Only the oldest son was on the scene of Japan’s highest peak this winter. All Men’s Japan Championship Free. Taichi Honda (22), a fourth-year student at Seki University, finished his 4-minute performance, closed his eyes and showed a soft smile. I will graduate from university next spring and will retire to get a job. The last All Japan scored 110.01 points in 22nd position in freelance, 19th position with a total of 177.87 points. I had a triple throttle crash (three and a half jumps), but was sure I had done it all.

“In the end, I thought, ‘I want to savor this air,’ instead of jumping. I think I didn’t feel tired until the end, and I think that’s my current limit.”

When my red eyes bulged, I thought of my sisters.

“What I was able to leave … I’m going to leave a lot, but I don’t know if it’s being transmitted to them. I think my two days of acting are all (thinking).

Twenty years have been a difficult year for the three sisters. On the 25th of the previous day, former World Junior Shinrin Queen (18 = JAL) collapsed due to dizziness and withdrew from this tournament. Nozomi (16 = Prince Hotel), who is compatible with the actress, was not free at the East Japan Championship. The youngest boy, Saku (13 = Osaka, Sekidaichu), who was aspiring to the Japan Youth Championship, finished 16th in the Kinki Championship. I couldn’t advance to the West Japan Championship and cried: “I was overwhelmed by my brother’s retirement season.” In the guise of a younger sister, my brother sincerely hoped that he would regain his love for skating.

The source is a link near my home in Kyoto. When I first learned about skating at the age of 5, there was Shinrin, who was 2, by my side. He was a brother who sometimes sternly pointed out his sister who won the World Junior Championships. In 2018, he moved to Los Angeles and studied with coach Rafael Artunian. Although contact with Japanese friends and family was restricted due to the time difference, he spoke about his concerns due to changes in the environment and said: “The same stiffness was true.” The existence of an older brother supported the three younger sisters.

The international tournament, which was a battle in the youth years, has been a long way off in recent years. Even so, he was loved not only by his elders, but also by his elders and minors, and there were smiling friends around Honda.

In early October, my brother said.

“I’ve been skating since Nozomi and Sarai were born. I don’t know my brother who isn’t skating. I’m not worried about my sister, but maybe that’s where she collapses. I hope I can show my sisters acting and practicing well so they can continue. doing his best. “

My thoughts were recorded in the two-day performance.[Matsumoto Ko](Nikkan Sports.com / “We Love Sports” sports column)