Rinka Watanabe: “The view from the center of the rink, and the sound of the cheers and applause echoing around me, are treasures to me. Please give me a little more time to think about what comes next.”
Rinka Watanabe reflected on her seventh-place finish at the All-Japan Championships, expressing gratitude to fans and uncertainty about her future after missing Olympic selection.
original source: Instagram
On December 22, figure skater Rinka Watanabe (23) updated her Instagram, sharing her feelings the day after finishing seventh at the Japanese Nationals. Here’a translation.
Although she did not secure one of the three spots for the Milan-Cortina Olympics next February, which were announced on the 21st, she wrote, “Thank you so much for all the support at the Grand Prix Final and the Japanese Nationals. First, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone,” thanking her fans. Regarding her future, she added, “Please give me a little more time to think about what comes next,” and concluded, “The view from the center of the rink, and the sound of the cheers and applause echoing around me, are treasures to me. Thank you so much.”
Watanabe attempted the difficult triple axel once in the short program and twice in the free skate, successfully landing all three. However, in the free skate, which she entered in sixth place after the SP, two jumps other than the triple axels received deductions, and her program component score, reflecting artistry and presentation, was the sixth highest at 64.08. She scored 140.16 in the free skate, totaling 211.52 points for seventh place, falling short of her first Olympic team selection.
Watanabe had previously said, “The time limit for retirement is approaching.” After her free skate at this event, she commented, “I was thinking about retiring, but maybe this means I should keep going a bit longer. I want to take some time to think about it.”
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