"Until you are satisfied" Gymnastics Kohei Uchimura's Pride Jan 7 17:01

The 19-year-old, who won two silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has since become the ace of traditional gymnastics Japan and the "king" of the world. However, he suffered injuries after winning two gold medals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics last time, and the wave of generational change is now flowing.
Nevertheless, as the Tokyo Olympics approach, the Japanese gymnastics world is constantly calling for the resurrection of Kohei Uchimura, 31, who has turned 31. The experience of passing through several shambles, the pride of the king, and his passion for gymnastics. Uchimura quietly told NHK's long interview in Brisbane, Australia, where he camped in December.
(Sports News Department reporter Ryohei Taya)

"What kind of emotion should I look at?"

2019 was a difficult year for Uchimura.
The shoulders that had been fighting for many years screamed and appeared as chronic pain.
The All Japan Championship in April was unable to perform as expected due to pain, and lost the preliminary round.
He has missed the title of the Olympic and World Championships, which has been running for 11 years since the Beijing Olympics.

Every day I go to hospital for treatment.
Uchimura had no choice but to watch the world championship in October, which was the preparatory battle for the Tokyo Olympics. The stage of the world where it was natural to appear.
The tournament, which you see while treating, was a place where you once showed overwhelming ability in the world. However, the tournament viewed from the screen looked completely different.

"I didn't know how to look at the World Championship.
Until now, he had said that his whereabouts was here, leaving the results in the game.
It does not. While I was active, I didn't think I couldn't play.
Why can't we beat shoulder pain? ''

"I don't hate adversity"

One year of humiliation.
However, Uchimura laughs, saying that he was praised as “the perfect player who does not make mistakes” and said, “I can't think of it.
And he had a positive view of the experience of suffering.

"Such an experience will probably come alive, even in life.
When asked before and after Rio de Janeiro, how to get through the tough times and the hard times, I didn't know what to answer.
I could only say that feeling.
Maybe now you just have to fall to the point where it falls.
I don't hate adversity. I wish I could finally say "Gyufun". I'm probably preparing for that now. Feeling that we are all feeding.
It was my life that I could not be represented and my shoulders hurt.
It may have been something that you had to experience to continue doing gymnastics. ''

"Deep down to stand on the top"

I stayed at the training camp in Brisbane for about a week since the morning.
So, I have noticed again.
“Do not neglect basic exercises”
I know from my own experience that basic practice can lead to difficult and sophisticated skills.
It is said that the result of delving into difficult techniques leads to basic practice.

"In my case, I dig too deep.
Dig into more than 10 times what ordinary people think.
That doesn't make sense, right? I think there are times when I think.
But sometimes I want to say that it makes sense, and sometimes I want to let young people realize that it actually makes sense. ''

He then compared the act he envisioned for the Tokyo Olympics to the summit.

"I can't see the summit, really.
But I think it's just now. I can't see the summit because I dig so much.
From there, step by step, I'll clear this one by one, and if I do this, I wonder if I only need to climb half by spring. ''

"I can't understand it unless I think it's strong."

In order for Uchimura to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, he must win a national selection round.
The event that Uchimura gives as a major point is "jumping horse".
The last Rio de Janeiro tournament. One of the major scoring sources for Japan was Uchimura's leaping horse, Lee Shaopen.

However, the following year, Uchimura failed to land this technique and was seriously injured.
At one point, he did not adopt "Lee Xiao Pen" for the Tokyo Olympics, but was also thinking of "scoring safely" with other techniques that were less difficult.
However, he says he is now trying again, or his mind is shaking.

"I want to do" Lee Shaopen. "
I can't give up on this alone.
The risk of injury is considerable, but the instinct that you have to do it if you can't give up.
Over the years I remembered and jumped as a weapon in Rio de Janeiro.
It's a waste to be injured for a lifetime. ''

There is a pride as a king who continued to reign at the top of the world.
It's not just winning, it's not just scoring.
It is because I think that if you can perform a technique that seems to be difficult, you can appeal to Kohei Uchimura's revival.

"Even if you get hurt, whatever you do, you'll be able to return to your gym, and that's a factor in your strength. If you don't think so, you can't convince yourself."

Tokyo Olympics

I again heard my thoughts on the Tokyo Olympics.

"The Tokyo Olympics are really the biggest goal in my life.
Of course, there are people who want to play and get a gold medal, but they want to be pure.
Everything changes when I come out.
`` It's going to go beyond the concept of what the Olympics have been, what I've experienced, and it's going to be the best moment of my life. ''

I heard about Uchimura's thoughts on the competitive life.
Are you still digging in after the peak?
Or will it be a break if we can't win?

"Neither ... neither, really.
I think the Tokyo Olympics are really the biggest goal in my life, so if I can achieve it, I'm wondering if I can finish it. It is not an exaggeration to say that it was probably born to achieve it.
I understand that I want to quit if I can't win, and that I want to do it until it gets tattered.
But in the end, I think both are until you are satisfied.
One is that I don't like being second, and I want to convince where I keep winning. The other way is to be convinced that you can be convinced by continuing to be tattered.
Competition is ultimately a world of self-satisfaction, and I think that's where we end up.
In the past, I thought I wouldn't want to do it if I showed a miserable figure, but now I'm not.
But I guess the taste will come out there too. Even people who were strong until now will be like this.
If you get up there, you'll see more than what you've left. So I guess it's not either. ''

It has been more than three months until the Tokyo Olympics.
What kind of future will a rare athlete who has gained a lot of glory beyond the imagination of people show?

Sports News Department Reporter Ryohei Taya