Taisei Yamamoto

Profile

Birth date	March 29, 2001
Birthplace	Tokyo, Japan
School	Nihon University (currently enrolled)
Interests	Running, skateboarding, video games

Taisei Yamamoto is a top Japanese athlete specializing in ski slopestyle, a type of freestyle skiing which was added to the Olympic program for the first time in Sochi 2014. Despite his young age, the 20-year-old skier has already participated in the PyeongChang Olympics 2018, won the gold medal at the World Junior Championship, and came in 8th at the skiing World Cup 2018.

Comment

It was a very difficult season for me, not being able to achieve my desired result at the World Championships. I realized again that it is very important to improve the variation and quality of my entire performance.
In 2022, the Beijing Olympics will finally start. To qualify for the Olympics, I would like to get good results in the World Cups. This summer I will restart from the basics and train with more attention to details. Thank you for your support for the next season. (June 2021)

Interview

• Taisei Yamamoto Interview (Japanese)

Major Results

Yuki Ishihara

Profile

Birth date	February 7, 1997
Birthplace	Hokkaido, Japan
School	The University of Tokyo (currently enrolled)
Interests	Mountain climbing, collecting minerals and rocks

Yuki Ishihara has held the All Japan Championships for four years in ski orienteering, a sport where anticipation is rising for its future inclusion in the Olympic Games. He competed in the Winter Universiade 2019 in Russia, and strives to balance his academic research and sports activities: dedicating his time to ski orienteering while carrying out field and laboratory studies.

Comment

I competed in the World Championships last season. Although I was able to give my best, I realised the various differences in performance between me and the top skiers and how difficult it is to get consistent results.
We have a lot of international competitions planned for next season, including the postponed Universiade 2021. I will be training hard from the summer on both physical and map-reading skills, as well as getting a lot of experience in real competitions, so that I can get to the higher ranks as much as possible.
Thank you for your continued support. (June 2021)

Interview

• Yuki Ishihara Interview (Japanese)

Major Results

Yuichi Onda (Retired)

Profile

Birth date	June 24, 1980
Birthplace	Niigata Prefecture, Japan
School	Kinki University
Interests	Napping, Internet, People-watching

Yuichi Onda Official Blog “Onda Style” (Japanese)

Japan National Cross-country Ski Team member in three consecutive Olympic Games: Torino 2006, Vancouver 2010, and Sochi 2014. After the Sochi Olympics, he changed the focus of his ski activities from world championships to domestic events, and took on a new challenge: becoming a Japanese national team member in mountain bike (MTB), which used to be one of his off-season trainings for cross-country ski.

Comment

I have finished my second year since shifting to MTB. In this season, I was able to climb on the podium for the first time and to participate in many rewarding races. I could also figure out points that needed to be improved through a lot of races. Next year, the Rio Winter Olympics will be held. It will be a severe competition, but I will keep making efforts toward that goal as long as there is a possibility for me to enter the Olympics. Even though I will only be skiing at championships in Japan like last season, I will do my best to win the top spot. Thank you for your continued support. (December 2015)

• Yuichi Onda comments on his selection for the Sochi Olympics (Japanese only)

Interview

• Yuichi Onda: Sprinting Toward Tomorrow

Major Results