The Beijing Olympics, which opened on February 4, 2022, has been hotly contested every day. In the past two tournaments, the Japanese men's national team could not participate, but two Japanese athletes won the right to participate in the Beijing Games. Ski cross has become a hot topic for its dynamism. Let's take a look at Ryu Sugai, a former Alpine racer who has made his debut at the Olympics, and who has achieved good results in the World Cup and is attracting attention and expectations.
SUGAI
Ryo
Up until the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, Ryu Sugai was competing in alpine skiing competitions such as the World Cup with the aim of participating in the Olympics. He was the only Japanese racer who was based overseas and was on the front line in downhill, super-G, alpine combined, and high-speed events. He won all three events in Japan, but despite being the top player in Japan, he faced a lot of obstacles in the world. Believing that he could shine on the world's top scene, he switched to ski cross. In the background, it is said that there was a recommendation from Kentaro Minagawa, a former famous alpine skier.
With the speed and skiing skills that he cultivated in alpine skiing, he finished 15th in his first World Cup race of the 2018 season, less than a year after switching to ski cross. In the following season, when he got a feel for it, he made it into the top 10 twice, and in the 2021 season, when he was looking ahead to the Beijing Olympics, he finally finished second and finished on the podium. It is the first time in 14 years that a Japanese man has finished on the World Cup podium in ski cross. He quickly became a player in the spotlight, and at the same time grabbed a ticket to Beijing.
In the prelude to the Olympics, the November test competition using the course in Beijing marked a good position with 4th place. He appealed that he is within the range where he can aim for a medal with his ability, and his skating has suddenly attracted attention. You can't take your eyes off the dynamics of what kind of performance will be shown on February 18th.
☟By the way, this is Ryu Sugai's own Instagram.
The representative of the Beijing Olympics has been decided and posted a statement of joy and determination. @ryorioss
■ Profile
| Date of birth | Born December 11, 1991 |
| where one is from | Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture |
| Affiliation | team klev |
| Major history in recent years | '21 World Championship representative '21 World Cup Russia Tournament 2nd place '19 All Japan Championship winner |
| used gear | Skis: ATOMIC Ski boots: ATOMIC |
| Instagram Instagram | @ryorioss |
Sugai Ryu /Sliding Video
'21 World Cup Russia Tournament 2nd place race video (click the URL to view)
https://fb.watch/b1C7L_DpwQ/
This is an introductory video released by local media in Niigata for the final round of the Beijing Olympics on February 18th.
■ 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 Ryu Sugai's comment. "Q" is a question by a media reporter.
January 31 (Monday) 12:00-13:00 From the representative decision online press conference
Q. Please tell us how you felt when you decided to be on the Olympic team.
-Of course, I was aiming to participate, but I have goals above that, so I'm going to do my best to reach that goal. I was disappointed that I couldn't participate in the previous Pyeongchang Games, and I'm going to be a representative of the Beijing Olympics this time. , now I have a strong feeling of excitement.
Q. I believe you also participated in the test competition.
―As for the course, there was little snow in November, so the details of the course may have changed, but the start and finish positions will remain the same, so the situation will not change. , Among them, there is also a good response as the 7th in the pre-competition. Especially since it's not a course that the competitors used to skate, it's a flat fair for everyone, and in that sense it's a big advantage for me, and I had four runs in the previous pre-competition. I've been skating and have that experience, so I think it's a really nice course.
Q. Please tell us about your goals for the Beijing Olympics.
―First of all, your goal is to win a gold medal, and then you want your family and everyone who supports you to see that.
Q. You entered the race in 7th place in the early stages of this season, and I think you had some tough races afterward.
―In the beginning, you had a good response, but after that it didn't lead to good results. , I think that the skill of ski cross has become the part that lowers my grades, such as not being able to pull back a little, and having a lot of contact with other players. We have been making improvements since the beginning of the year as a reflection of the year, and we have a very good response to that, but we are still one step away from achieving it.
Q. In the final World Cup, while there was a scene in the first round where you overtook from the very back, I think you were late at the start. How do you feel about that?
-Originally, there were many cases of winning from the beginning and running away from the start, so the establishment of winning is only in that pattern, so I wanted to increase that pattern. I've been able to increase my pattern little by little, going up and going up from 4th to 2nd, so I'm feeling good about it now, but I'm still a little bit behind due to a mistake in the start. .
Q. As Mr. Furuno said, is there any talk within the team about wanting to popularize ski cross in Niigata Prefecture, or wanting to create a course?
―There are 4 people in the team, and 3 of them are from Niigata Prefecture, so I have some thoughts about that.
Q. I heard that you started skiing, but what kind of support did you receive from your parents specifically, and how do you feel gratitude for that?
―I started skiing under the influence of my parents, and one of the things I am grateful for is that they taught me a very fun sport. No matter what I did, I couldn't get good grades in Europe, and when I said I wanted to go home right away in my first year there, my father stopped me, or rather, he told me to try harder. I'm here.
Q. You've been competing in Europe for a long time, how do you want to express that experience on the stage of the Olympics, and how do you want to repay your parents?
―Well, first of all, I think you have grown as a person through skiing, and I think that you have grown as a person through skiing. I wish I could tell you.
Q. Four years ago, Sugai made the decision to switch from alpine to ski cross, and this will be his first Olympics. please.
―I'm glad I made the decision four years ago to switch from alpine to ski cross. I have decided to participate in the Olympics, and I have been able to take on the challenge of being the best in the world, which I have always aimed for, so I feel that I have made a very good decision.
Q. How do you want to challenge the Olympics, which are welcomed in the sense that you are glad you changed your mind?
―Since it will be my first time participating in the Olympics, I have a lot of expectations, but I think that things that I didn't expect might happen. When I thought about what I could do to prevent failure, I thought it would be nice if I could just enjoy the Olympics. However, I also feel that I have not been able to express that very well, and I hope that I can give my own answer to this once again on the Olympic stage. It's a stage I've been aiming for all along at the Olympics, and I'm really looking forward to what kind of stage it will be.
Q. I believe that you were coached by Coach Takizawa on the national ski cross team. What did you learn from Coach Takizawa, who actually competed in the World Cup in ski cross?
―What I learned from Coach Takizawa, of course, is the technique, but the thing that I learned the most about myself, and I think I have to learn, is the mental aspect. When I had a meeting when I went to Italy for the last World Cup of the year, I was told that the Olympics were a bonus race. I told him to slide. I feel that I can say that because I am a pioneer in Olympia and ski cross, and that is what I am learning the most, and what I think I have to learn.