BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 9 -- Often compared to legendary gymnast Kohei Uchimura, Japan's Takeru Kitazono has every right to feel under pressure.
But the 15-year-old gives the impression that nothing can fluster him as he strives for gold at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.
"I am really happy that people are talking about me like this, that they call me the second generation of Kohei," the 15-year-old said of the comparisons with his famous compatriot. "I don't feel any extra pressure, but of course I know people expect me to do well."
Kohei Uchimura is widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. The 29-year-old has won three Olympic gold medals and 10 world titles during a distinguished artistic gymnastics career that began in 2007.
Kitazono said Uchimura served as an inspiration and role model as he attempts to carve out his own successful senior career, starting with the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
"He certainly is a role model for me, I look up to him," Kitazono said. "One day I want to follow in his footsteps. But I have a long way to go."
Kitazono began his quest for glory in Buenos Aires by finishing first in the pommel horse qualification on Sunday. He said he is relishing the chance to perform on a big stage for the first time.
"The venue is really big and I never competed in an arena this big before," he said. "It gave me some nerves when we marched in, but as soon as I started to compete they were all gone.
"If you're nervous during a competition, it means that you haven't trained enough. The best way to avoid that mental stress is just to keep on training every day. Now I just hope all my hard work will pay off, as I really want to enjoy that feeling of satisfaction."
The teenager took up the sport at the age of three after his mother gave in to his requests to be taken to a local gymnastics club.
"I saw it and thought, 'I want to go there'," he said. "My mum enrolled me in some gymnastics classes. Since I was little I had the dream to compete at big events."
Just being in Buenos Aires represents a triumph of sorts for Kitazono, who almost didn't qualify for the competition due to an injury.
"I fractured my ankle after a bad landing during training back in 2017," he said. "I still struggled with it at our national trials for the Youth Olympic Games, but it feels better now. It feels good to be here and I hope I leave Buenos Aires with a good feeling.
"Gymnastics is my life, I am really enjoying it. To be honest, there is no me, myself without artistic gymnastics. Of course my main goal is Tokyo 2020, but I am seeing this as a huge opportunity. A first big step towards the main goal: winning gold in Tokyo. If I can win at Buenos Aires 2018, I can win in Tokyo."?
机械性操练教案
What were you doing when the rainstorm came课件1
2017年高考英语全国第一轮复习课件5
What’s the highest mountain in the world课件1
How do you go to school课件4
2016-2017年八年级英语上册单元随堂练习题28
How do you get to school课件8
七年级英语上学期单元随堂练习题65
Seasons课件7
Unit2 I think that mooncakes are delicious!
What’s the highest mountain in the world课件3
湖南省湘潭县2016-2017学年高二英语上册期中考试题
七年级英语上学期单元随堂练习题57
What’s the highest mountain in the world课件5
What’s the highest mountain in the world课件4
What were you doing when the rainstorm came课件2
2016-2017年八年级英语上册单元随堂练习题26
How do you go to school课件6
How do you get to school课件7
黑龙江省双鸭山市2016-2017学年高二英语上册期中考试题
2017年高考英语全国第一轮复习课件8
2017年高考英语全国第一轮复习课件6
湖北省沙市中学2016-2017学年高二英语上册期中考试题
2016-2017年八年级英语上册单元随堂练习题32
2016-2017年八年级英语上册单元随堂练习题40
How do you go to school课件3
What were you doing when the rainstorm came课件3
What were you doing when the rainstorm came课件4
湖南省株洲市2016-2017学年高二英语上册期中考试题
How do you get to school课件9
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |