Wakaba Higuchi: “To be honest, I couldn’t imagine being on the podium at Nationals. With last year’s 12th place, I thought I might just keep sliding down. Being able to show this kind of performance now makes me happy.”
Wakaba Higuchi about winning bronze at Nationals.
original source: sportiva.shueisha.co.jp dd.24th December 2024 by Komiya Yoshiyuki
On December 22, at the Japanese Nationals in the women’s singles event, Wakaba Higuchi (23) achieved a bronze medal. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Web Sportiva.
“After finishing my performance, I couldn’t even stand up because I felt like I had given it my all. I had set high goals for myself, but I was able to remain more composed than I thought and produced good results,” Wakaba reflected on her performance, noting it was indeed a strategic approach.
“From the short program at the GP Final, I was practicing adding a combination in the second half, and I finished the Final with that in mind. This season, I’ve been constantly thinking about aiming for the Nationals. I think winning the bronze medal is a result of pushing forward with the mindset that Nationals are the most important competition,” she elaborated.
In the short program, Kaori Sakamoto, Mao Shimada, and Momone Chiba were in the top-3. Wakaba Higuchi, however, closely followed them in fourth place with a score of 71.05. “I had confidence that if I stayed calm in the free skate, everything would be okay,” Higuchi commented, indicating that she indeed had a strategy for victory.
“Now, it’s crucial for me to continue to the next competition without retaining any fatigue. In the past, I might have participated in every competition and tackled them aggressively. But considering my leg’s condition from the injury, I made sure to focus intensely and keep the practice sessions short. I believe these compact and intense practices have contributed to my confidence and my ability to perform in the actual competitions,” she explained.
As noted in the beginning, after her performance, she collapsed and could not get up. The taping on her leg looked painful, and she had been telling herself “10 more minutes to go” before the six-minute warm-up. “I was in an atmosphere so tense, it was like I couldn’t breathe,” she said.
“I was aiming for the Nationals, but thinking about various things, it might have been impossible. To be honest, I couldn’t imagine being on the podium. With last year’s result (12th place), I thought I might just keep sliding down. Since the last time I was on the podium in 2021, the level has increased. Having taken some time off and being able to show this kind of performance now makes me happy. It was good to conclude the competition with a stronger impression in both the short program and the free skate,” Wakaba told.
She is set to compete in the Four Continents Championships in February 2025 and the World Championships in March. “Last season was a comeback season, and it was a bit difficult to give my all, but this season I was able to switch and engage in the competition with a new mindset. I feel that I am managing to skate solidly both in practice and in competitions. It has been a year where I could really feel my growth. From here, I want to step up to the next level and achieve results!”
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