- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Someone hand me a stiff drink... You guys thought I was exaggerating, but I knew that Kazuki letting Kao get ahead of him at Skate Canada would have dire consequences 
Kazuki Tomono
- Thread starter tsuyoboogie
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2014
Someone hand me a stiff drink... You guys thought I was exaggerating, but I knew that Kazuki letting Kao get ahead of him at Skate Canada would have dire consequences
Do not lose heart - it's not over yet. If Kazuki makes the podium he's on the team. *crossing all of my limbs, performing good luck rituals and sending tons of positive energy*
Today Kazuki was featured in JSF's "Skater Spirit" series:
Kazuki Tomono: āIāve spent a lot of my life finishing second to sixth, so Iām used to being the chaser. But now, my challenge is to show overwhelming strength from that position.ā
Kazuki Tomono reflects on Grand Prix series
fs-gossips.com
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2021
Do not lose heart - it's not over yet. If Kazuki makes the podium he's on the team. *crossing all of my limbs, performing good luck rituals and sending tons of positive energy*
Today Kazuki was featured in JSF's "Skater Spirit" series:
Indeed.
Iām not giving up hope for him to make it.
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Article about Kazuki published yesterday: https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/975070
Kazuki Tomono was woken up by his coach Hiraike after the GP series and is feeling renewed. He vows to give back and live his life to the best of his ability at the All Japan Championships.
The All Japan Figure Skating Championships will be held from Friday, December 19th. This year's tournament also serves as the final qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games, which is held every four years.
The oldest male skater, competing in his third Olympic trials, is Tomono Kazuki (27), who will be competing in the All Japan Figure Skating Championships for the 13th time in a row.
Tomono says that after narrowly missing out on a spot in the GP Final, which has a major impact on the Olympic race, he was so disappointed that he was unable to recover.
However, it was his long-time coach, Hiraike Taijin, who motivated him again.
Just one step away from the final
I visited Tomono in August this year, before the season got into full swing.
It was striking to see him practicing with a gleam in his eyes, as if he were just about to compete in the All Japan Figure Skating Championships.
Every year, Tomono's form improves in the second half of the season, but this year he started earlier than usual, honing his skating with his sights set on the Grand Prix Final.
This year's Grand Prix series, which has a major impact on Olympic selection, saw Tomono competing in two events: Skate Canada (Event 3) and Skate America (Event 5).
At Skate Canada, he landed a quadruple jump in the short program, getting second place with 92.07 points, behind world champion Ilya Malinin, and got off to a good start. However, he lost momentum in the free skate. He made a mistake on his jump, dropped in the rankings, and failed to make the podium.
Next up was Skate America. Winning was an absolute must to advance to the GP Final. Under such pressure, he scored a season-best score of 95.77 points in the short program. Taking the lead, he could secure his first GP series victory and moved one step closer to the Final.
However, once again, a mistake in the free skate affected his performance, causing him to drop in the rankings and finish in third place. Although it was his first GP series podium in three years, Tomono was in tears after the competition.
Only the top six skaters in the GP series are allowed to advance to the GP Final. From Japan, Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato had already qualified.
Tomono earned the third-most points among Japanese skaters, but missed out on advancing to the Final by just a few points.
Tears of frustration shed for the first time...
At the end of November, I met up with Tomono again after his GP series competition, for my final interview before All Japan.
His usual smile was nowhere to be seen.
Tomono began by reflecting on the GP series:
"This was a disappointing competition, different from any other GP. I'd been working towards my main goal of making the GP Final before All Japan, so I was so disappointed I wondered if I'd ever be able to recover..."
After the competition at Skate America, Tomono was in tears, which was unusual for him.
"I'd never really experienced a state where I was unable to control my emotions before. I was surprised at myself for crying out of frustration, but it also made me realize how much frustration I could feel.
