The Japan Women's Curling National Team, who broke through the qualifying league despite suffering at the Beijing Olympics.

She asked Akemi Osawa (former name Niwa), a director of the Japan Curling Association, about the factors behind her breakthrough in the qualifying league and the key to winning medals.

Mr. Osawa from Kitami City, Hokkaido, where curling is popular, participated in the 1998 Nagano Winter Games, where curling became the official event of the Olympic Games, in Karuizawa Town as one of the members of the Japanese national team, and in the qualifying league with Norway. I got two wins from Germany.

Mr. Osawa points out that Japan's strengths in this tournament are two "world's leading powers."



The first is "communication skills."



"Through the four games, I was patient. I was led and had some tough developments, but I wasn't impatient and I was willing to take a chance in the three hours of the game," (Mr. Osawa).

The four games are the games in which Japan won four consecutive games from the second game to the fifth game in the qualifying league.


In particular, the big reversal victory against Denmark, which overturned the difference of 2 points in the last throw with 4 seconds remaining, left a big impression.

"Even top players can be heartbreaking, but Japan was able to communicate with the entire team to create an atmosphere of reversal. Communication is one of the best in the world and it's a wonderful place." Mr. Osawa)

There were many scenes where Japanese members talked to each other and smiled.



Mr. Osawa said that he felt that Chinami Yoshida, the third player, was conscious of making a voice more than usual in important situations.

"Even in a difficult situation such as being robbed of multiple points, Chinami Yoshida was smiling to liven up the team. Before throwing the shot, he said,'It's okay, I still have time.' I also gave it up. This is a big thing. ”(Mr. Osawa)



Another thing that Mr. Osawa mentioned as the“ world's leading power ”of the Japanese national team is Yurika Yoshida, the lead player, and Suzuki, the second player. It is the power of "sweep" by Yuko.


Although the physique is a little smaller than the players in each country such as Europe and the United States, even in the qualifying league of this tournament, there are scenes where the stone is controlled to an exquisite place with a desperate sweep of two people even if the shot is not as expected. It was seen.

"Japan has one of the best sweeping powers in the world. It can be carried far without slowing down, and it also sweeps by bending stones. In a match where I think the sweep is" working ", Japan brought it to a good development by sweeping. There were many matches "(Mr. Osawa)

<Distressed "tricky ice cream">

Japan lost to Korea and England in the 6th and 7th rounds.


Mr. Osawa says, "The accuracy of the shot was not low."



"The score was scored due to the slight deviation of the stone placement and the fact that the opponent team decided a good shot first." (Mr. Osawa)



One factor of the shot deviation is "Ice". It is difficult to read.

The venue for this tournament is a renovation of the venue for the swimming race of the Beijing Olympics in the summer of 2008.

It is said that the surface of the ice tends to slope, and the condition of the ice does not change easily because the venue is extremely dry so that a "humidifier", which is rare in a permanent curling place, is introduced. I'm guessing.

"It's very difficult ice. Every country is struggling. I think I've made tricky ice rather than bad ice. The ice is changing rapidly and I feel a sense of discomfort during the game, which makes it a shot. I think Japan will lose confidence. Japan tends to make mistakes when it loses confidence. "(Mr. Osawa)



On the contrary, in the 8th round against the United States, Japan was reading ice cream, which made me feel confident. Mr. Osawa says that he was able to take a shot and get his own pace.

<If you are confident, you have a chance>

Japan will face the semi-finals on the 18th.

And the opponent is Switzerland who lost in the final round of the qualifying league.

However, Mr. Osawa sees that there is a good chance of winning if we communicate with each other and create a Japanese atmosphere with confidence.



"The first half of the match against Switzerland was good, and there is no doubt that we can fight evenly. Japan has good shot accuracy and skill. After that, do it with confidence as usual. And read the ice before the opponent. If we can do it, we will win. ”(Mr. Osawa)



The Japanese national team has advanced to the semi-finals after breaking through the difficult qualifying league.


We are paying attention to how we can exert two "world's best powers" against opponents with strong enemies.



(Interview: Beijing Olympics coverage group Momoko Kunitake)