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!
Sumiyoshi
Kisara
Despite having a track record including winning the 2018 World Junior Championships in moguls, she missed out on the PyeongChang Olympics and has been fighting with disappointment for the past four years. However, she overcame adversity and finally secured a spot on the Beijing team. After competing in the World Cup for six years since the age of 15, she finally made it onto the podium at the 2021 World Cup Deer Valley, placing third. Her strength is her dynamic skating, which makes the most of her 165cm frame
☟By the way, this is Kisara Sumiyoshi's Instagram account. She spoke about her feelings after being selected to represent Japan at the Beijing Olympics.
@kisara.sumiyoshi
■ Profile
| date of birth | Born March 8, 2000 |
| Birthplace | Kutchan Town, Hokkaido |
| Affiliation | Nihon University |
| Major battles in recent years | '21-22 World Cup Deer Valley Moguls 3rd place ', '21 World Championships representative', '28 World Junior Championships Moguls winner' |
| Gear used | Skis: ID one |
| @kisara.sumiyoshi |
■ 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 comments by Sumiyoshi Kisara. "Q" is a question from a media reporter
January 23rd (Sun) 19:00-19:30 From the online press conference to decide the representatives
Q. How do you feel right now?
— I'm happy!
Q. What did the Olympics mean
to you? — The Olympics have always been a dream of mine, so I'm really happy to be able to go to that stage now. However, since it wasn't decided four years ago, the Olympics had become nothing but a source of pain for me, so I'm glad that it has finally changed into something positive for me.
Q. What is your strength that you want to showcase on the Olympic stage for the first time?
— I've loved turning since I was little, so I hope to enjoy skating using that as my strength.
Q. Is there any practice you'd like to focus on or any areas you'd like to strengthen in the remaining time?
— I'd like to practice bringing everything together smoothly from top to bottom, even though the practice period is short.
Q. So you're aiming to improve the precision of your turns?
— Not just turns, but also things like how I enter the moguls after the air, and overall, I want to ski in a way that minimizes deductions.
Q. What are your goals and aspirations for the Olympics
? — I truly believe that the Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I want to enjoy skating to the fullest.
Q. After being dropped from the national team four years ago, you went through a tough time. What was the turning point that
allowed you to look forward again? — Rather than there being a specific turning point, I was constantly affected by it until I was selected for the Olympics this time. However, even when I was going through a tough time, my coaches always supported me so that I could improve, and that helped me a lot.
Q. Now that you've been selected, do you feel like the lingering regret you've felt has finally been removed?
— Yes, for the past four years there hasn't been a single day that wasn't difficult, but now that I don't have to think about it anymore, I feel much more at ease.
Q. I heard from your coach that Air's performance has improved this season. What aspects have improved?
— Air has been practicing his jumps all summer, and there are no longer times when he can't catch the ball with his glove. Also, he's become better at bringing that into games, and he's able to concentrate without panicking during official training, so I think that's been good.
Q. I heard from your advisors at Kutchan High School, where you graduated, that you achieved good results in track and field back then. Could you tell us if there are any aspects of your track and field experience that are relevant to your current skiing? Also, are there any athletes you admire?
— I did middle and long-distance running in track and field, so I had more endurance than other athletes, and I think that's been helpful. In moguls, you have to ski several runs, including official training, so it uses up a lot of stamina, and I think that's been useful. I started moguls in the second grade of elementary school. I've always admired Tae Satoya's aggressive skiing style.