But now I see that it was a necessary time for me to take another step forward in growing. It was the first time I'd cried from the bottom of my heart. I sometimes cry at movies, but I don't cry that often, and this was the first time I'd cried tears of frustration. It felt like a lot of things were welling up inside me and I was really surprised."
He continued, talking about how he felt at the time.
"It was a new feeling for me; I don't break easily, but it was still a shock. I can usually get over it after getting some sleep, but I just couldn't recover. There were times when I couldn't go outside even when I got home."
What kept Tomono going when he was on the verge of giving up was the presence of his coach, who had been mentoring him since childhood.
My coach's pep talk "woke me up."
"It wasn't exactly Hiraike-sensei who woke me up... I struggled to focus on practice or skating during the first practice, but he poured out his feelings to me. He was like, 'Aren't you frustrated?' Of course I was frustrated. He brought out the feelings deep inside me."
It was the first time in my life that I'd ever vented my negative emotions to someone, but... I let out everything I wanted to say to my teacher, which is rare for me, and my eyes were swollen for the rest of the week. It was an experience that showed me how much emotion I can express even at my age."
Tomono says that being able to exchange opinions with Coach Hiraike "allowed me to let out all my negative emotions."
"I felt so relieved after that. If it hadn't happened, I probably wouldn't be so invested in myself now. It helped me get rid of all that sadness and bring out the frustration and anger inside me. I was glad that I was able to direct my anger at my teacher instead of myself."
"I was able to bring out the frustration and anger I felt from what Hiraike Sensei had told me through practice. I felt that this was something that wouldn't have been possible without a 20-year relationship, and I think it was more frustrating for Sensei."
Carving out a lifelong legacy and giving back at the Olympics
"The thing that made me saddest was seeing my teacher's frustrated expression. It felt like we really clashed for the first time in a while, and in the end, we all agreed to give it our all. I think that was a good thing. I'll never forget that moment, or that match, or even the argument with my teacher afterward, but I'll never forget those moments..."
Tomono says that up until now he had been skating for himself, but after going through these experiences, he says he has a heavy burden to carry.
"I feel that more people than I realized are watching my fighting spirit on a daily basis. I'm skating for myself, but before I knew it, that feeling spread more and more. So many people are watching and cheering me on, and that's why I've been able to continue skating in this way.
Of course, there are results, but I think the best way to repay them is to carve out a legacy of my way of life. But ultimately, I think what would make everyone happiest is if I went to the Olympics.
I don't just want to aim for that and carve out a legacy, but I'd like to keep looking beyond that."
Anything can happen at the All Japan Championships. Tomono is enthusiastic, saying, "I think my skating career has been quite dramatic. I hope I can make that drama even more exciting, and I believe that I will be able to do that. I hope I can put all of my skating skills into it and give it my all."
There are only three Olympic tickets available. Who will grab them?
(Director Mizuhashi Kenshiro)
Kazuki Tomono was woken up by his coach Hiraike after the GP series and is feeling renewed. He vows to give back and live his life to the best of his ability at the All Japan Championships.
The All Japan Figure Skating Championships will be held from Friday, December 19th. This year's tournament also serves as the final qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games, which is held every four years.
The oldest male skater, competing in his third Olympic trials, is Tomono Kazuki (27), who will be competing in the All Japan Figure Skating Championships for the 13th time in a row.
Tomono says that after narrowly missing out on a spot in the GP Final, which has a major impact on the Olympic race, he was so disappointed that he was unable to recover.
However, it was his long-time coach, Hiraike Taijin, who motivated him again.
Just one step away from the final
I visited Tomono in August this year, before the season got into full swing.
It was striking to see him practicing with a gleam in his eyes, as if he were just about to compete in the All Japan Figure Skating Championships.
Every year, Tomono's form improves in the second half of the season, but this year he started earlier than usual, honing his skating with his sights set on the Grand Prix Final.
This year's Grand Prix series, which has a major impact on Olympic selection, saw Tomono competing in two events: Skate Canada (Event 3) and Skate America (Event 5).
