Sports Godzilla No.12 (Apr. 2010)

Translation!
Smile of Failure.





Takahashi made a first come back at the Phinlandia Cup 4
months before Vancouver Olympic, October 2009.


Although he had tremendous applause after landing Triple Axel
which caused the injury, he stumbled forward at the last pause in Free skate
due to lack of endurance.(I guess this is a mistake. It was short program.)





In November, he had made an unexpected mistake in the short
program performed on the first date of NHK Cup. Takahashi fell on his butt during
step sequence. Doctor Hara, who was watching his performance, visited him at backstage.
Worried Takahashi said,” Can I really recover for Vancouver Olympic?”Doctor
Hara encouraged him in a loud voice.


“What are you talking about? You should just progress toward
your goal, once you set it. Yoshida as well as I did everything that we could.
It is your turn!!.”


Takahashi was second in the Skate Canada after NHK cup.
However he was exhausted by serial of competitions and he complained loudly of his fatigue to Trainer Watabe.





Takahashi performed his SP with excellence and placed first
at Grand Prix Final (Forth competition for Takahashi.)in December. However, he fell
on quad and made few more mistakes, ending up 5^th overall. Dr. Hara
came to see this comp also and visited him backstage again.


Takahashi looked back his disappointing performance


“ You came all the way to see me. I am so sorry. After
falling on quad, my mind went blank.”


Dr. Hara talked back quickly.


“That’s an interesting statement. It is ok that your mind
goes blank at the success of quad when you can only succeed one in ten tries.
It does not make any sense that your mind went blank when you can succeed 9times
out of ten. Please continue to skate as if nothing happened, just thinking sometimes
things happen.”





Takahashi laughed loudly-(which he rarely does.) at the Dr.
Hara’s peculiar idea.


Takahashi won the nationals, being placed first in both
Short and Free, securing his place in Olympic games.


Can anybody translate the last paragraph "Jissen no Daigomi"

Thank you all so much for translating!! It is very touching story!!

I have seen the scanned images one of you posted on this forum a few days ago. Is this from a book or a periodical? with no pictures at all?

Quote :

What has changed was not only his ankles but also the place of knees. His knees moved in the correct place upon his ankles. Yoshida explained about his changed legs excitedly. "His legs become very beautiful, even people from medical institutions would wonder which leg was bad."

Dai-chan's legs changed so drastically. Probably it was like he had a brand-new legs. I can imagine how difficult to adjust his acquired skill to those new legs.

Quote :

Doctor Hara encouraged him in a loud voice.
“What are you talking about? You should just progress toward your goal, once you set it. Yoshida as well as I did everything that we could. It is your turn!!.”

I didn't know Dr. Hara came to NHK and GFP to see Dai-chan until I read this article. How nice! I also heard Dr. Hara went to Vanouver, too.

Quote :

Dr. Hara talked back quickly. “That’s an interesting statement. It is ok that your mind goes blank at the success of quad when you can only succeed one in ten tries. It does not make any sense that your mind went blank when you can succeed 9times out of ten. Please continue to skate as if nothing happened, just thinking sometimes things happen.”
Takahashi laughed loudly-(which he rarely does.) at the Dr.Hara’s peculiar idea.

And this is what Dai-chan actually did in the olympics. I was a kind of shocked when I saw the FP in GPF. But it was also an experience he needed before the olympics. I thank for Dr. Hara's advice and the experience of GPF.

anorithil wrote:

I have seen the scanned images one of you posted on this forum a few days ago. Is this from a book or a periodical? with no pictures at all?

Yes, besides a small black and white picture.

Here is the last chapter. I think the content is something you've already known.


The joy of the real fight.

On January 31th 2010, he moved to Vancouver Athlete Village. Four years ago he strongly felt that he faced the big game alone because there was only one spot in Turin Olympics. But Japan had three spots this time and he was with his juniors, Nobunari Oda and Takahiko Kozuka. In addition to that, JSF gave his trainer Watabe an ID in consideration of him, so the rooms were reserved for him and coach Nagamitsu on the same floor where Takahashi stayed. Takahashi could go into the competition with the regular members.

