News Shoma Uno retires from competitive skating

[yuumagical]

I am not fluent in Japanese, but from what I was able to understand, Shoma will continue on as a pro skater but is eager to try out new things. He seemed quite happy with where he is in life and that his retirement had made him free (in a good way). It seems like his sponsor, Toyota, will help him out too. He smiled a lot and generally had a confident tone of voice. I never expected to feel so happy after a retirement press conference for my favorite skater, but I feel that things will go well for him moving forward.

 

[Arriba627]

If you go to @livedoornews on Twitter, they are doing extensive posts of the content of the press conference. It had a great, positive vibe to it

 

[lariko]

Hoping to see a summary in this thread on his retirement conference!

 

[Arriba627]

SHOMA UNO PRESS CONFERENCE – 5-14-24--PART 1

There is no change in my decision to continue on the path of skating. I have decided to retire from active figure skating. I am truly grateful to everyone who has supported me up until now, and I will continue on my path as professional skater, so I would be happy if you continue to support me. Thank you everyone.

I will continue to skate with all my might for the next stage. Now that I have announced my retirement, my honest feelings are that when I entered this venue, I was so happy to see so many people who have always looked after me smiling. Also, seeing so many people gather at this retirement press conference makes me feel like my path as a figure skater, having worked hard until this day, is truly being realized, and it also makes me realize how much support I have received from so many people.

Q. What was the reaction after you announced your retirement? I’m not very active on social media, but I am truly grateful to receive so many messages. Rather than feeling sad about my retirement, I feel very positive, and I will continue skating for a long time to come, so I don’t feel sad at all. Of course, I’m very happy to hear from those who are sad, but this announcement is also intended to convey my determination to give my all in skating again in the future, so I hope that you will continue to enjoy supporting me in the future.

Q. You said that you received a lot of messages from both your seniors and juniors, and that you felt loved by many people. Everyone is really warm-hearted. Just like today, I think there have been many times in the past when I have spoken to the media in my own words, however I pleased, and when I have not been considerate at all towards my seniors and juniors, or acted like a senior. Everyone is really nice and a great senior, but there are also a lot of juniors who are more accomplished than me, so I’m really looking forward to the future of the figure skating world.

I think it was news that excited the world, but I don’t think it was that exciting (laughs). But I really think that just shows how many people are paying attention to figure skating and supporting me. I’m very grateful to all the people I’ve met through figure skating, and I hope I can provide some support in the future.

Q. How do you feel looking back at your achievements so far? I never thought I would become an athlete like this, and I never thought I would become someone who can actually speak like this in front of people so I am really grateful to have come across figure skating, and I’m amazed at everything...I never thought I would be able to achieve good results at the Olympic stage that I watched on TV. Until about three or four years ago, I never really thought I would be able to become an athlete who could win the World Championships again, so I feel that this encounter with figure skating has been a very moving experience for me.

Q. what is the reason for your success so far? I really feel that I have been blessed with the people around me and the people I have met. I don’t really have much to do on my own initiative, especially since I’m an indoor person. I’m happy when people say I’m a very hard worker, but that’s not really the case. The people around me really supported me so that I could do what I wanted and do it freely, and I think that the fact that I was able to give it my all led to this amazing result. Until recently, when I was still active, I would be looking for challenges and making comments about them, but now when I look back, I realize that I have really come a long way.

Professional skating matches my lifestyle perfectly. However, no matter what happens, it’s not often that I get to perform my own figure skating in such a tense and highly publicized setting, so I’m grateful to everyone who supported me, and I want to give myself a big pat on the back for having devoted myself to figure skating every day up to this day.

Q. I’m very grateful to hear your comments about fans saying they will be sad to no longer be able to see the competitive performances. I’m really happy that there are people who are looking forward to this sport, figure skating, a sport that I have given my all to, but I don’t think that will change my intention to continue to devote my all to skating. The form may change completely, but I want to pursue the form of figure skating that I believe is best, so I would be happy if you would support me. I want to skate in a way that makes everyday practice fun and that I can dance from the heart. I thought that since I would be away from competition, I would be able to pursue figure skating freely. I’m free to do it or not, and whether I jump, spin, or whatever I do, I can choose for myself, so I think it matches my way of life really well, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Q. Is this like going beyond the boundaries of the sport and going “full throttle” with Shoma Uno? That’s right. I think that since I decided to retire, and even after my last competition, I’ve been practicing more, not like I have to do this again, but like I want to try this, and I’ve been able to practice skating every day with a high degree of freedom, with that exciting feeling.

