Lascivious

Ando: Congratultions!

Daisuke: Thank you!

Ando: So you're the first Japanese man to win a figure skating medal at the Oylmpics! That medal carries so much weight, doesn't it?

Daisuke: Yes. That's true. I'm really happy that I was able to accomplish this.

Ando: So is the medal heavy?

Daisuke: Yeah, it's actually pretty heavy.

Ando: So we were talking about the quad jump here at the studio. So even after Lysecek got his high score with doing one, you had decided that you were going to do one?

Daisuke: That's right. I had always planned to do a quad from the very beginning.

Ando: I see. It's just that in practice, you attempted it twice and both times you didn't make it. I'm so impressed that it didn't make you decided to give up on it.

Daiuke: Well, you know, I'd decided in the very beginning to put a quad in there, no matter how practice went that morning. I believed in myself, that I'd be able to make it, and that's why I tried it.

Ando: And unfortunately you fell onto the ice. How did you feel right after getting up off the ice?

Daisuke: I didn't really think anything of it. I mean, I'd practiced, you know, practiced just keeping it all together whether I made it or whether I didn't, so I just started thinking about what came next. I didn't get caught up on what happened with the quad.

Ando: So, in terms of all that, do you feel like 'Wow, I am so much stronger, mentally, now.'

Daisuke: Ooh, no. I mean, I didn't make the quad, so I'm still really weak. And I tripped a little on one of the spins, etc, so I think I've still got a long way to go.

Ando: And I think the highlight was definitely your steps, they really drew the audience in. As you were skating, did that feel good?

Daisuke: While I'm skating, I'm just in the zone,so I don't really remember much of it, but my performance did get an audience reaction, and so I did have a lot of fun with it.

Ando: I see. And as you were staring at the Japanese flag, there were tears running down your cheeks. What were the emotions welling up inside you then?

Daisuke: Oh, that was just...pride and happiness, I guess. Personally I wasn't satisfied with my performance, but I got a medal, and so I was thinking back over the past year, about the year after I got injured and I just kind of cried.

Ando: So now I'll hand this over to Hirai-san. Thanks Hirai-san!

Hirai: Okay, so we touched on this earlier, but during practice, all your other jumps were perfect, except for that quad, which I'm sure made you anxious, but what was the meaning behind trying to do it anyway?

Daisuke: Hmm, well, my ideal is to be able to give a perfect performance including a quad, so yeah. So I was a little anxious about it, but I really didn't think much about that anxiety, I just gave it a try.

Hirai: From before the Games started, you were talked of as a hope for the Gold. Did you feel any pressure?

Daisuke: Well yes, there was pressure, but I really practiced hard so I could face up to it, I practiced a ton, so I was able to do my programs in good conscience, so I was okay.

Hirai: A year ago, you were unable to skate, and here you are a year later, skating at the Olympics! Please tell me how you felt in the moment you stood in that rink.

Daisuke: Right, well...first, before I even took my pose, I thought, "I made it here!" But the second the music began all I could think about was my program.

Hirai: Did the year feel long?

Daisuke: It felt really long! But you know, in a way, I think it was a really fun year.


Hirai: Congratulations on the Bronze Medal!!

Daisuke: Thank you!