Shin Uno Shoma talks about “where he is now”: “I haven’t found a program that I like yet…
On May 19, “Team Champérie,” led by former world champion coach Stéphane Lambiel, held a joint training camp with “Kinoshita Academy,” a group of promising young skaters including World Junior Championships queen Mao Shimada (14), in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture.
Uno was also participating in this camp, but due to overwork from track and field training, she had to cancel her practice on the open day and use it as a rest day. The media lost a valuable opportunity to interview Uno, but Coach Lambiel said, “He has started to prepare for the next season. We have been trying new moves, and my body has been ‘surprised’. That’s why she is taking a break,” he explained.
As for Uno’s new program, Coach Lambiel said, “I will be able to present new music to you in the summer. The new program is filled with different charm of Shoma. I hope you will wait a little longer,” he said confidently.
With Hanyu turning pro and Beijing Olympics champion Nathan Chen (24, USA) taking a break, last season Uno went from being in a position of chasing to being chased for the first time.
I want to get results and compete at the top. As a competitive athlete, it is necessary to prioritize getting more points.
Last season, Uno performed a high-difficulty but point-getting composition in the free skate, incorporating four types of quadruple jumps, five times in total. With her quad axel (quadruple jump) as her weapon, she won all her races in the season, including her first Grand Prix Final victory, while being challenged by 18-year-old Ilia Malinin (USA), a newcomer to the senior ranks. She showed her pride as the World Champion.
I think it was a difficult year, but I think I was able to do what I needed to do, and I was able to do it well. It was a season in which I was able to do everything I needed to do.