Q. How was the last season? I am truly grateful to my juniors for making me feel their passion, wanting to achieve results after competing through the year and deciding to become an athlete.

But it was really fun. I feel very grateful that there is a place where I can give my all, and I also think that throughout my final year, every competition I competed in was a performance that came from giving it my all. Of course, there may have been many successes and failures, but I believe that both were equally important and that both successes and failures were precious times for me.

Q. Regarding your consecutive second place finishes at the Cup of China, NHK, and the Final, while you wanted results, you also wanted to see yourself give your all as a figure skater. Right now, all I have left is a feeling of true satisfaction. This footage you’re showing now is a photo taken immediately after the World Championships, and they look so satisfied, like they’ve done their best, so of course there may be a part of them that thinks the result is the most important thing. However, even when the reslts aren’t great like this, just looking at this smile and this photo, they loo very happy, so I think it shows there’s more to it than that.

Q. About the smile you showed at the last World Championships, I think it was these past three months, we’ve been practicing all the time. I think the practice we’ve done in preparation for these World Championships has led to that smile. In the past, when I wasn’t able to achieve the results I’d practice in a competition, I would get frustrated and depressed, but after 21 years of figure skating, I’ve realized that the daily efforts I’ve put in have enabled me to become an athlete who can finish a competition with a smile on my face, and I think I’ve come one step closer to the skater I wanted to be when I was little.

 

[Arriba627]

^^^NOTE: This is Part 1. There is still more that I will post later. This was through Google Translate. It was a little hard to follow because they posted it in a bunch of pieces, but it pretty much makes sense. I think I may have lost a piece of it but will check later.

 

[yuumagical]

Some actual English press releases about Shoma's retirement press conference include this piece from Olympics.com as well as this piece from Kyodo News. (Though why did the Olympics piece get the location of his first World Championships victory wrong? Gahhh)

Honestly, I'm not the type to trust machine translations very much when it comes to Japanese; a lot can get lost in translation with how contextual the language can get. Although I am not an expert in the language, I would like to produce a manual translation of some of Shoma's more informative remarks at some point in time. (Okay, and there's a part of me that wants to use his remarks as a method of getting better at the language...)

 

[Arriba627]

SHOMA UNO PRESS CONFERENCE – 5-14-24 -- PART 2

Q. When did you decide to end your career at this season? I first started thinking about retirement about two years ago. However, even though I couldn’t really imagine myself retiring, from that point on, I continued to dedicate myself to skating with all my might, and since then I’ve had a variety of experiences, which has brought me to where I am today. The time when I decided clearly was gradually approaching. However, as for when I told my coach, after the All Japan Championships were over, I told Coach Stephane that I wanted to retire from active competition after the next tournament.

Q What have you gained or felt from experiencing the big stage? I’ve never been someone who was good at standing in front of people and speaking like this, or performing on a big stage. By experiencing a big stage once, I think it helps to make you feel less nervous, but even when it’s not a big stage, there are many times when I get nervous, even in my private life. What I think most about it is that I will look back and think of it as a precious treasure, a valuable experience that I could only have now. I think the scene or tournament that I can relive over and over is the sight of Stephane’s joy after winning the first World Championship. It’s a memory that remains very vivid in my memory.

Q. What was the reason or trigger that made you start thinking about retiring? Originally, rather than being motivated by a strong desire to achieve great results, I had always wanted to do my best every day and give it my all to make the best possible performance in the competition that was coming up. After I won the World Championship once, of course my desire to continue working hard didn’t change, but with the retirements of Yuzuru and Nathan, and the retirements of my teammates who I’d fought alongside for so long, I felt very lonely and like I’d been left behind, and I think that’s when I started to think about it.

Regarding any regrets about leaving the sport, to be honest I don’t have any. Personally, I’m really happy that I’ll be able to skate freely again, but when I look back at old footage, I realize how hard I worked. I don’t want to praise myself too much for being able to hone the same thing every day to this extent, but I do think I’ve accomplished something truly amazing.

