Rinka Watanabe: “It was a very frustrating competition. However, successfully landing the axel is something to be proud of.”
Rinka Watanabe on her performance at the Cup of China 2024.
original source: Nikkansports dd. 24th November 2024 by Kengo Abe
Rino Matsuike (21) who finished 5th at the Cup of China Grand Prix 2024 commented on her performance. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Nikkansports.
“It was a very frustrating competition. I wanted to perform without any mistakes. However, successfully landing the axel could be a significant step forward. I’m sorry (tears up).” Rinka said, looking disappointed.
She attempted the challenging triple axel, and although she was a quarter rotation short, she managed to land it. “Honestly, I really wanted to nail it here. I wanted to perform without any mistakes. But having been able to jump the axel, I think it can carry over to the Japanese Nationals. I aim to include an axel in both the short and free programs there.”
“I had the image of staying calm and finishing strong after landing the axel. However, I ran out of energy part way through. Although I practiced not letting my other jumps be affected if the axel failed, I haven’t been able to execute everything flawlessly in practice. I hope to refine this in the month leading up to the Nationals,” Rinka reflected.
“Of course, I have a lot of regrets, but I also think that what I managed to do was significant. Being able to land the Axel well at this competition and having many takeaways was really good, I think now.”
“While I had landed it a few times during the summer, it only really started coming back last Saturday. I’ve been truly landing it about five times a week, but even if I fall during the six-minute practice, I think I have the strength to nail it during the competition, and that is something to be proud of. However, maintaining my performance in other elements even after landing the axel is still something I see room for improvement. I want to work on this leading up to the Nationals,” she shared her feelings about successfully performing the triple axel in competition and boosting her confidence.
Speaking about her goals for the next competition she told: “Firstly, I want to reduce the mistakes in my steps. While my spins were notably problematic at Skate America, they have been at a level in practice that reflects the results, which is positive. Next, to perform flawlessly even with the axel and to keep skating strongly until the end is what I’d like to focus on this next month.”
Related topics: Cup of China, Rinka Watanabe
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