather than encouraging, I felt relieved thinking that the rink seemed to be in good shape.
Y: The Short Program? Hehehe. The Short…well. Of course, I’m thinking rationally about it, and I end up thinking a lot about the 4A. But the Short Program is the Short Program. I’d like to really pour a lot of love into the Short… um…yes, one by one, I’d like to accumulate everything I can, heading into the Short Program
*T/N: The original article said 4A4A but we think it was a typo
Q (In English): [Brian] Orser is not by the rink with you
Y: Ah – um, I will answer in Japanese. Um. Brain, Ghislain [Briand] and Tracy [Wilson] are properly watching over me. This time, they themselves said that they’d like to respect my routine.
Axel with Wings 