The Beijing Olympics have finally begun. Fierce competition is unfolding every day, but here we would like to introduce Suzuki Saori, the only Japanese athlete to compete in the freestyle halfpipe skiing event
SUZUKI
Saori
He competed in alpine races until high school. After that, he got a job as a hairdresser, but his love of skiing led him to return to racing. His next choice was freestyle skiing. He enrolled in Shirakawa Juku, which was renowned at the time for training athletes, and trained with the aim of becoming a half-pipe skier. Since 2012, he has been competing in half-pipe competitions overseas, achieving results such as placing fourth twice in the World Cup
Although he was selected for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic team, he was unable to perform to his full potential due to an injury before the competition, resulting in a loss in the preliminaries and tears at the venue. After PyeongChang, he suffered a serious injury, a torn ACL, and struggled to return to competition. However, despite being unable to train as he wanted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he improved his form towards the end of last season and placed 8th in his first appearance at the 2021 World Championships. In the 2021-22 season, just before Beijing, he impressively placed 6th at the World Cup USA tournament in January, securing his spot at the Olympics for the second consecutive tournament. He is the only Japanese athlete competing in the ski halfpipe this time
☟By the way, this is the official blog of the Johoku Shinkin Bank Ski Club, to which Suzuki Saori belongs. The blog reports her 9th place overall in the FIS HP after her World Cup tour ended before the Beijing Olympics. (She was subsequently selected to compete in the Beijing Olympics.)
http://johoku.sub.jp/wphp/category/saori-suzuki/
■ Profile
| Date of birth | Born January 9, 1990 |
| where one is from | Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Affiliation | Johoku Shinkin Bank Ski Club |
| Major history in recent years | '21 World Championships 8th place '21 World Cup USA Tournament 6th place '21 All Japan Championships Champion '18 PyeongChang Olympic Representative |
| used gear | Skis: BLUEMORIS Ski boots: REXXAM |
| official blog | http://johoku.sub.jp/wphp/category/saori-suzuki/ |
■ Saori Suzuki - Skating video
Scenes from the World Championships and World Cup held in March 2021 (from his YouTube channel)
■ Comment on the “online press conference to decide 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. Here are excerpts from Suzuki Saori's comments. "Q" is a question from a journalist
January 23 (Sun) 19: 00-19: 30 Representative decision online press conference
Q. This is your second Olympics. How do you feel now?
-- The Olympic qualifying rounds were extremely difficult worldwide due to the impact of the coronavirus. I'm sure there were athletes who couldn't participate in the World Cup. I'm extremely relieved to have made it this far and been selected for the Olympics. While I feel relieved, I still can't relax and I need to stay on my toes until I'm on the starting block on the day of the Olympics
Q. Since your first time competing in Pyeongchang and this time competing in Beijing, have you noticed any areas of growth that you feel have changed?
- Regarding my first Olympics, I couldn't see what was going on around me at all, and I felt like a wild boar, charging from the qualifying rounds to the Olympics. I struggled with the notion that an Olympic athlete should be like this, that I had to be positive, that I had to work hard, and so on. But this time, I felt like it was okay to be in pain, sad, or in pain, and that it was okay to accept it as it was, because that's who I am. After that, I was able to relax a lot and look at myself objectively... So, I think I'm a little calmer than last time
Q. I got the impression that you have grown mentally since last time. Looking back at the four years since PyeongChang, how do you feel you have grown?
- Soon after the PyeongChang Olympics, I tore my ACL again. I had surgery, but ACLs can definitely heal with rehabilitation, so I wasn't too worried. However, as I get older, I often experience chronic pain, or back pain for no apparent reason
But it was because of that experience that I realized that it's normal to suffer when you get injured, and once I did that, I was able to accept it. With that change in my mindset, I was able to relax a lot more before matches, accept the tension, and think, "It's okay, the tension feels good too." I think those four years were the time when I was able to see it that way
Q. You said you tore ligaments in both 2017 and 2018. Which parts were they in? How long was the rehabilitation period in 2018?
- In 2017, I tore the anterior cruciate ligament in my right knee, and in the fall of 2018, I tore the anterior cruciate ligament in my left knee. In 2018, I spent about eight months in rehabilitation, and then I made a comeback
Q. I imagine you've had a very tough competitive career, but what are your goals for the Beijing Olympics?
- Last time, at the PyeongChang Olympics, I wasn't able to skate as well as I wanted, and I apologized to everyone in tears, which was very frustrating and still leaves me with regrets. I want to erase those feelings, and I want to be able to proudly say "Thank you" to everyone on the Olympic stage. That's the kind of skating I want to do, so that's my goal now
Q. After you shed tears at the last Olympics, did you immediately change your mindset and aim for Beijing?
- Up until then in my skiing career, I had been injured at an unlucky time and hadn't been able to ski at the World Championships, so I really wanted to compete at the World Championships the following year, and so I tried my best to make it to the World Championships, but then I got injured again and couldn't compete. But I still wanted to compete at the World Championships, so I decided to keep trying until the next time. Once I got to the World Championships, the next Olympics were just around the corner, so I thought I'd give it my all for another year, and I just spent each year doing my best
Q. What's your current halfpipe routine?
- First right ride 540, then left side 720, switch right 720, turn forward left side 540, right side 720, switch left 720. This is the final routine I want to do
Q. If you were to perform that routine at the Olympics, how do you feel about making it onto the podium?
- Well, our sport changes a lot depending on the quality, so if we have the same quality as the men, there's a good chance we'll be able to make it to the podium, but as for the height... So, right now I don't feel like I can definitely do it, but I would like to get as close to it as possible
Q. Are you thinking about another Olympics? Or is this the end?
- Right now, I'm just thinking about doing my best every year, so after the Olympics and the final All Japan Championships, I'll work hard for a year and then think about what to do next
Q. What are your final training and schedule for the Beijing Olympics?
- As for the schedule, I'm planning to train in Japan until February 8th, the very last minute, and then fly to the Olympics on the 12th. As for final preparations, I've been focusing a lot on backward skating this year, so I really want to perform it in the actual competition. However, I was disappointed that I couldn't do a backward 720 in the final World Cup, so I think that will be the key at the Olympics, so I'd like to continue skating backwards outside of the halfpipe as well, and practice in the halfpipe before I arrive in Beijing.