Akiko Suzuki Unveils Reasons for Shoma Uno’s World Championships Performance Dip and Future Plans

The Figure Skating World Championships were held in Montreal, Canada until March 24. In the women’s competition, Kaori Sakamoto (24) became the first Japanese skater to win three consecutive titles, while Masama Uno (26), who was expected to win three consecutive titles in the men’s competition, faltered in the free skate and finished in 4th place.

We asked commentator Akiko Suzuki, who represented Japan at the Vancouver ’10 and Sochi ’14 Olympics and placed 8th in both events, “Why did Uno falter?

–In the short program (SP), Uno perfectly executed quadruple flip and quad toeloop, and also scored top marks in spins and steps. 107.72 points, the highest score in the world this season. Uno was the first skater to finish in first place in the free skate, and she was the only skater to finish in second place.

Uno came into the free skate in first place, but it looked as if a little bit of a difference in her feel for the jumps showed up in the competition. If there is more than one, even a small discrepancy, it will affect not only the points deducted for jumps, but also the performance component points and the program evaluation. I think that is the reason why you didn’t score well.”

–What do you mean by “a gap in the sense of jumps”?

It is a very difficult part, but even in a short period of time, there are subtle discrepancies in the sensation of jumping. Especially in jumps, where success or failure is determined in a split second. However, in the FS, my senses did not mesh with my body’s actual movements.

-Uno felt “it was inevitable that I would miss both loops and flips,” from the practice before the free skate. I feel the fear of figure skating, that your senses can go haywire just a short time between the short and the free skate.

I was reminded of the difficulty to peak on the competition day, after watching Uno’s Free skate performance this time.

–Did the pressure of three consecutive championships weigh heavily on you?

Did the pressure of winning three consecutive championships weigh on you? I don’t think I felt that much pressure. I am a player who pursues what I have practiced to the best of my ability in the competition, rather than winning or losing, or scoring points.

–Uno’s statement at the press conference that she feels “refreshed” has drawn attention to her future career.

Uno’s failure to win three consecutive titles has nothing to do with the result, but rather with where she can set her own goals. For an athlete, if he or she does not have a clear idea of what he or she is competing for, he or she will not be able to continue competing. What is he looking forward to next, and what does he consider “done”? This varies from athlete to athlete. Some focus on the result, some do not. I think it is possible to go to a different stage if you know what you want to skate, and if what you want to pursue is something you can do even if you turn pro instead of competing, then it is possible.

–When the topic turned to Ilaria Mullinin, 19, of the United States, who won the World Championships for the first time this year, she mentioned the names of players of the same generation as him and said, “Good luck to you. Is he going to retire from the world championships after all?

If there is something you still want to do as an athlete, or if you still want to surpass the athletes who won medals this time, the place to fight is in the competition. Only you know where your motivation lies. It is something that gradually and firmly develops in your mind,” he said.

–That’s the part that only he knows.

I believe that both continuing as an athlete and retiring require a great deal of determination. You can’t continue competing with a half-hearted attitude. I think Uno is the type of athlete who is not focused on medals or consecutive championships. For that reason, it is unknown what he will be looking for in the future. For my part, I will only respect the answer that Uno has come up with after thinking it through in his own time. I will support his conclusion.

Uno was forced to make a difficult decision in his mid-twenties after having made his mark on an era. We will find out what the “man who doesn’t care about rankings” decides to do.