Shoma Uno: “When I won Worlds, seeing how happy Stephane was meant a lot to me. Looking back, that might have been the best moment of my skating life.”
Big interview with Shoma Uno about his career Part 2.
original source: news.yahoo.co.jp dd. 7th October 2024
In the big interview for “Figure Skater’s Oasis: KENJI’s Room” hosted by former ice dancer and world-renowned choreographer Kenji Miyamoto, Shoma Uno talks about his career. The interview is quite big so it’ll be divided for several parts. Here’s a translation of part 2 where Shoma talks about the time leading up to his retirement and his life and plans after.
“Q: In the 2021-22 season, you won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics and reached the 300 points mark for the first time, winning the World Championships. How was your second Olympics?
Shoma Uno: That season, I wasn’t thinking about my performance declining. I just wanted to be a competitor I could be proud of, looking only upwards. I used every jump I could execute, regardless of success rate, and pushed myself as far as I could. It didn’t matter that it was the Olympic season. So, winning the bronze medal in Beijing was incredibly joyous. Initially, I said in interviews, “I’m very happy. I performed well,” but actually, it wasn’t a good performance at all. It was a mess… But I have no regrets about the challenging routine I attempted until the end. I was very happy to have won the bronze medal.
Q: When you won the World Championships, the joy your coach showed was memorable.
Shoma Uno: That was really delightful. Stephane, my coach, always emphasizes “enjoying skating” and wants skaters to have fun. However, he’s also surprisingly passionate about the competitions. You might think of him more for expression than jumps, but he values jumps highly and has a passionate approach to competitions. So, when I won the World Championships, seeing how happy Stephane was meant a lot to me. The performance was also fantastic; I have nothing more to add.
Q: Of course, I was watching the competition and remember it well. Stephane was truly happy. Watching your performance in the competitions, it was funny to see Stephane dancing along (laughs).
Shoma Uno: It’s really funny (laughs). I understand that feeling, getting really into it, especially during the last step sequence. Looking back, that might have been the best moment of my skating life.
Q: The following season, 2022-23, was the first time a Japanese man won back-to-back World Championships.
Shoma Uno: Back-to-back championships… Unlike the year before, I was very pleased with the result, but after it was all over, I felt more relief than happiness. It was a World Championships held in Japan, amidst expectations of “he’s going to win”. It was a tough double victory I had to fight for.
Q: You were actually injured during training, weren’t you?
Shoma Uno: I twisted my ankle during an official practice session. But I think that actually worked out positively for me. My condition wasn’t great at all, but having been injured meant I had no choice but to push forward. I think that was probably a good thing. I’m very happy with the results of this season, but the 2021-22 season was when I was most passionate about competing. Going through the most enjoyable season as a competitor and then winning again, it made me realize just how fun and fascinating it all is.
Q: It’s quite rare to experience something like that, it’s incredible just hearing about it. So, your last season came. You finished second in the Grand Prix Final, won the National Championships, and came fourth in the World Championships. Then in May, you retired from competitive skating. Did you approach your last season with a theme of “returning to your origins?”
Shoma Uno: The two years following the 2022-23 World Championships were seasons filled with contemplation for me. It wasn’t about results or condition, but after achieving what I passionately pursued, it was incredibly difficult. That was a hard realization. Also, seeing significant figures like Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan Chen, who were such substantial presences and competitors for me, retire from professional skating felt like a hole had been punched in my heart. It was similar to when competitions were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I carried these feelings throughout my competitive career. At the same time, during the off-season of the 2022-23 season, I participated in “One Piece on Ice”. It made me realize how much I love this kind of skating. Because of this, I was able to retire without any regrets, and I’m very thankful that there’s a place to showcase figure skating even after retirement. There were seasons in the past with better results than the 2023-24 season, but I wanted to end with a season having no regrets, and I worked hard with that in mind. I believe I achieved that. Looking back at the timeline, it’s long, isn’t it? Nine seasons.
Q: The titles are amazing, aren’t they? Every year, it’s really incredible. By the way, which program is the most memorable for you so far?
Shoma Uno: For me, it’s “Bolero” and “Oboe” from the 2021-22 season. Choreographed by you, Master Kenji.
Q: Thank you for adding that. Actually, “Bolero” came to my mind immediately too.
Shoma Uno: That season, my passion for competition was overflowing non-stop, so I was in a mindset of challenging everything. It was a season where I didn’t think about the risks or failures associated with those challenges, so it became one of the most time-consuming and memorable programs. Honestly, I was really anxious about Bolero. But having Oboe, which gave me confidence, allowed me to focus on Bolero, so thank you, Master Kenji (laughs).
Q: Speaking of which, there was a time you were practicing a lot in Tsuruga, Fukui, right? It was just the two of us, no one else around. “I’ll do it one more time, one more time,” you kept practicing. We talked about various skating techniques and methods during that time. You practiced a lot then, too. It was with so much passion that it could melt the ice.
Shoma Uno: It really felt like it could melt the ice, didn’t it? In Tsuruga, always (smiles wryly). I was moving with all my effort, and there was so much passion.
Q: At the time of your retirement, you spoke about wanting to “search” for your future aspirations. Have you found your next path?
Shoma Uno: Well, nothing specific yet. However, I’m certain that I will continue to skate and be involved with skating. On top of that, personally, I would like to venture into experiences that are new to me. But my pace is quite slow. Unless something serendipitous happens…
Q: Shoma in search of a new path. You’ve chosen three things you’d like to try in the future, let’s take a look at each one. Could you start with the first one?
