Ski Jumper Sara Takanashi Overcomes Nightmare from 4 Years Ago

(The fifth paragraph should have read “…coach Yoshiki Kinjo…” instead of as sent.) Ski Jumper Sara Takanashi Overcomes Nightmare from 4 Years Ago Milan, Feb. 11 (Jiji Press)–Sara Takanashi held back her tears. But when she saw her teammates’ smiles, she couldn’t contain her emotions. At the Milan-Cortina Olympics on Tuesday, Takanashi, 29, contributed to Japan’s bronze medal win in the ski jumping mixed team event. This Olympic medal was Takanashi’s first since winning individual bronze eight years ago at the PyeongChang Games. “This medal feels heavier,” Takanashi said. “I feel the beauty of the Olympics far more than I did back in PyeongChang.” As the third jumper for Japan, she flew 96.5 meters in the first round and 97 meters in the second. Competing against top female jumpers from other nations, she placed third and fourth, respectively. After finishing 13th in Saturday’s individual normal hill event, she was informed by coach Yoshiki Kinjo, 31, that she had been selected for the mixed team event. However, she couldn’t immediately accept it. “Am I the right person?” Takanashi wondered. The bitter memory from four years ago flashed through her mind. In the mixed team event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she was the first jumper, but her first jump was disqualified due to a suit regulation violation. The Japanese team then finished fourth. Everything went dark before her eyes. She has no memory of her second jump, which she performed while sobbing. After the competition, she posted an apology on social media. She contemplated retiring and spent days holed up at home. Yet, she couldn’t give up ski jumping. She received warm messages from fans and decided to try again. After resting for about a month, Takanashi faced a World Cup competition. She hesitated until that morning, but decided to compete and won. Hearing the Japanese national anthem on the podium at the time, she realized a new feeling within her. “I believed quitting would be a way of taking responsibility, but maybe that was wrong.” She resolved to spend the next four years repaying those who had supported her. After vowing not to run away, she stood on the mixed team stage again. “If I can’t show what I’ve built up, my competitive life is over,” she thought. With this solemn resolve in her heart, she jumped with all her might. At the Milan-Cortina Games, which she considered her “place of atonement,” Takanashi earned the medal she craved. “I think I was at my worst back then, but now I feel like I could make a fresh start,” she said. Her face radiated after giving it her all. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]