YukiNieve
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A moving interview with Masakazu Kagiyama, who is Yuma Kagiyama's coach/father since Yuma was 5 years old:
www.sponichi.co.jp
Long ago, coach/farther Masakazu had sensed his son had surpassed him. Immediately after Yuma won silver at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, with deeper convictions, he brought up the subject. “To take the next step, we need a different environment.” For two or three months, he tried to persuade his son, Yuma, to train under another coach. Yuma shook his head the entire time. "I need you," he said.
“Because we've always been together, I don't know if he'd say just having me nearby gives him strength, but I think I play a big role in his mental aspect,” Masakazu said. The new season was already approaching. Reflecting on how short his son's time as an athlete would be, Masakazu decided to continue as his coach “so he wouldn't have regrets,” leading to the present.
Masakazu competed in the 1992 Albertville and 1994 Lillehammer Olympics before transitioning to coaching in 2005. Born in 2003, Yuma began training at age 5 and inherited his father's analytical nature, pursuing the essence of things. During car rides between the practice rink and home, their conversations would persist, meticulously tracing the reasons behind every occurrence on the ice.
In 2018, when Yuma was in his 3rd year of middle school, Masakazu suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. During his approximately 6 months hospitalization, his son brought practice videos with him every time he visited his farther. The coach himself desperately made every effort to rehabilitate himself, thinking “I want to get to the rink on my own no matter what, even if I have to use a cane.” After returning to the rink, having lost his greatest teaching method—teaching his son directly on the ice—he spent every night poring over his notebook, devising ways to convey his message through words.
His most important role for his son is “how to give him that final push before the competition so he can skate comfortably.” This season, his second Olympic season, he proposed a program that brings out Yuma's signature skating skills. Yuma is now moving forward as a strong medal contender, having placed second at this month's Grand Prix Final.
Masakazu reveals that “In my mind, I feel this might be the final path Yuma and I walk together. As the countdown begins, each single session, each single practice, feels even more valuable.”
His father's final, powerful push propels his son toward the summit.
【フィギュア】鍵山優真、頂点へ父・正和コーチ最後の一押し 19日開幕全日本選手権 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex スポーツ
来年2月のミラノ・コルティナ五輪代表最終選考会を兼ねるフィギュアスケート全日本選手権が19日から3日間、東京・国立代々木競技場で行われる。男子の有力候補であ…
Long ago, coach/farther Masakazu had sensed his son had surpassed him. Immediately after Yuma won silver at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, with deeper convictions, he brought up the subject. “To take the next step, we need a different environment.” For two or three months, he tried to persuade his son, Yuma, to train under another coach. Yuma shook his head the entire time. "I need you," he said.
“Because we've always been together, I don't know if he'd say just having me nearby gives him strength, but I think I play a big role in his mental aspect,” Masakazu said. The new season was already approaching. Reflecting on how short his son's time as an athlete would be, Masakazu decided to continue as his coach “so he wouldn't have regrets,” leading to the present.
Masakazu competed in the 1992 Albertville and 1994 Lillehammer Olympics before transitioning to coaching in 2005. Born in 2003, Yuma began training at age 5 and inherited his father's analytical nature, pursuing the essence of things. During car rides between the practice rink and home, their conversations would persist, meticulously tracing the reasons behind every occurrence on the ice.
In 2018, when Yuma was in his 3rd year of middle school, Masakazu suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. During his approximately 6 months hospitalization, his son brought practice videos with him every time he visited his farther. The coach himself desperately made every effort to rehabilitate himself, thinking “I want to get to the rink on my own no matter what, even if I have to use a cane.” After returning to the rink, having lost his greatest teaching method—teaching his son directly on the ice—he spent every night poring over his notebook, devising ways to convey his message through words.
His most important role for his son is “how to give him that final push before the competition so he can skate comfortably.” This season, his second Olympic season, he proposed a program that brings out Yuma's signature skating skills. Yuma is now moving forward as a strong medal contender, having placed second at this month's Grand Prix Final.
Masakazu reveals that “In my mind, I feel this might be the final path Yuma and I walk together. As the countdown begins, each single session, each single practice, feels even more valuable.”
His father's final, powerful push propels his son toward the summit.
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