Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita: “We’ve worked all this time to secure an Olympic spot. Of course, we want results, but we also want to enjoy the experience.”
Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita begin Olympic Qualifier with confidence
original source: Nikkansports, September 18th, 2025
Japan’s ice dance duo Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita aim to claim one of four remaining Olympic spots at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics final qualifiers in Beijing, drawing strength from overwhelming support and preparing optimistically for the rhythm dance. Here’s a translation of their comments posted on Nikkansports.
Utana Yoshida (22) and Masaya Morita (21), affectionately referred to as “Utamasa,” are determined to secure a spot at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. Competing for one of the four remaining quotas for ice dance, the duo linked to Kinoshita Academy found motivation in the overwhelming support from fans and teammates.
Official practice commenced with a 30-minute session on the main rink. They performed a full run-through of their rhythm dance. Yoshida commented, “The venue is really large, and the ice feels good. It’s still a bit soft, but I think it will firm up over time. For our first practice here, our bodies are moving well, and we’re in great form. I’m excited for the competition,” she said with a smile.
Japan’s ice dance duo did not secure a national or regional Olympic spot at the World Championships in March (Boston, USA), making this qualifier a crucial opportunity. Japan has already secured Olympic spots for men’s and women’s singles as well as pairs. If Japan qualifies to compete in the team event, ice dance would also receive an Olympic berth. However, Utana and Masaya are determined to earn their spot independently.
Before departing to Beijing, the pair received encouraging words from their Kyoto-Uji training partners, including ice dance duo “Ikuko” (Ikura Kushida and Koshiro Shimada) and the pair team “Ayuluca” (Ayumi Kagotani and Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda). “We were told, ‘Do your best!’ and we want to make sure to deliver,” shared Morita.
Reflecting on their journey, Morita said, “We’ve worked all this time to secure an Olympic spot. Of course, we want results, but we also want to enjoy the experience. We’ll keep that in mind as we prepare for the rhythm dance on the 19th.”
Related topics: Masaya Morita, Utana Yoshida
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