The Beijing Olympics have just started. The competition is hot every day, but here we would like to introduce Saori Suzuki, the only Japanese participant in the halfpipe freestyle skiing.
Saori Suzuki
SUZUKI Saori
Active in alpine races until high school. After that, she got a job as a hairdresser, but she still liked skiing, so she returned to active duty. Her next choice was freestyle skiing. In terms of athlete training, he entered Shirakawa Juku, which had a good reputation at the time, and trained with the aim of becoming a half-pipe player. Since 2012, he has been participating in full-scale overseas competitions in the half pipe, and has achieved results such as 4th place twice at the World Cup.
Although he was selected to represent the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, he was unable to show his full strength due to an injury before the tournament and was eliminated from the qualifying rounds. Even after PyeongChang, he suffered a torn ACL and a major injury, and struggled to make a comeback. However, in the situation where he could not train as expected due to the corona wreck, he improved from the end of last season and was 8th in the 2021 World Championships, which he participated in for the first time. In the 2021-22 season, in the most recent World Cup USA tournament in Beijing in January, he splendidly climbed to 6th place and decided to participate in the Olympics for the second time in a row. He is the only Japanese athlete in the ski halfpipe this year.
☟By the way, this is the official blog of the Johoku Shinkin Bank ski club to which Saori Suzuki belongs.
The World Cup competition ended before the Beijing Olympics, and I reported the result of FIS HP 9th place overall. (After that, I got a job offer for 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 Championship 8th place '21 World Cup USA Tournament 6th place '21 All Japan Championship winner '18 Pyeongchang Olympics representative |
| used gear | Skis: BLUEMORIS Ski boots: REXXAM |
| official blog | http://johoku.sub.jp/wphp/category/saori-suzuki/ |
■ Saori Suzuki, slip video
World Championships and World Cup held in March 2021 (from own YouTube channel)
■ 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 take a look at Saori Suzuki's comments. "Q" is a question by a media reporter.
January 23 (Sun) 19: 00-19: 30 Representative decision online press conference
Q. Please tell us how you feel about your second Olympics.
― So the qualifying rounds for the Olympics this time around the world were very difficult due to the influence of the coronavirus. Among them, I think there were some players who could not participate in the World Cup. I'm very relieved that I've come this far and was able to get a job offer for the Olympics. While I'm relieved, I still feel like I can't relax until I stand on the starting platform on the day of the Olympics, and I can't let my guard down.
Q. Between your first appearance in Pyeongchang and your participation in Beijing this time, are there any growth points that have changed in yourself?
― Regarding the first Olympics, I couldn't see my surroundings at all. It was very difficult for me to think about how Olympic athletes should be, how positive they should be, and how hard they should work. But this time, it doesn't matter if it's painful, it's okay if it's sad, it's okay if it's painful. It's like I've become able to see myself... So I think it's a little more calm than last time.
Q. I got the impression that you have grown mentally since the last time.
― Shortly after the Pyeongchang Games ended, I suffered another anterior cruciate ligament tear. I had surgery, but the anterior cruciate ligament will definitely heal if I rehabilitate it, so I didn't worry about it that much, but as I get older, I have chronic pain, and there is no cause, but my back. It hurts quite a lot.
But because of that, I came to realize that it's normal to suffer when you're injured, and that's how I came to accept myself. With that kind of change in my feelings, I think it was the four years that I was able to relax a lot before the match, accept the tension, and think, "It's okay, the tension feels good."
Q. You said that you had torn ligaments in both 2017 and 2018. Which part was it? How long will rehab take at 18?
― 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 was in rehabilitation for about eight months, and then I felt like I was returning.
Q. Your competitive life must have been quite difficult. What goals do you have for the Beijing Olympics?
― Last time, I couldn't skate like I wanted at the Pyeongchang Olympics, and I apologized to everyone in tears. I want to proudly say "Thank you very much" from the stage. My current goal is to skate like that.
Q. After the tears were shed at the last Olympics, did you immediately change your mind and aim for Beijing?
― In my skiing life up to that point, I was injured at just the wrong time and hadn't skied at the world championships for a long time, so I definitely want to participate in the world championships next year Because of that, I tried my best to make it to the World Championships, but I couldn't participate again due to an injury. But I still want to go to the world championships, so I'll do my best until the next time. Once I've made it to the World Championships, the next Olympics are just around the corner.
Q. What is your current halfpipe routine?
- First the right ride 540, then the left side 720, the switch lite 720, then forward, the left side 540, the right side 720, the switch left 720. This is the final routine I want to do.
Q. If you can attack with that routine at the Olympics, what do you think about the podium?
―Hmm, our competition changes a lot depending on the quality, so if you have the same quality as the boys, you can definitely see a podium, but also about height... So, right now, I don't feel like I can definitely do it, but I want to get as close to that as possible.
Q. Are you thinking about the next Olympics as well? Or is there a break here?
― Now I'm thinking of doing my best every year, so this time the Olympics are over and the final All Japan Championship is coming up, so I'll do my best for a year, and after that I'll think about what to do next. I'm here.
Q. What is the schedule for the final training and Beijing for the Beijing Olympics?
—As for the schedule, I plan to train in Japan until February 8th, and fly to the Olympics on the 12th. As a final adjustment, I've been working hard this year with a great focus on the backward skating, so I definitely want to show the backward skating at the actual event. However, I feel frustrated that I couldn't do a backward 720 in the final race of the World Cup, so I think that will be the key to the Olympics, so I always skate backwards, even outside of the halfpipe. Or, I think it would be great if I could do some practical practice with the halfpipe and enter the field.