The fifth day of Vancouver Olympics, Men's SP. Takahashi who appeared on the ice, looked more masculine. His body fat was reduced to 5% from the usual percentage 8% and body weight was 60kg which was his best weight. In front of the ten thousand audiences the melancholic melodey of eye started. He completed his specialty, eight kinds of steps such as cross roll, mohawk and loop and responded to the applause. He landed three jumps wonderfully and showed his skills during Slst in the second half of the performance. The result was 90.25, which broke his previous best score by 0.3.
The 1st place was Plushenko(RUS) and the 2nd was Lysacek(USA). Takahashi placed in the 3rd. The difference between the 1st place and him was only 0.6.Takahashi lost to Plusheko who was in the first in TES but won in the five components which reflect steps and artistry. He was in the place where he could still aim the gold.

In the post SP press conference there was a question "Do you have a plan to avoid the quad?" Takahashi hasn't successed the quad at all in this season. There was a possibility that he would miss the podium if he failed it in FP. Takahashi said facing directly to the overseas media, "The quad is the great part of Men's figure skating. It's an essential jump for me. Without the quad, I will regret if I could even win a medal."

The FP was themed on an Italian film, Felini's master piece "La Strada".
At the beginning he was asleep, woke up and stumbled. He attracted the audience with those mimes. He attemped the quad after the good start, but fell sorely. But he immediately got on his feet and landed 3A-2T right after the fall. He got into the character of the clawn and did street performance. He grabbed the audience by the scene of the tightrope walking. His favourite step sequences were breathtaking and he made the audence wow.
Takahashi raised his arms to the sky confidently when he finished to perform. The five components which comprised artistic marks, marked 84.5, which was the highest among all the skaters. According to total scores, Lysacek placed in the first, Plushenko the second, and Takahasi the third.

As for the fact that even the fall on the first quad didn't affect the rest of his performance, he said "I could change my mind and move to the next element. I tried not to be affected however I failed or succeeded."
And he looked back about the injury. "It was the experience that would have positive impact on my life after I retired. I think it's amazing that I could reach up to here. "

The fisrt appearance of figure skating in olympics is in 1908. Japanese male skaters have participated since 1932. The podium of men's figure skating has been dominated by western skaters. In 2010, Vanouver
Olympics, Japan's Daisuke Takahashi broke the wall at last after 78 years long fight of Japanese men, and changed the 102 years history of figure skating.


End.

What a great article! Thank you all for your translations

Yes, thanks a lot for the translation, miyu, Genki and Calliope!!

You're welcome.
I feel happy to be able to help other members.

miyu, Genki and Calliope!!! What can I say other than 心の底から、ありがとうございます！！お疲れ様でした！！！It must have taken you so long to translate. What a wonderful gift you've given to the forum members!

Team work FTW!!!!

A very long and interesting article - I especially enjoyed reading what his surgeon and physio therapist had to say. They truly have their share in his Olympic medal and World championship gold.

That last sentence made me all teary eyed. WELL DONE, Dai-chan!! Thank YOU!

Artemis wrote:

What a wonderful gift you've given to the forum members!

So true! Thank you guys!

My pleasure.

Thank you soooo much,miyu, Genki and Calliope!!!
Absolutely amazing an article! I could not help shedding tears reading through . And Dai is really a determined man which finally lead to his sucess! Just think about how he performed during 2003-2005. It's perseverence, conviction and of course, every member of his team that helps him throughout the darkness and eventually realize his dream.

Miyu,Thanks so much for posting this! It was really clear from this article the critical role Nagamitsu has played and continues to play in Daisuke's development as both a skater and a person. Her optimistic attitude, in particular, seems to have a good influence on Dai - viewing the injury as the fantastic opportunity it turned out to be in terms of correct long-term body alignment problems and helping Dai to become a stronger, more expressive skater.

Is this issue of Sports Godzilla still available (I am in Tokyo) and if so, where can it be found?

Thank you!!

[quote="miyu"]You are welcome, Calliope! I enjoy doing this!

BTW, do you have a time to translate some parts of them? I appreciate if you kindly help me... I can't do the rest during this weekend. I will upload something ( ) in the members only area later. (I have to finish my job first.....) Please never mind if you can't do it. Anyway I think you want to read it.

Calliope wrote:

Just curious, but what does PH stand for?

Sorry, my mistake. PT = Physical Therapist.

nipponophile wrote:

Is this issue of Sports Godzilla still available (I am in Tokyo) and if so, where can it be found?

The magazine was distributed to Toei-Chikatetsu stations. But I don't know if it's still available.
You can ask the publisher to send it to you and it costs only 250 jpy. See here.
http://www.plus-blog.sportsnavi.com/nagisaosada/article/24

Thanks Miyu!!