Shoma Uno: The first one is ice shows. Since I’ve turned professional, aside from the ice shows I’ve participated in the past, I hope to encounter new kinds of ice shows as well. Now that I’m retired, I feel I can take on various challenges. There are many aspects of skating that I can explore, so the first one is ice shows.
Q: There are no rules now, nor scores or a number of jumps to worry about. You probably have many things you want to do, right?
Shoma Uno: Although I am not very agile, like during “One Piece”, I think I like the process of gradually being able to do things that I initially thought I couldn’t. So, I’d love to encounter such opportunities and take them on.
Q: Now, the second one…
Shoma Uno: Video games. For the past three or four years, I’ve been playing a family-friendly fighting game called “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.” I’m stronger than most people around me. Of course, I’m no match against the top players in the gaming community, but I think I definitely wouldn’t lose to anyone I meet. Also, I have this hope that I could turn gaming into a career, so I’ve placed it as my second choice.
Q: I see. Like becoming a commentator or something? Do you want to reach the top in gaming as well?
Shoma Uno: Given my natural disposition, I think I’m better suited to something less in the spotlight. I’m not really an extroverted person, and how I was during my first appearance is more like me. I do want to try entering the world of gaming, but right now I’m just talking about it and not doing anything. I get told “If you want to do it, get moving” (laughs).
Q: What’s the third thing?
Shoma Uno: “Something unexperienced.” It could be within the realm of skating, but not something I’ve done like ice shows, maybe something like commentary. If it’s outside of skating…what could it be? Including appearances on TV, or trying a completely different sport. I don’t necessarily aim to be the best but want to try various fields that I’ve never experienced. There were many things I avoided during my active career to avoid injuries or not to use up my physical stamina. So, I’d like to try something new.
Q: If you want something close by, how about short track? Have you ever worn short track skates? I haven’t even tried hockey.
Shoma Uno: I used to play hockey when I was younger. But I haven’t tried short track, so I’d like to do that.
Q: It might be interesting to experience going that fast using such blades. Next time, let’s go fishing.
Shoma Uno: Fishing sounds good. But I can’t handle touching insects. You have to touch the bait, right?
Q: You don’t have to touch them because there are lures, so it’s safe. But can you handle touching the fish you catch? Are you okay with sashimi?
Shoma Uno: I’ll do my best. I’m okay with sashimi.
Q: Then let’s go fishing and prepare and eat it right there. Let’s make time and go soon.
Shoma Uno: Yes, I’d really like to try that.
Q: Do you have any interest in coaching or choreography?
Shoma Uno: I definitely think I can’t do choreography. I think I could do anything if I studied it from scratch… but if you ask me to create choreography on the spot right now, I’m absolutely sure I couldn’t do it. As for coaching, my thoughts might change later, but for now, I want to polish myself a bit more. I want to become a skater who can be more confident in himself. I think I became a confident competitor when it came to jumps, but that was reliant on jumps. I want to become an expressive skater like the ones I used to admire before I consider coaching.
Q: Now, Shoma, you’ve also become a skater who inspires admiration in everyone. There are many kids who say they like Shoma. What advice would you give to these young skaters?
Shoma Uno: I’d like them to enjoy skating. I’ve managed to maintain good results even after moving up to seniors, but I don’t want them just to think that good results are what matters. Of course, achieving good results is wonderful and starting skating because you admire someone who achieves them is very fortunate. However, there are various ways to think about skating. For me, it’s about enjoying it “easily and happily”. Maybe some people feel more accomplishment after enduring hardships, but for me, it’s definitely about having “fun”.
Q: Even when having fun, there are times you hit a wall and feel troubled. You can’t succeed at jumps no matter how many times you try. Even if you could do it just yesterday, it somehow just doesn’t work today. What do you do in such instances, Shoma? What would you say?
Shoma Uno: I tend to become very analytical. I’ve taught jumping to others a few times, and I always end up being very theoretical. It’s okay because it’s like this, it can’t be helped that it turns out like that. I also convey that things will improve later, but during my active career, I understood the feeling that today is the most important day. So sometimes I find myself at a loss for words, but I think it’s also important not only to focus on the present but to look ahead as well.
Q: That’s true. Being able to comfortably finish that one day before moving on to the next is also important.
Shoma Uno: Exactly. Because I really understand the feeling, I find myself trying hard on that day and it affects the next day, which should have been good turns into… various thoughts like that. I’m not really in a position to say much, so it’s difficult.
Q: If I were to give advice, it would be to look a bit further ahead. Shoma, you’ve been judged in competitions so far, but if you were to score your skating life out of 100, what would it be?
Shoma Uno: 120 points. Regarding being a competitor, I never thought I could become the athlete I am today. Even looking back now, I can’t think of anything I wish I had done differently in a given situation. I’m grateful for the people around me who created a conducive environment for me to exert effort, and I want to praise myself for having engaged in regret-free practice. On that basis, I think I’ve achieved more than I hoped, so I’ve given myself a score of 120.
Q: That’s truly amazing.
Shoma Uno: I made many mistakes, but they always lived on after that. A lot of failures remain just failures, but if the future me works hard, I don’t think that has to be the case, so I have no regrets.
Q: Let’s stop broadcasting just once, and can you say it was me who said that? What you just said was really cool. It’d be nice if the future you works hard. Today, thank you for a really valuable discussion. It was a lot of fun.
Shoma Uno: Yes. It would really be great if the future me works hard, and I also had fun.
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