Looking back on the secret of the strength of Japanese medalists at the Beijing Olympics

Athletes of the Japanese flag won 18 medals, the most in the history of the Winter Olympics. Miho Takagi (27), who was also the captain of the team, won one gold and three silver medals in five events. She competed in five events, winning one gold and three silver medals, and even her former coach, Shunichi Higashide, who coached her at Obihiro Minami Commercial High School, was impressed with her performance.

Speed Skating Women] Miho Takagi (27)
Gold medal in 1000m, silver medal in 500m, 1500m and team pursuit

In the last Olympics in PyeongChang, she said she was frustrated because she couldn’t win in the 1500m, her specialty. In the last Olympics in Pyeongchang, he did not win the 1500m, which is his strong point. In the past, I rarely showed my emotions. I felt Miho’s seriousness about this tournament.

A glimpse of her “five-sword style” had been there since her school days.

I participated in all the events I could from the first year of high school. I told her many times to focus on one event, but she said, ‘It’s meaningful to keep competing. I don’t care about the results. It’s meaningful to do it now. I didn’t know it at the time, but maybe I saw this future coming 10 years ago.

There are as many dramas as there are medals. Let’s take a look back at some of the most moving moments with selected photos!

Snowboarding Men] Ayumu Hirano (23)
Halfpipe gold medal

It was the third gold medal in a row for Ayumu Hirano (23), who had won silver in two consecutive Olympics. It was the first time in the history of the Olympics that he successfully completed the “Triple Cork 1440” in succession, which was the undisputed pinnacle of his performance. Yumiko Yanauchi, a sports writer, tells us

The secret of her strength lies in her stable skiing. The secret of her strength lies in her stable skiing, and she has trained her skiing in the half-pipe so thoroughly that she is now able to ski high regardless of the snow conditions. That’s why he was able to try his big tricks in the final without hesitation.

According to Mr. Yanai, his experience in skateboarding, which he started in 2006 and participated in the Tokyo Olympics, has been of use to him.

In skateboarding, you can’t hold your feet on the board, so you can improve your sense of balance. This has helped me in jumping. It stabilizes your center of gravity, and more importantly, my stepping timing is much better.

He is only 23 years old. The legend has just begun.

Women’s Snowboard] Shin Kabata Murase(17)
Big Air Bronze Medal

The current JK snowboarder made a series of big moves in the final. She won the bronze medal, shortening Mao Asada’s record for the youngest female medalist at the Winter Olympics by more than two years.

Snowboard Women] Sena Tomita (22)
Halfpipe Bronze medal

In the finals, she tried her first big air, “Frontside 1080” in January this year.

Figure Skating Men] Yuma Kagiyama(18)
Single: Silver medal
Team bronze medal

He and his father, Masakazu, a former Japanese figure skater, have been working together to achieve their dream. He became the 6th person in history to score over 300 points with his accurate performance with few mistakes.

Figure Skating Men] Masama Uno(24)
Single bronze medal
Team bronze medal

In the free skate, he completed his most difficult composition with 5 quadruples. He also set a new personal best in the short program, and finished his second Olympics on a high note.

Figure Skating Women] Kaori Sakamoto (21)
Single bronze medal
Team bronze medal

Although she didn’t have any flashy moves such as Triple Axel, her powerful performance with speed and perfection won her the bronze medal. She won the bronze medal.

Nordic combined] Akito Watabe (33)
Individual Large Hill Bronze
Team bronze medal

She placed 5th in the jumping event, and took the lead early in the cross-country event, her specialty, but ran out of steam in the end. Still, he won his third consecutive medal.

Freestyle Men’s Skiing] Yukima Horishima(24)
Mogul Bronze medal

With his ultra-fast turns and long airs, he fully demonstrated his ability to win three World Cups this season. He made up for his 11th place finish at the PyeongChang Olympics when he fell.

Men’s Speed Skating] Wataru Morishige(21)
Bronze medal in 500m

When he was in elementary and junior high school, he used to ride a bicycle 20 km one way to the training ground. With his strong legs and feet, he has made great progress in his first Olympics with his tenacious running.

Men’s Ski Jumping] RYO-YU KOBAYASHI(25)
Gold medal in Normal Hill
Large Hill Silver Medal

His father, Hironori, who raised him, was a promising cross-country runner. His father, Hironori, was a promising cross-country runner who raised Ryo-Yu. After playing for Chukyo University’s ski team, he became a junior high school teacher. His passion for children is unparalleled.

That’s what Toshihiko Takahashi, 67, former head of the Iwate Prefectural Ski Federation’s reinforcement committee, told me. Mr. Takahashi runs “Kyounso” in Matsukawa Onsen, a hot spring resort in the prefecture. He has known the Kobayashi family for about 30 years.

He said, “It’s a 10-minute drive from Matsuo Village (now Hachimantai City), where Ryouyu’s parents live, to our house. The family comes to visit us several times a week. I was also a cross-country runner, and Hironori and I have talked many times.

The Kobayashi family consists of four siblings: older brother Junshiro (30), older sisters Yuka (27) and Ryouyu, and younger brother Tatsunao (20). In addition to Junshiro, who competed in the Beijing Olympics, his older sister and younger brother are also promising jumpers and compound skaters.

In the beginning, Hironori wanted his siblings to be cross-country runners. When they were in elementary school or so, he trained them thoroughly, making them run along mountain roads with car lights. It must have been a considerable financial burden, but he didn’t compromise at all. He was so stoic, I remember advising him, ‘If you’re too strict, you’ll end up hating the sport’ (laughs). (Laughs) Eventually, Ryo-Yu began to focus on jumping, but his strong legs and feet were probably cultivated in his childhood.

Carrying his father’s passion as a skier, Ling-Yu flew the skies of Beijing.

From the March 11, 2022 issue of FRIDAY