Japanese figure skater Akiko Suzuki training at the Dunedin
Ice Stadium yesterday. Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Japanese competitors gave a demonstration of precision
figure skating during a practice session at the Dunedin Ice
Stadium yesterday.
Akiko Suzuki (24), the top skater at the Winter Games, went
through her routine with a skill that thrilled the small
crowd of watching enthusiasts.
Suzuki, a graduate in social sciences from the University of
Totoku Fukushi, started curling at the age of 6 and won a
gold medal in her first international competition in Croatia
at age 12.
She speaks a little English but has the aid of a computer
thesaurus to translate Japanese words into English.
Suzuki is ranked 19th in the world and will contest the
women's senior event alongside 18-year old Na Young Kim
(Korea), who is a regular podium-finisher in junior grand
prix events.
The Winter Games have come at an opportune time for Suzuki,
giving her international competition as she builds towards
the Winter Olympics in Canada early next year.
But success in the New Zealand event is not her main
objective; the full-time skater is training 25 hours a week
under the watchful eye of coach Horoshi Nagakubo as she tries
to ensure selection in the Japanese team for what would be
her first Olympics.
Suzuki concentrated on her university studies last year and
did not compete but she is now on target to recover the form
that won her a gold medal at the World University Games in
Turin two years ago.
It is her first visit to New Zealand and she had praise for
the surface at the Dunedin Ice Stadium.
"The ice surface feels good.
"It is very nice to skate on," Suzuki said.
The top-ranked Japanese figure skater is Mao Asada (17), who
won a gold medal at the world championships two years ago.
The figure skating has attracted 39 competitors from five
countries for the short programme and free skating.
Competition begins today.
The short programme combines eight prescribed elements such
as jump combinations and spins.
In the free skating programme, skaters perform an original
arrangement of techniques to music of their choice.
Among New Zealand's most prominent entries are four-time
national senior women's champion Morgan Figgins (Dunedin),
Laura Mills (Christchurch), Allie Rout (Auckland) and Grant
Howie (Dunedin).
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