Shoma Uno: “Of course, success is commonly regarded as the better result, but for me, the time and passion I spent skating, including all the failures, have been just as much valuable.”
Shoma Uno about his feelings after retirement.
original source: Nikkansports
Shoma Uno announced his decision to retire from competetive sport and will be holding a retirement press conference on May 14th. Recently he has attended a special event for “Colantotte”, which signed an advisory contract, at the Chukyo TV headquarters in Nagoya City on May 11. This was his first public appearance since he announced his retirement. Here’s a translation of his comments posted on Nikkansports.
Looking back on this season, his last as a competitive skater, Shoma commented, “Not just this season, but I think both successes and failures were good experiences for me. Of course, success is commonly regarded as the better result, but for me, the time and passion I spent skating, including all the failures, have been just as much valuable. I would like to praise both my successes and failures. I think all along it’s been a great season for me.” He mentioned the NHK Trophy, where he came in second, as a significant competition, saying, “It was a great competition for me. My coach was the one who was the happiest. If I had to pick one from this season, it would be that one (NHK Trophy)”.
Shoma was asked whether he has experienced any changes in his feelings after World Championships and he replied, “I’ve found that I have more smiles. Throughout my career in skating, I’ve worked hard to aim for higher things. While it was a wonderful time, trying to aim high definitely made some of my smiles less natural. I’m sure there have been times when I haven’t been able to fully become myself. I’m not saying I’m going to ‘search’, but I hope I can find it on my own terms and help those around me.”
“Since the end of the World Championships, I’ve been feeling refreshed. I was allowed to participate in the Prince Ice World, and I skated an old program (Ladies in Lavender OST), and realized that, ‘I could skate that well.’ I’ve been saying that my recent performances have become ‘all about jumps,’ but I was able to feel that, ‘I had become able to do so much more than jumps.’ I was struck by how much the level of competition has increased. Looking back at the program from several years ago, which required all the effort I could muster at the time, it felt so lacking compared to now. I’m glad that I’ve grown so much and that men’s figure skating has become so much more competitive,” said Shoma.
Shoma also shared he will be rooting for his friends Kazuki Tomono, Sota Yamamoto, Takashiro Shimada and Rio Nakata. “I’m really rooting for all of them. I support all the men’s figure skaters, but I root for these four who came to this event even more, and it’s great that they’re doing well. But as I have been, I hope they can enjoy their competitive life while doing the skating they want to do. I want to support them with everything I have in any way I can. And I hope you all continue to support them too.”
He also expressed gratitude to his fans, “Because of your support and blessings, I can speak freely in such a setting and do what I love. You all have supported me wholeheartedly on the path I wanted to go down. That’s why I can express my thanks”.
Related topics: Shoma Uno
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