Q. What was the most memorable match between you and Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan? To me, they were two incredible skaters who were like gods to me. I always thought I would like to be able to compete on the same level as them someday. I don’t know if I would have been able to reach that point, but I do think I was able to live my life as a figure skater to the fullest in my own way. As for what will be memorable, rather than the tournament itself, I think that what will stick in my memory is the truly wonderful humanity of the two of them.

Regarding a second career as an athlete – Up until now I’ve been living pretty much the same routine every day, so I feel like I need to have a lot of different experiences, including in the future. (MC: Telling children about the appeal of figure skating, etc.?) I also started skating because I admired Mao, so when I was little, rather than being particularly attracted to skating or anything like that, I think it was mostly because I wanted to become like the skaters I admired, and therefore wanted to play the same sport. But it’s amazing that I can now be in that position. It’s a very moving experience. I’d like to ask the opposite question. I’d like to know what it is about me that the players and everyone who looks up to me admire.

Q. In the field of figure skating, you have been able to express yourself amongst athletes with larger statures. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage because of your short stature? I’m really glad I chose figure skating. First of all, with my height of 157 cm., there aren’t many other sports in which I can excel, so I feel truly blessed to have taken up figure skating. I don’t think I ever had any negative thoughts about that.

Q. What message would you like to give to the younger skaters who will be competing against rising skaters such as Malinin? I recently skated an old program at an ice show, so I had the chance to watch footage of my old competitions. When I watch videos of myself, I realize that I have really evolve in terms of my expression compared to the past. I’m looking forward to seeing figure skating get increasingly more advanced, and all the younger Japanese skaters are really nice. First of all, they all get along really well. Of course, everyone wants to achieve good results, but I hope that as many skaters as possible will emerge who can have the most fun and embody the type of skating that I am aiming for.

Q. What are you thinking about when you are skating? When I was little, I was a very introverted person and couldn’t speak in front of people. I don’t think my parents ever thought that I would be able to stand on the ice alone and perform in front of that many people. On the contrary, it is precisely because I am the only one there that they can properly see the world and expression that I create. I’m very grateful that, here and elsewhere, people listen to what I have to say sincerely and report on it, and I think that’s why it’s a place where I can easily express my true colors. I think that because I’m not the type of person who is very good at communicating, this was a sport and environment that suited me well. Also, regarding the skating I want to perform in the future, first of all I want to give it my all. I want to create programs that I can enjoy every day, and show programs that really express my emotions. I’m excited to think that I’ll be able to create great programs in the future that are born from the feeling that I want to do it, not that I have to do it.

Q. To be honest, I don’t know what motivates someone to pursue skating. I’ve loved video games since I was really little, so at first,I just worked hard at skating because I really wanted to play games. (My note: I think the better he did at his practices, the more time Mother gave him to game.) However, as I continued skating every day, I gradually became attracted to the appeal of skating and the idea of myself being able to compete at the world’s top level. I also think that it’s very important to have a place where I can give it my all, or to devote all my time to it, including my hobbies. I realized that being able to give it your all no matter how depressed you are is an incredibly valuable thing, although sometimes it can be tiring. However, I believe that the time I have spent facing this challenge single-mindedly will become an asset for me in the future, and I believe this experience will be something that I can make use of in my life going forward.

 

[Arriba627]

Honestly, I'm not the type to trust machine translations very much when it comes to Japanese; a lot can get lost in translation with how contextual the language can get. Although I am not an expert in the language, I would like to produce a manual translation of some of Shoma's more informative remarks at some point in time. (Okay, and there's a part of me that wants to use his remarks as a method of getting better at the language...)

Some of the nuances may get lost, but I think the overall impression shines through. And the whole thing is so Shoma -- classy, grateful, thankful, I'm blessed, I have no regrets, etc. I typed that all out by hand because I was impressed that it actually made sense!!!!!...The kids loved him when he made an appearance a while ago at the Toyota Sports Camp, and I truly hope he'll continue to do stuff like that. He can (and will!) be an inspiration.