At Skate Canada, he landed a quadruple jump in the short program, getting second place with 92.07 points, behind world champion Ilya Malinin, and got off to a good start. However, he lost momentum in the free skate. He made a mistake on his jump, dropped in the rankings, and failed to make the podium.
Next up was Skate America. Winning was an absolute must to advance to the GP Final. Under such pressure, he scored a season-best score of 95.77 points in the short program. Taking the lead, he could secure his first GP series victory and moved one step closer to the Final.
However, once again, a mistake in the free skate affected his performance, causing him to drop in the rankings and finish in third place. Although it was his first GP series podium in three years, Tomono was in tears after the competition.
Only the top six skaters in the GP series are allowed to advance to the GP Final. From Japan, Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato had already qualified.
Tomono earned the third-most points among Japanese skaters, but missed out on advancing to the Final by just a few points.
Tears of frustration shed for the first time...
At the end of November, I met up with Tomono again after his GP series competition, for my final interview before All Japan.
His usual smile was nowhere to be seen.
Tomono began by reflecting on the GP series:
"This was a disappointing competition, different from any other GP. I'd been working towards my main goal of making the GP Final before All Japan, so I was so disappointed I wondered if I'd ever be able to recover..."
After the competition at Skate America, Tomono was in tears, which was unusual for him.
"I'd never really experienced a state where I was unable to control my emotions before. I was surprised at myself for crying out of frustration, but it also made me realize how much frustration I could feel.
But now I see that it was a necessary time for me to take another step forward in growing. It was the first time I'd cried from the bottom of my heart. I sometimes cry at movies, but I don't cry that often, and this was the first time I'd cried tears of frustration. It felt like a lot of things were welling up inside me and I was really surprised."
He continued, talking about how he felt at the time.
"It was a new feeling for me; I don't break easily, but it was still a shock. I can usually get over it after getting some sleep, but I just couldn't recover. There were times when I couldn't go outside even when I got home."
What kept Tomono going when he was on the verge of giving up was the presence of his coach, who had been mentoring him since childhood.
My coach's pep talk "woke me up."
"It wasn't exactly Hiraike-sensei who woke me up... I struggled to focus on practice or skating during the first practice, but he poured out his feelings to me. He was like, 'Aren't you frustrated?' Of course I was frustrated. He brought out the feelings deep inside me."
It was the first time in my life that I'd ever vented my negative emotions to someone, but... I let out everything I wanted to say to my teacher, which is rare for me, and my eyes were swollen for the rest of the week. It was an experience that showed me how much emotion I can express even at my age."
Tomono says that being able to exchange opinions with Coach Hiraike "allowed me to let out all my negative emotions."
"I felt so relieved after that. If it hadn't happened, I probably wouldn't be so invested in myself now. It helped me get rid of all that sadness and bring out the frustration and anger inside me. I was glad that I was able to direct my anger at my teacher instead of myself."
"I was able to bring out the frustration and anger I felt from what Hiraike Sensei had told me through practice. I felt that this was something that wouldn't have been possible without a 20-year relationship, and I think it was more frustrating for Sensei."
Carving out a lifelong legacy and giving back at the Olympics
"The thing that made me saddest was seeing my teacher's frustrated expression. It felt like we really clashed for the first time in a while, and in the end, we all agreed to give it our all. I think that was a good thing. I'll never forget that moment, or that match, or even the argument with my teacher afterward, but I'll never forget those moments..."
Tomono says that up until now he had been skating for himself, but after going through these experiences, he says he has a heavy burden to carry.
"I feel that more people than I realized are watching my fighting spirit on a daily basis. I'm skating for myself, but before I knew it, that feeling spread more and more. So many people are watching and cheering me on, and that's why I've been able to continue skating in this way.
Of course, there are results, but I think the best way to repay them is to carve out a legacy of my way of life. But ultimately, I think what would make everyone happiest is if I went to the Olympics.
