Shoma Uno: “I never encountered any Olympic monsters myself, and I don’t really know what people mean by that. I just thought, ‘I’m lucky I can play games during the competition period!’ I was like, ‘I’m stuck for two weeks, so I can play a lot of video games!’”
Olympic medalist Shoma Uno spoke at the stage greeting for the “Ice Brave Shin-Yokohama Special Edition” screening, reflecting on his approach to skating, his playful attitude toward competition, and his evolving sense of responsibility as a professional.
original source: sportiva.shueisha.co.jp dd 10th April 2026 by Komiya Yoshiyuki
Here’s a translation of hi comments posted on Web Sporttiva.
“I’m able to skate freely, and as you can see, I’m doing so,” Uno said. “Ice Brave is now on its third installment… My motto has always been ‘keep challenging myself.’ That started during my competitive days, but for the show, I’ve tried to create challenges that go beyond what people expect, so everyone can enjoy it. That core idea hasn’t changed in ‘Ice Brave -A TURNING SEASON-.’ I’ll keep challenging myself for everyone’s enjoyment, and I think the other members will do the same.”
“As the leader, at first I felt I had to take charge and that nothing would start unless I spoke up. But now, I don’t need to say anything; I just enjoy practicing every day as one of the team. At first, I was tense, but what matters is whether we find it fun. If we do, the audience will enjoy, be surprised, and moved. The most important thing is that the team members get along well.”
At the Milan-Cortina Olympics, his post about “the quad god” Ilia Malinin missing out on a medal due to unexpected mistakes became a topic of conversation.
“It’s often said that there are monsters at the Olympics, so I think people should start learning Zoltorak,” Uno posted, referencing a magic spell from the popular manga ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.’ Originally created by demons to counter humans, it was later adapted by wizards as an attack spell.
“I didn’t think deeply about that post. I never encountered any monsters at the Olympics myself, and I don’t really know what people mean by ‘monsters.’ As I’ve said on social media, I just thought, ‘I’m lucky I can play games during the competition period!’ I was like, ‘I’m stuck for two weeks, so I can play a lot of games!’”
Uno joked, but it’s not laziness or thick-skinned indifference. He’s not obsessed with winning, believing “you can’t do more in competition than you do in practice.” Perhaps that’s the essence of Zoltorak.
This mindset has continued into his professional skating career, though he says there have been changes.
“I watch skating more now, probably because I retired from competition. My seniors told me, ‘You have to work harder at skating after retirement.’ When I was competing, I thought it was lucky if I had time to play games, but now, whether I’m skating or working outside of skating, it’s not just my time – it’s everyone’s time. That’s made me feel more responsible. When I was competing, I’d sometimes think, ‘I’m not in the mood today’ during morning practice, but now I don’t think that way. I’m not doing it because someone told me to; I do it because I want to. The desire to improve comes naturally.”
Uno is ambitious in his approach to skating. At the end of the interview, he was asked:
“At the Milan-Cortina Olympics, your fellow competitors also fought hard. As a performer, was there anything you wanted to incorporate?”
“I watched the Milan Olympics. I realized again how interesting figure skating is as a sport. When I was competing, I was always complaining (laughs), but as a spectator, I thought, ‘This is fun!’ Standing alone on the rink in that environment is nerve-wracking, so the audience gets excited, and while the competitors may not enjoy it, it’s designed to be entertaining for viewers. I’m also excited to see how skating will develop after the Milan Olympics.”
Related topics: Shoma Uno
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