The Milano Cortina Winter Games concluded with the Closing Ceremony on Feb. 22.
On the ice and snow, Japan’s national team athletes, each with their own aspirations, took on the grand stage of the quadrennial Olympic Games.
Here is a look back on 17 days of the intense competition through the memorable words from the athletes—those who won medals, those who narrowly missed out, and those who achieved a milestone in their careers.
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Ryuichi Kihara, 33, Pairs Figure Skating
“Tomorrow, I promise we will be back here (in the interview area) talking like the usual ‘Rikuryu.’ Please wait for us.”
After entering as gold medal contenders, Kihara and partner, Riku Miura, were mired in fifth place by an unexpected mistake in the pairs short program on Feb. 15. Kihara offered these words of determination to reporters.
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Riku Miura, 24, Pairs Figure Skating
“Ryuichi-kun, who always leads us, wouldn’t stop crying. So today, I was the big sister.”
On Feb. 16, the pair set a new world record in the free skate, making a huge comeback from fifth place to win the gold medal. Miura said this while standing next to an emotional Kihara after their victory.
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Kira Kimura, 21, Snowboard
“It’s so heavy it feels like my neck is going to come off.”
Kira Kimura became Japan’s first gold medalist of the Games, winning the snowboard men’s big air competition on Feb. 7. Competing with a buzz cut for the first time, he said this when asked about the weight of the medal.
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Mari Fukada, 19, Snowboard
“I was so frustrated that I cried a lot, but I’m so glad I never gave up.”
Fukada won the gold medal in the snowboard women’s slopestyle on Feb. 18, rising to the top after qualifying in seventh place.
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Sara Takanashi, 29, Ski Jumping
“I never thought I could stand on this stage again. Today’s medal is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I slept with the medal on.”
Sara Takanashi contributed two stable jumps to help Japan win the bronze medal in the ski jumping mixed team event on Feb. 10. The emotional words came after a tumultuous journey for the pioneer of Japanese women’s ski jumping, who was disqualified in Beijing four years ago for a suit violation and had contemplated retirement.
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Ami Nakai, 17, Figure Skating
“It was an even more fun and sparkling stage than I had imagined. It was the most brilliant view I’ve ever seen.”
Ami Nakai became the youngest medalist in Japanese figure skating history when she won the bronze medal in the women’s event on Feb. 19.
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Ren Nikaido, 24, Ski Jumping
“I came here thinking, ‘I am absolutely going to show this medal to my dad.’ I’m so glad I managed to win it.”
Ren Nikaido won the bronze medal in the men’s normal hill ski jump on Feb. 9. He was inspired to start the sport by his father, Manabu, also a former ski jumper.
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Ikuma Horishima, 28, Ski Moguls
“The deafening cheers were not for me, but for the athlete who won. The frustration of that moment will stay with me for the rest of my life. The desire to aim for four years from now welled up immediately.”
Ikuma Horishima won the bronze medal in the men’s moguls on Feb. 12 and followed it with a silver medal in the dual moguls on Feb. 15.
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Satoshi Furuno, 26, Freestyle Skiing
“The thrill of this sport is that you never know what will happen. I’m frustrated, but I was able to fight without giving up until the very end.”
Satoshi Furuno placed fourth in the men’s skicross on Feb. 21. After a dramatic comeback to reach the final, he missed out on what would have been a historic first medal for Japan in the event by just 0.08 second.
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Hinako Tomitaka, 25, Ski Moguls
“I think I can accept this ranking as a result of going all out, rather than playing it safe and getting the same place.”
Hinako Tomitaka finished fourth in the women’s moguls on Feb. 11. She tied the score of the French bronze medalist but missed the podium on a tie-breaker due to a difference in turn points.
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Takuya Shimakawa, 27, Ski Moguls
“I decided to attack, attack and keep on attacking. I gave it everything I had.”
Darkhorse Takuya Shimakawa, who balances his athletic career with a full-time job, came incredibly close to the podium, placing fourth in the men’s dual moguls on Feb. 15 despite not having any World Cup podium finishes this season.
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Mone Chiba, 20, Figure Skating
“Nobody knows what will happen in four years. I want to do my best again to improve year by year, day by day.”
Mone Chiba finished fourth in the women’s figure skating competition on Feb. 19, just 1.28 points off the podium.
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Yuki Ito, 31, Ski Jumping
“Of all the Olympics I’ve been to, the sky looked the most beautiful at this one.”
This was the fourth Olympic appearance for ski jumper Yuki Ito. She finished 17th in the normal hill event on Feb. 7 and 14th in the large hill event on Feb. 15.
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Sara Shimizu, 16, Snowboard
“I wasn’t nervous at all on my first big stage. My grandfather from Shimane came to cheer me on, and I think I was the one who had the most fun.”
Sara Shimizu, who last season would get so nervous that she needed to use the toilet before competing, placed fourth in the snowboard women’s halfpipe on Feb. 12.
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Ayumu Hirano, 27, Snowboard
“There’s a part of me that just feels glad to be alive.”
Ayumu Hirano, who aimed to defend his halfpipe title, suffered serious injuries including a pelvic fracture in a fall in January. He finished seventh on Feb. 13 after a remarkable recovery to even compete in the Winter Games.
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Sayaka Yoshimura, 34, Curling
“I was truly struggling and wrestling with myself. I wanted to repay my teammates, who believed in me and competed with me until the very end.”
The Japanese women’s curling team, Fortius, finished in eighth place with a record of two wins and seven losses. Skipper Sayaka Yoshimura spoke through tears after defeating China in the team’s final match on Feb. 19.
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Tsubaki Miki, 22, Snowboard
“I know now that the path I’m on is the right one.”
Last season’s overall World Cup champion, Tsubaki Miki, was a top contender but was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the women’s parallel giant slalom on Feb. 8, finishing sixth.
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Tomoka Takeuchi, 42, Snowboard
“Snowboarding has truly been like a textbook for me. It has taken me to so many different places around the world and taught me so many things.”
Tomoka Takeuchi competed in her seventh and final Olympics—the most ever for a Japanese woman—finishing 22nd in the women’s parallel giant slalom on Feb. 8.
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Akito Watabe, 37, Nordic Combined
“I think this is the moment I meet my ‘death’ as a competitor, with no regrets.”
Akito Watabe concluded his storied career after his sixth consecutive Olympics. He was aiming for a fourth straight medal but finished sixth in his final race, the team sprint on Feb. 19.
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Kaori Sakamoto, 25, Figure Skating
“Seriously, I have no regrets. I’ve given it my all for 21 years.”
Kaori Sakamoto won the silver medal in women’s figure skating on Feb. 19, adding to her bronze medal from the Beijing 2022 Winter Games. She will retire at the end of this season to become a coach.
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Miho Takagi, 31, Speed Skating
“I feel that my challenge has ended with this result.”
Miho Takagi, Japan’s most decorated female Olympian, won three bronze medals at the Games—in the 1,000-meter race on Feb. 9, the 500-meter race on Feb. 15, and the team pursuit on Feb. 17. But she had long aimed for gold in the 1.500 meters. After finishing sixth in her signature event on Feb. 20, she reflected on her journey.
Original Source: This article was originally published on Asahi Sports. Click the link to view the full article.