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| 2005.2.16 President of SSA , Ken Odashima |
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The World Championship 2005 at Bormio, Italy has ended. The last time the Championships was held in the same place was during the 1984-85 season when I first went abroad to Europe. It was the golden age for Marc Girardelli and him winning especially the SL championship was almost a tacit understanding among all, but an ambush by Jonas Nilsson(SWE) took his gold away by 100/1 of a second. Because of this surprising race, Bormio was a very inspirational place but I’d never dreamed I would be standing in the same place 20 years after with a relation to Akira Sasaki. This year’s championship was very Italian-like; but I’d never imagined and at the same was a loss at words to hear the cancellation of the men’s GS race due to the RAI Television’s strike. It’s almost a miracle that these incidents coincided.
The weather was fine and the bahn condition was perfect with many children from France and Italy in the audience anticipating for the race to start. Though the rights of laborers are recognized globally, it is doubtful that the cancellation of the race was announced without any thoughts for the fans’ feelings. Every athlete and coach repeatedly protested for this unbelievable incident, but all together closed every protest with “but, I guess this is Italy” and seemed to be attested with the situation. The fact that authorities of alpine ski all over the world take this situation for granted leaves much anxiety for the coming Torino Winter Olympics. |
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| When I had the chance to ride the lift with Felix Neureuther, a young slalom skier of the German National Team and Akira Sasaki’s best friend, I timidly asked him about the retinal conditions of his teammate, Alois Vogl. He was truly worried for his young teammate who won his first race at Wengen after suffering many hardships saying “his conditions are not too good. His eyesight has only improved by 10%... He’s in the hospital going through 2 shots into his eyeballs everyday. I am really worried about him”. After his race in Schladming, Vogl, for some reason or another, was infected with a virus in his right eye, and his doctors are perplexed at the matter without any facts on the cause. Of course, he was not in a condition to participate in the World Championships and authorities of the World Cup are truly awaiting for his recovery from the bottom of their hearts. Skiers, especially the top atheletes, participating in the World Cup become a family putting aside their nationalities. Alois has always looked after Akira Sasaki and thus Akira had consented to Felix on his conditions and progress. The German National Team expressed that they will fight the World Cup through for Alois; thus was a miracle that they made it come true by winning the gold medal. Vogl must have been encouraged by this medal. |
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| During this World Championship, Akira Sasaki spent much of his time brushing up his body in order to overcome his shameful result at Schladming. Yuusuke Ishige, the medical doctor for the Japan National Team, joined the team at an early stage and cared for the athletes by checking up their physicals and saw to it that they all were able to take on the race under their best conditions. He pointed out that every skiers’ muscles around the hip joint was too stiff and thus was becoming an obstacle to move the body quickly from the edging position to the open movement. Akira seemed to have sensed it and his skiing techniques has remarkably improved after he loosened his muscles around the hip joint. He was able to take on each race under his best condition. But, in the GS race on February 10th, though he came in a very good time up until the midpoint, but retires from the race after his bindings came off in the last few poles. Also, in his SL race on the 12th, though he placed 9th in his first run and came in with the best time up until the midpoint of the 2nd run, he was disqualified by going off course. Good conditions do not bring the best results; that’s what the race is all about. |
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| It is not too much to say that this year for Akira is a battle against patience. He must conquer another wall before him before he can become a top class, first-seeded athlete, constantly aiming for the victory stand. Many other skiers have gone through this fight by experiencing the hardships and winning that post. Alois Vogl of Germay won his first race after spending 10 years in the races; Manfred Planger won his first face in Kits Buehel and won consecutively in Schladming after being given up on winning any races during his career. It is not easy eating off wins in sports. I believe in order to earn a living doing what you want to do, patience to overcome obstacles and hardships becomes a large part of your career. I am glad that this season was not the next, and am sure what he is bustlingly experiencing now will fertilize his future. |
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February 13th, a scene from the last day’s team race. Rainer Schoenfelder, the last skier for the Austrian team whose gold medal was hopeless, cut the goal line facing backwards with a quick turn right before the goal. He was welcomed by a large applause from the spectators though his turn was not as stylish as that of Akira’s 180. Robert Seger, a famous broadcaster from the Austrian National Television cried out
“Rainer cut the goal with a “Sasaki Turn!!”” |
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