Yuma Kagiyama: “For the World Championships, I want to deliver a more passionate performance. I also want to elevate both the jump content and quality and aim for the top.”
Translation of Yuma Kagiyama’s comments about Japanese Nationals.
original source: number.bunshun.jp dd. 30 December 2023 by Yoshie Noguchi
Here’s a translation of Yuma Kagiyama’s comments about Japanese Nationals from the article posted on Sports Graphic Number Web.
In the short program, Yuma fall on the quad salchow and placed third, hevexpressed his intense frustration, stating, “I am simply frustrated. From the six-minute warm-up, I felt the unique atmosphere and tension of the Japanese Nationals. After the six-minute warm-up, while I was preparing, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s starting,’ and before I knew it, I was in the starting pose, and before I realized, I failed the quadruple salchow. I wasn’t like I was thinking about unnecessary things, but…”
“Nationals do have a different atmosphere compared to the Grand Prix series. It’s hard to express in words, but everyone knows each other, competing for the title of the best in Japan. Everyone is gearing up for this. I was also trying to elevate my emotions,” said Kagiyama.
As for the tough competition, Yuma mentioned, “I could sense that everyone would deliver good performances from the official practice and six-minute warm-up, so I tried not to watch the performances of other skaters. The audience was enthusiastic, so I wanted to ride that wave.”
“In times like these, it’s crucial not to be swayed by what’s happening around. While the good performances by others can be motivating, there’s no need to rush because of that. My biggest rival is myself, so I want to concentrate on what I need to do.”
So he describe his mindset for the fraa skate as “Today, I focused solely on not forgetting to breathe. Unlike the day before yesterday (in the short progrmam – ed.), I tried to maintain my composure without being overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the venue. On a day like today, I absolutely had to deliver a perfect performance. At times like this, instead of being concerned about the results, I only thought about giving it my all.”
In the free skate, he took the lead with 198.16 points, securing a silver medal with a total of 292.10 points. However, after the awards ceremony, he spoke during an interview “I haven’t processed everything yet, so I can only say simple things, but I’m happy yet frustrated, and frustrated yet happy.”
“The competition turned out to be more challenging than I expected. Despite the lingering regret from last year, I think it was good that I could perform to the best of my ability. Truly, becoming Japan’s best is the most challenging. I believe everyone thinks so. In the high-level competition among Japanese male skaters, it’s enjoyable for everyone to strive and improve together, uplifting the sport. Next year, my goal is to achieve a perfect performance and win the gold medal.”
As for the World Championships, Kagiyama said, “I feel that as I am now, I won’t be able to stand at the top of the world.”
“I’m still at a stage where I can increase the technical content, so I intend to add more quads. Once I return to Nagoya, I want to think about and work on the next jump sequence. Whether to include a quadruple flip or add one more quadruple jump, I will decide in the future, but I’ll strive to expand my capabilities.”
“For the World Championships, I want to deliver a more passionate performance than this time. Adding another quadruple jump will also change the choreography, so together with coach Kostner, we will refine the program. I want to elevate both the jump content and quality and aim for the top.”
Related topics: Yuma Kagiyama
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