People love to watch sports games for
having fun. If the home team to root for does not win, it’s a shame. Those funs
enjoy the excitement for themselves. The sports funs in Japan are not. They
enjoy the excitement as gift from athletes. That is why they thank retiring
prominent athletes with excessive enthusiasm. In the case of retirement of Mao
Asada, a long-time top female figure skater, TV, newspapers or everyone sent
message of “Thank you, Mao-chan, for the excitement you gave” as usual.
It was Grand Prix Final in 2005 when 15
year-old Asada rose up to the stardom of figure skating with rarely-achievable
acrobatic triple axel. For her fans’ regret, Asada was not listed for Torino
Olympics in 2006 with regulation of age, but she won a silver medal in Vancouver
Olympics in 2010 with three-time success of triple axel. In Sochi Olympic in
2014, she generated deep excitement of audience when she perfectly played in
freestyle performance that raised her to the 6th position, jumping
up from the 16th in short program previous day. Her appearance with
tears after the performance is one of the legendary scenes in figure skating in
Japan.
But, it was inevitable for her to lose
power during one-year recess after Sochi Olympic. Although she once decided to
continue her carrier as a figure skater, she marked unprecedentedly low score
in Japan Championship last December. It was obvious that she would not be
listed for Pyeongchang Olympics next year. Her decision for retirement was not
something surprising. She finally failed in achieving a gold medal.
As soon as Asada uploaded her message for
retirement on her blogpage Monday evening, TV stations ran braking news and
newspaper reported her message that indicated her disappointment for losing her
own goal and determination as an athlete. TV repeatedly broadcast her
performance with old video footage and interviewed to related people around
Asada.
In her press conference on Wednesday, the
reporters asked a stereotyped question: What has been figure skating for you?
It is an extremely easy job for sports reporters to ask a comment on that
highly abstract question. Athletes in front of that question always pause and
squeeze something witty comment. Asada told that figure skating was her life.
Newspapers ran a headline of “Skating Was Her Life” next morning. Didn’t you
know that, anyway? That is what Japanese sports journalism is.
Sports clearly distinguishes winner from
loser. Result is everything for athletes. That is why the audience can expect
sincere effort for winning. That pitiless character of sports ensures equality
of contenders, which may remind us of the democratic principle of equality of
opportunity. The Japanese, however, require dramatic story in sports. They do
not care if it were a serious competition or artificial performance. If they
can forget ordinary everyday life, it will be ok.
No comments:
Post a Comment