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 official Instagram account. She posted about her joy and determination after being selected to represent Japan at 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 '21-22 World Championships 5 times up to '21 '20 World Cup Tazawako Moguls 2nd place / All Japan Championships Dual Moguls winner '19 All Japan Championships Moguls, Dual Moguls double crown |
| 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?
— This season, I made a lot of mistakes at the beginning and wasn't able to skate as well as I wanted, but since the new year my performance has improved a bit and I've made fewer mistakes, so I'm a little relieved that I was able to secure a spot on the team, even though it was just barely.
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 everyone a lively performance.
Q. What are your goals for these Olympics?
— My goal is to reach the podium, but I feel that if I focus too much on the numbers, I tend to get tense and won't be able to do what I want to do. So, first and foremost, I want to be able to give 120% of what I've practiced and have a really good performance.
Q. In the competitions since the beginning of the year, you were in fourth or fifth place, so you were competing very close to the Olympics. What were your thoughts as you skated at that time?
— Well, by the time of the competitions before the end of the year, the point difference had narrowed considerably, and I was in a very close position. But I didn't think about that for the time being. I thought it would be counterproductive if I became intimidated by the need to score points and couldn't perform my best. I didn't want to do that, and I thought it would be uncool, so I focused on being able to perform the kind of skates I had practiced up to that point.
Q. Did that change in mindset play a big role in your improved performance since the start of the year?
— Yes, I think it was because I was able to focus on what I needed to do without thinking about unnecessary things, not just distracting thoughts.
Q. What are the strengths of your skiing style
? — This year I've been especially working on improving my turns, so I hope to be able to ski with good stability and a strong vertical descent.
Q. You are the oldest member of the women's moguls team. Do you have any particular thoughts about that?
— I don't particularly think about being the oldest member, but I think this will be my last chance, so I hope to be able to ski in a way that I won't regret.
Q. You missed the last Pyeongchang Olympics, and I imagine you also had injuries. What was the past eight years like?
— There were good times for me, and times when I was doing terribly. I wasn't able to steadily improve, so it was a winding road.
Q. Did you feel more regret than anything else?
— Yes, there were many frustrating and painful times, but I think I was able to continue this far because I really loved moguls.