I don't just want to aim for that and carve out a legacy, but I'd like to keep looking beyond that."
Anything can happen at the All Japan Championships. Tomono is enthusiastic, saying, "I think my skating career has been quite dramatic. I hope I can make that drama even more exciting, and I believe that I will be able to do that. I hope I can put all of my skating skills into it and give it my all."
There are only three Olympic tickets available. Who will grab them?
(Director Mizuhashi Kenshiro)
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
New Mainichi interview published yesterday: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20251212/k00/00m/050/207000c
Figure Skating: Kazuki Tomono Heads to the All-Japan Championshipsā"The Approach is Simple"
Fuji TV profile: https://www.fujitv.co.jp/sports/skate/figure/skater/KazukiTOMONO.html
His favourite pic makes me smile, as a fellow coffee lover
On a different note, fans are starting to post the pics they got as part of the Fleur Bazar support campaign... Absolutely gorgeous!
Figure Skating: Kazuki Tomono Heads to the All-Japan Championshipsā"The Approach is Simple"
Fuji TV profile: https://www.fujitv.co.jp/sports/skate/figure/skater/KazukiTOMONO.html
His favourite pic makes me smile, as a fellow coffee lover
On a different note, fans are starting to post the pics they got as part of the Fleur Bazar support campaign... Absolutely gorgeous!
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2007
Do not lose heart - it's not over yet. If Kazuki makes the podium he's on the team. *crossing all of my limbs, performing good luck rituals and sending tons of positive energy*
Today Kazuki was featured in JSF's "Skater Spirit" series:
add me to the group rooting for Kazuki - also the SP is one of my favorites of the season!
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2007
It just shows how much he wants this and how it affected his performance. Now he has processed this feeling he will give his best effort on the day - come what may. He now knows that all he can control is how he skates. Go Kazuki!
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Thank you everyone who is stopping by to say they're supporting Kazuki 
Practice notes as per Jackie Wong:
Tomono: 3Lo, 3A1Eu3S, 3S, 2T, 4T3T, 4T, runthru (4T3T, marked T, 4S, 3Lo, 3A1Eu3S, , 3F2A, 3A), 3A
It seems he did well in practice, and he didn't jump as much as some of the other guys which is a good strategy to avoid injury/burnout
Practice pics:
Press report: https://hochi.news/articles/20251218-OHT1T51118.html
Kazuki Tomono: "I've come here with stronger resolve than anyone else" The battle for the third Olympic representative spot is fiercely contested
Figure Skating: All Japan Championships and Final Selection Event for the Milan-Cortina Olympics (Commencing 19th, Yoyogi Daiichi Gymnasium, Tokyo)
Kazuki Tomono (Daiichi Juken Group) participated in the official practice on the 18th. Performing to his free skate music, he successfully landed a quadruple-triple toe loop combination and a quadruple Salchow, demonstrating excellent form. "I've done absolutely everything I could for the All-Japan Championships. I haven't had a single day of regret. I've never had such fulfilling days before. I'm really looking forward to the competition," he said, his face beaming.
The battle for the third spot on Japan's team for next February's Milan-Cortina Olympics, following Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato, remains fiercely contested. Tomono currently holds third place in both international competition points and this season's overall average score, but the outcome of the All-Japan Championships will be crucial. "I believe I've trained with stronger determination than anyone else, and I've put in the practice to match it," he declared. "My mindset is to show everything I've worked for. I want to give my all and skate purely for myself."
May the skating gods reward his practice and resolve
I feel so nervous already...
