Shizuka Arakawa: “Modern skaters have high quality in all their elements. On the other hand, it might have become harder to express individuality, to leave something unique. It’s a challenging time to reach people’s memories.”

Shizuka Arakawa about the Olympics.

original source: Hochi

Shizuka Arakawa (43), who won a gold medal in women’s figure skating at the 2006 Turin Olympics, spoke to Sports Hochi about her outlook for the Olympics being held in Italy after 20 years. Here’s a translation of her comment.

“I felt during my step sequence that this would be my last competition in my athletic career. Until then, I had not determined when my last would be and just kept pushing forward. When I stopped after my spin, I felt a sense of relief that everything had gone smoothly. More than joy, I felt relief that I fulfilled my role being sought as the Japanese representative. Looking back, I think that was the pressure of representing Japan,” told Arakawa.

The “Ina Bauer,” where she arches her back dramatically while skating, became her signature move. It was also chosen as one of the buzzwords of the year in 2006. The response after her return home was what Arakawa described as her “greatest accomplishment,” giving her a profound sense of fulfillment.

“For me, performing a memorable performance was the ultimate goal. Being an Olympian representing Japan, it’s crucial to leave a recordable achievement. What kind of skating I did at the Olympics — I valued that greatly. It made me happiest to be remembered by people on the street as ‘the Ina Bauer lady.’ Even 20 years later, when they say ‘that person,’ and they know the Ina Bauer, it feels pretty good. That the memory has reached people, I believe, was the greatest result.”

“Originally, I was flexible in the back, and my coach at the time suggested trying to arch it (Ina Bauer), thinking it might create a unique expression. But with the rule change, it felt like an unnecessary movement, so I stopped doing it for a while. There were too many required elements, and there was no room to include Ina Bauer. However, two months prior, my new coach casually incorporated it during the final choreography. Morozov, who had emphasized scoring, insisted, ‘In the midst of everyone losing sight, we should convey the original beauty of figure skating, combining technical skills and artistry, especially at the Olympics.’ His words had an element of surprise, and I brought the Ina Bauer back into my performance.”

The free program was changed to “Turandot” just before the Olympics. At the opening ceremony, Luciano Pavarotti, one of the Three Tenors, performed passionately, and it heightened Arakawa’s spirits. It wasn’t necessarily chosen because it was Italy. At the time, Arakawa relied on her intuition.

“When I camped in Turin in January and visited the venue for the first time, I practiced with the music playing and felt that the free skating music would be better used for the SP. When I had to change the free program as well, ‘Turandot’ came to mind. I had used it before and felt a good sync with the music. I told the coach it seemed suitable for this venue, and he instantly began working on it. Despite the limited time, the coach valued the inspiration I felt locally and progressed together with me.”

20 years after her Olympic victory, figure skating has undergone various rule changes, evolving into its present form. Arakawa shares her thoughts on today’s skaters.

“I think that by awarding points and bonuses to technical points, the system has promoted skaters to pursue perfection in technical aspects. Where previously it was enough just to land the jumps, now how you jump and its elegance are also demanded. Jumps, spins, steps. It’s an era where the completeness of each element is high.”

“Modern skaters are high quality in all their elements. On the other hand, it might have become harder to express individuality. From an era where ‘who’s what’ left an impression, now everyone is skilled. In this sense, it may have become difficult to leave something unique, to make a memorable impression. It’s a challenging time to reach people’s memories. That might be the issue of this era.”

20 years later, as the Japanese team prepares to compete again in Italy, Arakawa encourages the athletes aiming for selection to “enjoy.” She elaborates on the mindset for the upcoming Olympic season, infusing her thoughts.

“I hope they cherish the plans they envision for themselves. The Olympics is a competition that should be seen as special. By understanding what kind of temperament they have as athletes, they can effectively compete in the Olympics. What I’ve felt through the Olympics is that it is the ultimate place to understand oneself. In the year before, unexpected things like boots not fitting happen, making you wonder, ‘Why at this timing?’ That’s part of the difficulty of the Olympic season. I want them to not just aim for normality but to be able to enjoy each moment, including any troubles that arise.”

Related topics: Olympic Games, Shizuka Arakawa