- Joined
- Aug 16, 2018
Also great 2-part interview with Mihoko Higuchi where she talked about Shoma's conversations with her about his retirement, as well as how he has influenced her coaching in her own club. Will try to machine translate it soon but it's very insightful and heartwarming!
宇野昌磨が引退前に元コーチに打ち明かした葛藤「オリンピックへのこだわりはなかった」 フィギュアスケートコーチ・樋口美穂子インタビュー（前編）
今も昔も、向ける眼差しは変わらない。「らしい会見だったなと思いました」 穏やかな、優しい笑顔で語るのは樋口美穂子だ。 宇野昌磨がフィギュアスケーターとして本格的にスタートを切ったのは樋口が指導者として籍を置いていたグランプリ東海クラブに入ったとき。以来、2019年に宇野がグランプリ東海クラブを卒業するまで一貫して、樋口は宇野の指導にあたってきた。競技用のプログラムの振り付けもすべて樋口自身が手がけjbpress.ismedia.jp
Machine translation, bear with me.
Interview with Mihoko Higuchi, Figure Skating Coach
Part 1: Shoma Uno Confided in Former Coach Before Retiring: “He Wasn't Obsessed with the Olympics”
by Takaomi Matsubara
The Retirement Press Conference was "Typical"
The same look that he gives now and in the past has never changed.
"I thought it was a very typical press conference,” said Mihoko Higuchi with a gentle, kind smile.
Shoma Uno made a full-fledged start as a figure skater when he joined the Grand Prix Tokai Club, where Higuchi was registered as a coach. Since then, Higuchi has consistently coached Uno until Uno's graduation from the Grand Prix Tokai Club in 2019. Higuchi himself choreographed all of Uno's competition programs, accompanied him to competitions, and witnessed his joys, sorrows, and joys. They have maintained an unbroken relationship, exchanging words from time to time.
Uno, whom Higuchi has watched over for many years, announced his retirement in May. Higuchi describes the press conference that followed as “typical".
She was aware of the retirement itself even before the announcement.
"I think it was about a month before the World Championships,” she said. "I received a report about it,” Higuchi recalls.
“It was Shoma's decision, so rather than thinking something about it, I just took it in stride."
In a sense, Higuchi may have had a premonition when she ran into Uno after the 2022-2023 All-Japan Championships and asked him, “Are you having fun right now?" She said, “I was curious about him after watching his performance, so I asked him."
It was because she sensed his struggles.
Nevertheless, he completed the season with back-to-back World Championship titles, and went on to the 2023-2024 season.
During that time, there was an exchange that anticipated Uno's decision. It was during the (2023) Grand Prix Final. Higuchi went to the venue of the (2023) Junior Grand Prix Final, where her student, Rena Uezono, was competing at the same time.
"I had a chance to talk to him on the plane and so on. And it was after the NHK Cup, so when I talked him about it, he said something like, 'I'm fine, but....' ”
Uno is said to have said, “‘I'm going to take a break."
“He said, 'I want to take some time off for myself,' and I told him, 'If you take a year off, it will be very difficult to compete in the Olympics. He said, 'I know. I think this season is the end, and I'm going to work hard for the remaining three months.'"
This suggests that there was always a conflict as the season progressed.
Despite his struggles, Higuchi had this impression of Uno's performances at each of the season's competitions.
A Performance That has Developed Depth
"Before, he used to be more frantic, but now his performance has more depth, I thought. There are some very good skaters. But I wonder if it's partly due to his age, but when I compared them, I found depth in Shoma's performance."
He showed that he had continued to evolve even while he had spent time with his conflicts. Higuchi's next words showed that this is the true essence of Uno's performance.
"Normally, if you have a conflict, you might feel a little hazy,” Higuchi said. "However, (Shoma) is the type of person who does not think about the distant future, but rather does his best in the present moment, which may be the reason for the depth of his acting ability. His attitude to do his best in the present moment is the same as when I was teaching him."
He continued to work hard on his skating, pursuing his ideals, until he finally reached the Worlds, the last competition of the season.
"Of course, I watched (Shoma at Worlds) on TV. The short program was wonderful. But in the free skate, I felt he didn't have the same chemistry. He is very good at self-analysis, so I think he knew what he was doing. But, as always, he did the best he could, and never gave up until the end, and I could feel that kind of attitude in him."
Later, when his retirement was announced, there was a wave of regret. It was only natural that people would express such regret when they saw his performance deepen even in his final season.
Some regretted his retirement in light of the fact that the Milan Cortina Olympics are scheduled to be held in 2026.
However, Higuchi said, "Shoma didn't have an obsession with the Olympics."
She then talked about the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. It was Uno's first Olympics, and the event in which he won the silver medal.
"When the medal was decided, I was so happy,” Higuchi said. "But (Shoma) wasn't so happy. He was dangling his leg in Kiss and Cry. He was not very happy with his performance, but he was happy because his coach was happy, so it was OK. I don't think he had any strong feelings about it being the Olympics. He wasn't obsessed with the fact that it was the Olympics, but he was happy that it was for others, or that I was happy.”
She continued.
"Even if he retires this time, even if it will be the Olympics in two more years, regardless of that, he thought about it by himself and decided to call it quits."
Higuchi, who has coached Uno for many years, knows the way of thinking and the attitude of Uno, and has felt his struggles over the past few years, so his decision to retire must have come naturally to her.
Higuchi has left the Grand Prix Tokai Club, where he coached Uno, to become independent in 2022. She has started a new club and spend her days teaching. She says her time with Uno lives on in her new club.
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repping his favorite "oshi" I see.
