Rika Kihira - Athlete Conditioning Magazine interview

Rika Kihira Interview from Athlete Conditioning Magazine (taken during the off season, before FS Season 2019-2020 )



Q: In the 1st senior season, you got amazing results. The length of time for a program is longer than in the junior era, there is also the addition of one more technical element inside the program. There was also the change of it being a longer season. What kind of thoughts do you have?



R: In September 2018 I won Ondrej Nepela Trophy in Slovakia, my 1st competition of the season, but since Japan Nationals (2nd place) ended until the end of the season in April 2019 I felt really exhausted. Compared to Jr, Sr period of competition is longer. In such a long period of time, it was the first time I kept competing continuously, so I didn’t understand how I should adjust properly to match with the competition, it was really hard to maintain my condition and my motivation. Before Worlds 2019 in March held at Saitama Super Arena, there was some adjustment in order to get myself used to new boots. After Worlds there was also WTT held in April (Japan got 2nd place), I felt like I had used all the strength that was left in me, I never experienced something like this sensation before. But using this experience, I want to try my best in putting forth my energy until the end of this season.



Q: In the middle of such exhausting feelings, it was a surprise that you managed to update SP score into World record score of 83.97 points while attending WTT. So in order to display good performances continuously, it is essential to adjust the condition. What are the things you are paying attention to regarding your meal and sleep?



R: I am calculating the calories in my meals everyday. Nutritional balance is important. Protein is a must, but I also pay attention to eat fruits and vegetables which consist of many vitamins. And then before morning and noon practice I consume carbohydrates. If I don’t eat properly I won’t be able to exert my energy because of the feeling of an empty stomach, that is what my condition will become. About sleep, I am managing it with a smartphone application. I understand the difference in my physical condition during the times I had enough sleep and the times I didn’t, so I use it as a reference. Everyday, I am keeping notes of what I am doing and I came to understand what kind of condition came (from the activity), so managing my condition has also became fun.



Q: So it is important to know things you experienced with your body, like for example, what kind of condition it will be when you do a certain amount of exercise?



R: Indeed. There are times when I can’t do the personal training my trainer gave to me, so on off days I do body care and muscle training by myself. I am adjusting so my condition will not fluctuate by much. I keep it as a habit to maintain a stable condition as possible.



Q: Not only competition, I think you also go to training camp overseas, are there things you pay attention to in your trip where the body condition easily changes?



R: It is cold inside the airplane and it is easy to catch a cold there, so I prepare mask and blanket. Before, I had to compete in a competition when I caught a cold. I thought, I don’t want to experience the same thing twice so from that time onward I am especially careful of that. Inside the plane the air is also dry so it’s easy to get a sore throat, so I am paying attention to drink water frequently. After that, I do light stretching a few times. My senses on the next day are different depending on whether I do it or not, so I am doing all the things I could do.



Q: In order to compete at the top level of the world, working on elements with high difficulty level at practice is a must, but no matter what it is hard to avoid struggling with injury. In order to compete in the season there’s no possibility of long-term total recuperation, there is also the need to do training and injury treatment at the same time. The schedule in off season is also pretty busy with performing in ice shows and training. It is necessary to care for light injuries so it will not turn into worse injury. At the final stage of the last junior season (2017-2018 season), on January 2018 you suffered a bone fracture on your left ring finger, in your senior debut season, in February 2019, while experiencing dislocation in the same place, as Kihira who even managed to get good results, we wonder what kind of care you are doing daily. Mostly we wanted to ask about (Conditioning) and (Self-Care), but normally what kind of self-care are you doing?



R: In order to compete until the end of season, I definitely must not get a heavy injury. Consulting my own body condition, I am going to practice like usual while thinking about the next thing. I must not get injured on the next day by overdoing it. But just by resting the circumstance will end up resulting as me being unable to put forth my strength in competition. So I think it is important to keep a tight line of balance (between the two).

On a regular basis while doing stretching, if there was a little bit of pain, I use a small type of ultrasonic theraphy medical equipment to treat it and then go to practice, I am taking care of it.



Q: This medical theraphy equipment, since when you are using it and on what occasion?



