Shizuka Arakawa: “Malinin takes a high-risk, high-reward approach, while Liu competes with stable and confident elements. However, Japanese skaters’ skating skills, spins, and steps are just as good, if not better, than their rivals.”
Shizuka Arakawa, who won gold in women’s figure skating at the 2006 Turin Olympics, gave an exclusive interview, offering encouragement to the national team.
original source: Tokyo Sports, 22nd January 2026 by Sota Nakanishi
Olympic champion Shizuka Arakawa shares her hopes and insights for the Japanese figure skating team ahead of the Milan-Cortina Olympics, discussing the team’s strengths, key strategies, and her own experiences in Italy. Here’s a translation of her comments.
“Aiming for the First Team Gold Medal
Shizuka Arakawa: I think everyone knows how strong Japan’s men’s and women’s singles skaters are, but now our pairs team is also a gold medal contender. Japan has always been strong, but with the pairs improving, we’re getting closer to the goal of a team gold medal.
Q: What is the key to winning gold?
Shizuka Arakawa: Since we have two Olympic spots in pairs, we don’t have to put all the pressure on Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara; we can work together to challenge for gold. The strategy for who will skate the short program and free in men’s and women’s singles won’t be decided until the last minute, but whoever skates is a medal contender with high ability, so I believe we can go for gold.
Q: Your thoughts on the men’s and women’s singles events?
Shizuka Arakawa: Everyone is in good shape from the start of the season. Ami Nakai (17) is in her first senior season, so I’m curious if she can peak in February, but at her age, peaking may not be as necessary, so she might be able to just go for it. Experienced skaters like Kaori Sakamoto know how to prepare for peak performance. Sakamoto was a medalist at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and has the ability to aim for gold. She’s been world champion three times, so this could be a culmination for her.
Q: Are the main rivals from the U.S.?
Shizuka Arakawa: The most recent world champions are Ilia Malinin for men and Alysa Liu for women. Malinin takes a high-risk, high-reward approach, while Liu competes with stable and confident elements. However, Japanese skaters’ skating skills, spins, and steps are just as good, if not better, than their rivals.
Q: The Olympics return to Italy for the first time since Turin 2006
Shizuka Arakawa: At the Olympics, not only fans who always follow figure skating, but people from all over the world come to cheer, so you hear different kinds of support. That’s part of the fun. But daily life can be a survival game – when I competed, there were power issues, so we couldn’t use the elevator, only one person per floor could use a hair dryer, and it was a frustrating environment (laughs).
Q: Is it important to be prepared for challenges off the ice?
Shizuka Arakawa: How you view these unusual experiences can greatly affect your stress levels. You never know what the athletes’ village or environment will be like, but this time, Ajinomoto is supporting the team with meals, which is a huge help. I hope the athletes make full use of all available resources and compete in top condition.”
Related topics: Olympic Games, Shizuka Arakawa
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