Practice notes as per Jackie Wong:
Tomono: 3Lo, 3A1Eu3S, 3S, 2T, 4T3T, 4T, runthru (4T3T, marked T, 4S, 3Lo, 3A1Eu3S, , 3F2A, 3A), 3A
It seems he did well in practice, and he didn't jump as much as some of the other guys which is a good strategy to avoid injury/burnout
Practice pics:
Press report: https://hochi.news/articles/20251218-OHT1T51118.html
Kazuki Tomono: "I've come here with stronger resolve than anyone else" The battle for the third Olympic representative spot is fiercely contested
Figure Skating: All Japan Championships and Final Selection Event for the Milan-Cortina Olympics (Commencing 19th, Yoyogi Daiichi Gymnasium, Tokyo)
Kazuki Tomono (Daiichi Juken Group) participated in the official practice on the 18th. Performing to his free skate music, he successfully landed a quadruple-triple toe loop combination and a quadruple Salchow, demonstrating excellent form. "I've done absolutely everything I could for the All-Japan Championships. I haven't had a single day of regret. I've never had such fulfilling days before. I'm really looking forward to the competition," he said, his face beaming.
The battle for the third spot on Japan's team for next February's Milan-Cortina Olympics, following Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato, remains fiercely contested. Tomono currently holds third place in both international competition points and this season's overall average score, but the outcome of the All-Japan Championships will be crucial. "I believe I've trained with stronger determination than anyone else, and I've put in the practice to match it," he declared. "My mindset is to show everything I've worked for. I want to give my all and skate purely for myself."
May the skating gods reward his practice and resolve
I feel so nervous already...
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Thank you to everyone who cheered on Kazuki. In the end, 'talent' won and JSF got the team they've always wanted.
But I'll always be proud of Kazuki for coming so, so far. So much further than I ever imagine when I first started following him in 2018.
Also, you know what? Competition doesn't matter. It really doesn't. What is figure skating as a sport these days, anyway? A sport that's dying, or rather, pretty dead.
Figure skating is so much more than competition. His talent is so endless, and he is so loved. As long as he keeps loving skating; as long as he is invited to keep skating, I'll be happy.
Just, don't change fields and disappear completely, Kazuki. Please.
ETA: Regarding the future, he stated, āI still don't know,ā but added, āBut I want to compete as an athlete.ā āMy path as a skater isn't over, and I want to further hone myself as the skater Kazuki Tomono.ā
But I'll always be proud of Kazuki for coming so, so far. So much further than I ever imagine when I first started following him in 2018.
Also, you know what? Competition doesn't matter. It really doesn't. What is figure skating as a sport these days, anyway? A sport that's dying, or rather, pretty dead.
Figure skating is so much more than competition. His talent is so endless, and he is so loved. As long as he keeps loving skating; as long as he is invited to keep skating, I'll be happy.
Just, don't change fields and disappear completely, Kazuki. Please.
ETA: Regarding the future, he stated, āI still don't know,ā but added, āBut I want to compete as an athlete.ā āMy path as a skater isn't over, and I want to further hone myself as the skater Kazuki Tomono.ā
Last edited:
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Sounds like he could follow Nobu's footsteps and compete only domestically... We shall see.
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2014
On the one hand Iām sad for Kazuki, but on the other I am in agreement with what he said about a skaterās value not only depending on competitive results/the Olympics.
Talent alone, which Kazuki undoubtedly has in spades, doesnāt always translate into competitive success. There are so many contributing factors like the depth of the field at any given time, being there at the right time/luck, access to resources (financial, material, infrastructure), mental strength, injuries, having a support net and so on. In some rare cases all of the stars align and in many others they donāt.
What Kazuki does have, as you pointed out, and nobody can take from him is the love and admiration from so many, who recognize and appreciate his exceptional talent ā not just as a fun entertainer (and I suppose that may be many peopleās favourite side of him
), but in my opinion also as one of the rare performers, who are able to convey nuance and complex emotion and tug at your heartstrings.Iāve said this before (and I am referencing what you said in the competition thread): To me he is a real star regardless of his competitive results (which are very respectable as they are). I know that with his gifts ā if he follows his heart ā he will achieve many wonderful things beyond that. And while I also hope he keeps being involved with skating, I could see him expand his activities into other fields too. The journey definitely doesnāt end here.
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
I'm glad he and Sota are going together. One last international comp
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