R: At the time I had a bone fracture in my left hand, in January 2018, I came to use ultrasonic medical theraphy equipment in order to make recovery time faster on the bone. I heard other athletes are also using it. Not only bones, it can also make the pain from straining loose muscles go away. Especially for the part around the ankle and above. As the effect of fixing the skate boots, after the jumps, it is easy to feel pain after the landings, but it’s painful when I tried to ease the tension by myself, and there is also the possibility of inflicting unnecessary pain, so I am caring for the parts that I feel are painful by using ultrasound medical equipment. I am also using the other one for my knees. They are small and easy to be carried around so it’s convenient. I am using it daily when I feel pain at practice.



Q: Are there ways to refresh your mentality aspect?

R: When I become tired I feel irritated, in that condition challenging and practicing end up losing their meaning so I find things to turn into positive feelings and face the practice. To switch over my feelings I listen to music many times. Before the performance I listen to the music I use for my programs. When I am doing stretching and warm up, during my movements I am relaxing by listening to songs that are not related to my program.



Last season, Kihira, who competed until the end in the first senior season, was rewarded with the 2018 JOC Newcomer Award, succeeding brilliantly in her senior debut. Starting this autumn she will challenge her 2nd senior year. In October she will compete in a 3-team competition, Japan Open, held at the Saitama Super Arena. In the GP Series she will compete in the 2nd competition, Skate Canada, and the 6th competition, NHK Trophy. Her new SP for this season is Breakfast in Baghdag, a song with a rithmical melody. She went to Shae-lynn Bourne who also managed (Seimei) the free skate program performed by Yuzuru hanyu (ANA) at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where he acquired a gold medal. For the FP she went to Tom Dickson for choreo. Song with mysterious melody (O Virtus Sapientae ). In competition, with hard level of jumps and subtle expressions, she will show an evolving program. Lastly, we asked about her resolution for the future.



Q: In 2019-2020 season, your 2nd senior season, you have stated about challenging quad jumps, but what about conditioning to adjust your presentation?



R: Now there are a lot of ice shows in the weekends where I perform my exhibition program, but Monday to Tuesday I am practicing my new FP program and quad training. Regarding jumps, I am including 3A in ice shows, the percentage of success is improving. I am also adding the quad jump in my training camp in America, and I’m also including it at ice show practices, so I have good confidence. It is still in early condition to include in competitions yet, but overall senses from jumps are better than last season. Both the SP and FP are programs with more difficult presentation than last season, but if I can do the jumps and the presentation properly in practice, I am sure I can improve. In order to get used to new programs, I am doing runthrough with song in practice as much as possible. I came to understand how to match the timing to catch my breath with the song interval, I felt that energy to skate the program thoroughly is improving. That is why, even in the off-season, like now, when I practice for ice shows for 45 minutes practice I put it on four times. And so on, assertively doing runthrough with song while practicing.



Q: Looks like you are doing adjustment very well, I am looking forward to it. Is it what it means by doing preparation from making good use of the experiments from last season?



R: Now I am able to work on various tasks, but if the season is approaching, I must go on while matching my condition with the competition, that is the difficult part. But I think surely I can use my experience from last season, I want to aim to perform the best program in any kind of situation by adjusting. Last season I had good results in early GP Series (winning NHK, IDF, and GPF). This season also, I want to get better points than last year by performing my program properly since the beginning. If I can do that, it will become the motivation to do my best until the end of the season and my confidence. By gaining self-confidence I want to rise to the podium at Worlds Championship in the end.



Q: In the world of ladies figure skating in Japan, Shizuka Arakawa shone brightly in Torino Winter Olympics achieving the gold medal, and various athletes appearing one after another in some numbers. Kihira-senshu, what kind of skater do you aim to be?



R: I want to be a skater who is able to show my best real ability in the biggest competition with a tense atmosphere. Also, not only jumps, but spins, steps and presentation, I want to be a skater who can do all of it.



Q: Lastly, please tell us your goal for the future



R: Winning Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is a dream I have been thinking on from long time ago. To speak of there are some athletes who (are aiming for the 1st place and managed to rise to the podium), if I set my goal less than achieving the 3rd place medal I might end up with 5th or 6th place, so I have the goal to be the winner at the highest place. However if I end up with injury, only that will turn it into a really difficult goal that cannot be realized. I want to fulfill my own dream.

