I think Fumie is deservingly privileged in a lot of ways. Not many skaters can stick around even if they want to because of financial concerns and shattered opportunities. She has a great sponsor and receives the highest financial support from JSF, which enables her to focus on her skating. I heard elsewhere that being a top skater costs like $100,000 per year. Her sponsor and JSF wouldn't choose to invest that much of money if she isn't worth it. Although Yukari is busy attending ice shows of her sponsor, Fumie doesn’t need to. She could choose to train in Russia with the coach of her choice. That may be another dream of hers coming true.
If we take the mean or median value of the records, Fumie has been by far the most successful skater in Japan after Midori and perhaps Mao whose career has been still too short to tell. Despite the not-so-good performances during the past one and a half seasons, she still is 4th at Nationals and ranked 16th in the ISU. That’s not bad at all. Everyone has bad seasons.
How many skaters who had retired have had a “talk” about coming back and how many have really made it? Many of them couldn't because it becomes impossible as the time passes by and the technical development in the newer generations. I think that sticking around after one's peak by itself deserves great respect and admiration. Winning a big title is one thing. But being a world-class skater for more than a decade is another truly exceptional accomplishment. That tells a lot about her as a skater and a person. Constantly maintaining such a status would indicate great motivation, working ethics, and solid techniques.
I hope that she could keep going as long as she wants to.
If we take the mean or median value of the records, Fumie has been by far the most successful skater in Japan after Midori and perhaps Mao whose career has been still too short to tell. Despite the not-so-good performances during the past one and a half seasons, she still is 4th at Nationals and ranked 16th in the ISU. That’s not bad at all. Everyone has bad seasons.
How many skaters who had retired have had a “talk” about coming back and how many have really made it? Many of them couldn't because it becomes impossible as the time passes by and the technical development in the newer generations. I think that sticking around after one's peak by itself deserves great respect and admiration. Winning a big title is one thing. But being a world-class skater for more than a decade is another truly exceptional accomplishment. That tells a lot about her as a skater and a person. Constantly maintaining such a status would indicate great motivation, working ethics, and solid techniques.
I hope that she could keep going as long as she wants to.
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