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!
Hinako
Tomitaka
Originally from Tokyo, she discovered moguls in her first year of elementary school and began competing seriously in the fourth grade. She achieved a high result of second place in the Junior Championships. At the 2021 World Championships, she was the only member of the Japanese women's team to place fifth. She is known for her small stature but her skiing that makes her appear larger, and her stable, high-quality turns. She has been steadily improving her performance, and there are high expectations for her competitive strength in the actual competition
☟By the way, this is Hinako Tomitaka's Instagram account. She posted a comment expressing her joy after being selected to represent Japan at the Beijing Olympics.
@hinako1753
■ Profile
| date of birth | Born September 21, 2000 |
| Birthplace | Machida City, Tokyo |
| Affiliation | Tama University |
| Major battles in recent years | '21 World Championships Moguls 5th place, '19 World Junior Championships Moguls, Dual Moguls 2nd place |
| Gear used | Skis: ID one |
| @hinako1753 |
■ Hinako Tomitaka - Skating video
A training session abroad. Even at high speeds, the stability of the turns is outstanding
■ 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 the video of Tomitaka Hinako'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. What are your honest feelings right now?
— I haven't quite grasped it yet, but honestly, I'm most happy, and since it's my first time, I want to enjoy it to the fullest.
Q. What were your impressions of the Olympics?
— It's a stage I've always admired and watched on TV since I was little, so it feels like a dream come true to be competing there myself, and I'm so happy.
Q. What is the area where you feel you have grown the most over the past
four years? — I think the area where I have grown the most over these four years is my skiing. Before, I wasn't able to go all out when it mattered, but now I can ski aggressively, and I think that's the biggest area where I've grown the most.
Q. So you mean in terms of precision in executing more difficult tricks?
— It's not just in terms of the difficulty of the air tricks, but I think I've also become able to ski more aggressively in terms of speed and turns.
Q. What is the most important point for achieving a high ranking on the Olympic stage
? — I think that if I can perform my best skating to the best of my ability on the Olympic stage, the ranking will naturally follow.
Q. What are your specific goals and aspirations
? — This will be my first Olympics, so I hope to enjoy it to the fullest and deliver the best performance I can at this moment, in my own style.
Q. What kind of influence has the current Japanese team had on you, Tomioka?
— The team, both men's and women's, is really close-knit, and I think it's a really strong team. I'm happy when my teammates achieve good results, and that gives me good motivation to work harder myself. I think it's a really great team where we can push each other to improve.
Q. Looking back on this season's World Cup, what aspects did you feel you made progress in, and what areas do you want to focus on improving for the Olympics?
— In this season's World Cup, I often had trouble with my first air and the subsequent execution, which was a bit frustrating for me, so I hope to get that right before the Olympics. I really need to get the first air right, I do a cork in the first air, and I need to execute it properly. There have been several times when I haven't been able to get into position properly before the first air and have just flown off, so I think if I can get on the board properly and complete the jump, the execution after the first air will naturally go well.