The Japan Mogul Team, said to be "undoubtedly the strongest in history," is taking on the Beijing Olympics. What kind of skiing will they show on the Olympic stage? Let's introduce the Japanese men's and women's mogul skiers, who are considered very likely to win gold medals. Also, check out the 2021-2022 World Cup competition footage, which will give us a glimpse into the Olympic battle!
HOSHINO
Junko
She competed in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, but was plagued by injuries afterward and was unable to make the national team. However, she has now decided to compete in Beijing for the first time in two Olympics. She has represented Japan at the World Championships five times and has had a strong record in recent years. She is a veteran member of the Japanese women's team. She placed fourth in the eighth World Cup event of the season, Deer Valley, and is in excellent condition as she takes on her "final Olympics."
☟By the way, this is Junko Hoshino's Instagram. She posted her joy and determination after being selected as a representative for the Beijing Olympics.
@junkohoshino0
■ Profile
| date of birth | Born September 25, 1989 |
| Birthplace | Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Affiliation | Team Listel |
| Major battles in recent years | '21-22 World Cup Deer Valley Moguls 4th place; '21 Participated in the World Championships 5 times until '21 ; '20 World Cup Lake Tazawa Moguls 2nd place; All Japan Championships Dual Moguls Champion; '19 All Japan Championships Moguls and Dual Moguls Double Title |
| Gear used | Skis: ID one |
| @junkohoshino0 |
■ Junko Hoshino - Skating video
Introduction video broadcast by UX Niigata TV (2022/01/12)
■ Comments from the "Online Press Conference to Determine Representatives" just before the Beijing Olympics
With the Beijing Olympics just around the corner, the All Japan Ski Association held an online press conference to determine the Japanese representatives. We present an excerpt from a video of Junko Hoshino's comments. "Q" is a question from a journalist
January 23rd (Sun) 19:00-19:30 From the online press conference to decide the representatives
Q. How do you feel now that you've been selected for the Olympic team?
- I made a lot of mistakes early on this season and wasn't able to skate as well as I wanted, but since the start of the new year my performance has improved and I've been making fewer mistakes, so I'm a little relieved that I was selected for the team, even though it was a close call.
Q. What kind of performance do you want to show at the Olympics?
- Personally, I want to skate with all my might so that I have no regrets, so I would be happy if I could show people skating energetically.
Q. What are your goals for this Olympics
? I'm aiming for the podium, but I feel like if I focus too much on numbers, I end up becoming too stiff and not being able to do what I want to do, so first of all I want to skate well and give 120% of the practice I've done.
Q. In the competitions since the start of the year, you were competing quite closely, finishing in 4th or 5th place, but what were your thoughts as you skated towards the Olympics at that time?
First of all, the points difference had narrowed considerably by the time of the competitions at the end of the year, and I was on the very edge, but I thought that if I didn't think about that and became too focused on getting points, and then I couldn't skate at my best, it would be counterproductive. I didn't want to do that, I thought it would be uncool, so I focused on skating as well as I had been practicing.
Q. Has that change in mindset been a big factor in your improvement since the start of the new year?
- Yes, and I don't mean to be evil, but I think I was able to focus on what I needed to do without thinking about pointless things.
Q. What are the strengths of your skating
? This year I've been working especially on my turns, so I'd like to be able to improve my stability in those turns and my ability to drop vertically.
Q. You are the oldest on the women's mogul team. Is there anything you think about that
? I don't think anything in particular about being the oldest, but I think this will be my last chance, so I hope to perform well and be able to skate without any regrets.
Q. You missed the last PyeongChang Olympics and you were also injured, so what was the past eight years like for
you? There were good times and bad times, and it wasn't a steady upward trend, so it feels like it was a journey full of twists and turns.
Q. Were there more regrets than regrets?
Yes, there were many regrets and hardships, but I think I was able to continue this far because I loved moguls.