 

[yuumagical]

Some of the nuances may get lost, but I think the overall impression shines through. And the whole thing is so Shoma -- classy, grateful, thankful, I'm blessed, I have no regrets, etc. I typed that all out by hand because I was impressed that it actually made sense!!!!!...The kids loved him when he made an appearance a while ago at the Toyota Sports Camp, and I truly hope he'll continue to do stuff like that. He can (and will!) be an inspiration.

I admittedly decided to read the machine translation you posted...and a surprisingly large amount does appear to shine through. As for Shoma saying that he wonders why younger skaters look up to him...I think the kind way in which he said everything helps answer his question. I would still like to check Shoma's words on my own at some point, though (perhaps after I stop watching all the Japanese news reports on him...).

 

[Arriba627]

I admittedly decided to read the machine translation you posted...and a surprisingly large amount does appear to shine through. As for Shoma saying that he wonders why younger skaters look up to him...I think the kind way in which he said everything helps answer his question. I would still like to check Shoma's words on my own at some point, though (perhaps after I stop watching all the Japanese news reports on him...).

Hey no worries! You understand I'm just jealous cos you speak Japanese WAY better than I do!!!!!! I guess after reading Google Translate for 9 years, it's almost started to make sense to me. SCARY!!!! (I did find a couple typos tho and will go back and make corrections)

 

[yuumagical]

Hey no worries! You understand I'm just jealous cos you speak Japanese WAY better than I do!!!!!! I guess after reading Google Translate for 9 years, it's almost started to make sense to me. SCARY!!!! (I did find a couple typos tho and will go back and make corrections)

Honestly, Shoma's part of the reason I know Japanese as well as I do today. Seeing all the kind Japanese fans, as well as Shoma, at GPF 2018 during my first live figure skating event really made me want to study it again in order to be a bridge between Japanese-speaking and English-speaking skating fans. Writing fan letters to Shoma as well as watching his humorous YouTube videos certainly helped. I am still nowhere near where I want to be with my Japanese abilities, but I'm thankful that I've been able to speak not only to Japanese fans, but also to some Japanese skaters as well...including Shoma himself. I never could have imagined something like that would happen! The thought of seeing Shoma in Saitama also helped me realize my longtime dream of seeing Japan in 2023... Really, I don't know where I would be in life today if it weren't for him.

 

[Arriba627]

@yuumagical So glad you were inspired and got to realize some of your dreams! Kudos to you for sticking with it. It takes discipline to learn a language! Speaking of that, you recommended a program for learning Japanese one time. Can you tell me the name of it again please?

 

[yuumagical]

^^^So glad you were inspired and got to realize some of your dreams! Kudos to you for sticking with it. It takes discipline to learn a language! Speaking of that, you recommended a program for learning Japanese one time. Can you tell me the name of it again please?

Oh yes! I recommend the Lingodeer app, although I recommend a teacher to start out with even more (online or in-person)! (I kinda feel bad that this thread has drifted...)

 

[labgoat]

I have thoroughly enjoyed Shoma during his amateur career. The care he took in crafting his programs, costumes and choreography has made him a skater I always looked forward to watching. I agree that professional skating is the best direction for him now. I look forward to seeing what he creates in this new venue. Bravo Shoma thanks for sharing your wonderful skating and rest easy and know that your longevity was well rewarded. Best wishes as a pro!

 

[anonymoose_au]

Aww no, not Shomajesty!

Much thanks to him for all the joy he gave and hope he has a retirement as awesome as he is.

He is now President Emeritus of the Small But Mighty Club.

 

[Arriba627]

For those who used the translation that was on the screen during the press conference, there was some WEIRD stuff! Besides this one, there was something about a "military unit" and a few other odd things. I think the written translation was much better...So in this clip, when one retires, one is no longer a man but is now -- what? An alien?

 

[yuumagical]

For those who used the translation that was on the screen during the press conference, there was some WEIRD stuff! Besides this one, there was something about a "military unit" and a few other odd things. I think the written translation was much better...So in this clip, when one retires, one is no longer a man but is now -- what? An alien?
View attachment 8039

He is no longer a man, but is now a god of skating? Ah, a fangirl could dream.

Could you please provide me with a timestamp of that moment so I could give you a less weird translation? I'm pretty sure becoming another creature or divine was NOT what was implied there.