Rino Matsuike: “Definitely, once you succeed, it makes you feel like you can do it again. Delivering a solid performance in such competitions is incredibly difficult, but it’s very important to me.”
Rino Matsuike on winning silver at the Finlandia Trophy 2024.
original source: Nikkansports / Nikkansports / Nikkansports dd. 1th Navomber 2024 by Honoka Takemoto
Rino Matsuike (20) who started in 4th place in the short program and missed victory due to a 1-point deduction commented on winning silver at the Finlandia Trophy 2024. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Nikkansports.
After the competition, while checking the scores and laughing, she couldn’t hide her disappointment. “I was penalized with a time-out, resulting in a minus 1.0 deduction. If it weren’t for that, I would have had 200 points, so it’s really frustrating. The program was originally made very close to the limit, and I had been penalized for a time-out in another competition in Japan as well. I think the reason it happened this time might be because I was slightly slow entering the combination spin. I tried to hurry, but it seems I didn’t make it in time,” she reflected.
However, regarding her performance, she was satisfied, saying, “I was able to land the jumps I was confident with and skate freely.” Following Skate Canada, she won a silver medal and was thrilled, “Being on the podium in both competitions is unbelievable. I’m still not fully realizing it. I’m filled with great joy to be on the podium with Hana-chan.”
“Both competitions had mistakes in the free program, but I was able to pull through. Being able to perform well in both competitions has boosted my confidence, and I feel that I’ve grown quite a bit. I hope to maintain this state and carry it into the next competition,” Rino told.
When asked how she feels about potentially advancing to the Grand Prix Final, Rino told: “Last year, I only had one competition, and there was no talk of making the Finals, so having my name mentioned this year and achieving such a result that significantly advances my standing feels like growth from last year, and I’m truly happy about it. Right now, I’m still feeling a sense of accomplishment, so I haven’t thought about the next step yet. If I get the chance to participate, I would be really surprised, and part of me isn’t sure if I’m the right person for it. But if I do get the chance, I will practice diligently, switch my mentality and aim for no mistakes in both the short and free programs in daily practice.”
“I tend to get nervous and easily express weaknesses, so I don’t think that has changed,” she reflected on the things that improved. “However, I do feel that I have gradually gained the strength not to collapse under critical moments in competitions. I hope to continue strengthening this inner resilience. Definitely, once you succeed, it makes you feel like you can do it again. Delivering a solid performance in such competitions is incredibly difficult, but it’s very important to me.”
Looking forward, she aims for the Japanese Nationals, and through her experiences in these two competitions, she plans to refine her skills, “There were costly mistakes, so I need to increase my practice time. Nationals is a huge stage. There’s always a lot of tension, and recently it hasn’t been going so well for me. Having gained experience on the world stage, I might have gotten a bit stronger against the nerves. I hope to utilize that at Nationals this year and perform well.”
Rino also admitted that she feels the pressure from younger skaters. “The level really seems to be getting higher. Everyone is truly skilled, and it feels like I could easily be overtaken,” she said with a laugh but promised, “I want to show what I can do as a senior.”
Related topics: Finlandia Trophy, grand prix, Rino Matsuike
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