Kokone Kondo (Kondo Kokone) Check out the interview video for the Beijing Olympics and the results and skiing just before | Freestyle Skiing / Slopestyle & Big Air | Player Profile　

2022/02/04

Ph : special thanks to Makoto Kondo

The Beijing Olympics have just started. Let's take a look at Kokone Kondo, the only Japanese skater to make it to the Slopestyle Big Air freestyle skiing event.

KONDO Kokone

Kokone Kondo, an 18-year-old high school student freeskier born in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture, who competes in the FIS World Cup in "Slopestyle" and "Big Air" and competes in the world's competition scene. From an early age she has been involved in athlete development programs and trained in her family for the Olympic Games. Even at the previous Pyeongchang Olympics, her ability was within the range of participation, but the age limit was frustrating.

He overcame the handicap of not being able to train overseas due to serious injuries and the coronavirus pandemic, and in the 2021-2022 season he recorded good results at the World Cup. I got my ticket to the Olympics. It is the only participation from Japan in the slopestyle big air of free skiing. "Girls" have a dynamic and style that is completely invisible. She entered Beijing with a trick that no other female player in the world has done yet, and her performance is attracting attention.

☟By the way, this is Kokone Kondo's own Instagram.
The representative of the Beijing Olympics has been decided and posted a statement of joy and determination. @cocone_kondo

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Posts shared by Kokone Kondo (@cocone_kondo)

■ Profile

Date of birth	Born February 19, 2003
where one is from	Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture
Affiliation	oriental bio
Major history in recent years	'21 World Championship Slopestyle 9th, Big Air 15th '21 World Cup Slopestyle USA 7th / France 5th
used gear	Skis: ARMADA
Instagram	@cocone_kondo

■ Kokone Kondo/Slip video

The skating that came in 5th place at the final round of the World Cup held in January 2022 in France (from his Facebook)

■ Comment on the “online press conference to decide representatives” just before the Beijing Olympics

With the Beijing Olympics just around the corner, an online press conference was held by the All Japan Ski Federation to decide who will represent Japan. Let's deliver an excerpt from Kokone Kondo's comment. "Q" is a question by a media reporter.

January 23 (Sun) 19: 00-19: 30 Representative decision online press conference

Q. How do you feel now that you have decided to participate in the Olympics?
- First of all, the biggest thing for me is that I felt relieved. I've been thinking about how to make a plan to play for Beijing, so I'm very happy.

Q. What is your plan for the four years from PyeongChang to Beijing?
- Four years ago, around the time of the PyeongChang Olympics, I was just beginning to participate in competitions overseas for the first time and to go around the World Cup. At that time, I knew that I had to win the World Cup little by little, but I didn't know what to do. I've been thinking about making it to the Olympics for sure from around 2020, but I had various injuries along the way and my mental state wasn't stable, so I wasn't able to complete it technically. , But, I have been working hard without forgetting the important things such as basic practice and mental aspects, so I think that ultimately led to this.

Q. How did you survive the painful injury?
― The biggest injury was the anterior cruciate ligament tear in my knee that I had in the fall of 2018-19 season. He had an injury that he didn't want to do the most in his skiing life, so at that time I was really confused about what to do, but many people in the ski industry gave me a lot of advice. Also, my family doctor, who was an acquaintance of my parents, kindly taught me how to rehabilitate, and helped me plan and train so that I would not suffer the same injury again. I think that's how it was. Even so, it took about 10-11 months before I could ski on the slopestyle competition course.

Q. What kind of existence did your parents, who have been supporting you, always been for you?
― Ever since I decided to do this competition in earnest, you have always been by my side and provided me with a good training environment, and no matter how far the expedition was and how expensive it was, you have supported me. I can't thank you enough. If it weren't for my family, I wouldn't have had the strong desire to compete in the Olympics or the World Cup, so I think they are the most irreplaceable existence.

Q. What do you consider to be your strengths?
― In a slopestyle competition, you can't score or win just because you can do one difficult technique. It's important to be able to do it. Judges have often praised me for my clean flow and style, so I think my strength lies in overall flow and style.

Q. What are your favorite tricks and good tricks?
― I like both jumps and jibs.

There is a technique called "Switch Blender 720", but I think that technique will be my best weapon. I'm only good at approaching the kicker backwards while looking at it from the right, and flying (turning around) the air from the right. The issue was how to improve it, but in the process of practice, I came up with a technique where you look backwards, look from the right, and turn left (counterclockwise) at the moment you fly. It is a technique that received the highest praise for being rare because there were no boys or girls doing it in the world yet. So I think that "Switch Blender 720" is my best skill. *Introduced in the "Kokone Kondo/Slide Video" that came out earlier, the first air in the final round of the World Cup that won 5th place is the "Switch Blender 720"!

Q. Your father was a top skier who did moguls, right?
What got you into slopestyle instead of moguls? - I started competing in earnest when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school. Until then, I just liked skiing, I liked bumps, and I was in the park because I liked it. Slopestyle was the first thing that popped out of my mouth when I was asked. Slopestyle was something I thought would be interesting to try, so I chose that.

Q. What kind of stage is the Olympics for you?
― I think that winning a medal at the Olympics means being at the top of the competition. My number one goal is to become the best in the world, so I want to aim for a gold medal at both the Olympics and the Winter X Games.

Q. I heard that you became the first athlete to participate in the Olympic Games from the athlete development project "Swan" sponsored by Nagano Prefecture, where you are from. What did you learn at Swan?
- Being able to train with children in various winter sports such as speed skating and alpine skiing was a big deal for me, and I feel that I learned a lot. During short-term training camps, they train very hard and intensely, eat a lot and gain strength... I learned a lot about nutrition and how to take care of my body. I entered the Swan Project in a state where everything was unknown, but it was a good opportunity to realize that I have to learn many things in order to become an athlete.

Q. Please tell us how you feel about competing in the Olympics again.
I think that the Olympics this time is a passing point for the next Olympics in Italy, so rather than focusing on results, I want to show my strengths and good points. I hope that I can show the cool skates and convey the charm of slopestyle to the people watching. First of all, you have to enjoy and finish the skating that you are satisfied with. I will do my best!

❖ Support Team JAPAN!

@team_nippon

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