There is nothing sadder in sports than seeing the promising career of an athlete cut short. But that is the reality that Tomoe Kawabata faced when she announced her retirement from skating on Saturday, March 9 in Tokyo.
The 22-year-old spoke after the annual university show "Waseda On Ice" and informed the audience of her decision through tears. It was an unfortunate ending that just a few years ago would have been hard to imagine.
Kawabata, who was born in Nissin, Aichi Prefecture, saw her career peak during the 2019-20 season. Then, as a high school senior, she medaled at the Japan Junior Championships for the second straight year. She followed that by claiming the bronze medal at the Japan Championships behind Rika Kihira and Wakaba Higuchi.
At 18 it looked like Kawabata, with her big jumps and elegance on the ice, was on the way to possibly becoming a new star in the sport and a contender for Japan's team for the 2022 Olympics. But it never happened and she revealed the reasons why during her speech ― bad timing and bad luck.
"I was a first-year university student, and right after I started to feel good in competitions, the spread of the coronavirus pandemic hit," Kawabata was quoted as saying by Nikkan Sports. "Overcoming the difficulties of practice restrictions due to the coronavirus, I took a leave of absence from school and concentrated on skating the following season."
Tomoe Kawabata Opens Up About Her Leave of Absence
Kawabata disclosed it was what happened next that created an issue she could not conquer.
"I was involved in a traffic accident just before the (2021) Japan nationals," Kawabata stated. "Although I was close to breaking down due to repeated hardships, I continued to compete for a year until last spring, thinking that I should not finish things halfway. But [due to] the aftereffects of the accident, I was unable to get my body back to full condition to compete at a high level."
It seems hard to believe now, but Kawabata only participated in one senior Grand Prix event in her career, finishing 10th at the pandemic-hit NHK Trophy in Osaka in 2020. Her last international competition came at the Cup of Austria in Graz in November of 2021 where she was ninth.
She skated in a total of four Junior Grand Prix events, taking fifth place in all of them. And she represented Japan twice at the World Junior Championships, where she finished 12th (2019) and 14th (2020).
Kawabata Created Positive Memories for Skating Fans
Kawabata is fondly remembered by skating fans for her short program to "The Blue Danube" during the 2019-20 campaign. It was choreographed by Stephane Lambiel. That season she was coached by Yutaka Higuchi and Yukina Ota.
"She is so delightful," ISU JGP announcer Ted Barton commented after her short program at the 2019 JGP in Gdansk, Poland. Then he added, "She is beautiful, confident, [and] a pleasant performance. Just overall wonderful quality. I have always enjoyed this young lady's skating."
Reflections on a Skating Career and the Decision to Retire
Kawabata expanded on her feelings in an Instagram post on Sunday.
"First of all, from last year, I'm sorry for being away from competition without an announcement, and finally leaving behind the stage without showing you a performance," Kawabata wrote. "Thank you to everyone for your warm wishes during this time.
"The reason for my determination to retire is that in one year away from competition, I have reaffirmed my experience of skating and my thoughts without regret," Kawabata continued. "For me, my feelings overcame a tough time and I am glad I skated again in a final push.
"To everyone who has supported me so far, I really appreciate it. So many people have supported me in my skating life and I can't thank you enough. I will move forward in my life with the words and thoughts I received in my heart forever.
"Thank you very much."
Ice Time wants to wish Kawabata the best of luck in her future endeavors and thank her for her contribution to skating.
Shimada Decides on High School Choice
After returning to Japan last week after winning the World Junior Championships for the second straight year on March 1 in Taipei, Mao Shimada announced that she would be attending Chukyo University High School in Aichi Prefecture starting in the spring.
The school is the same one that her namesake Mao Asada once attended.
"I didn't think I could go to the same school, so I'm very happy," Shimada was quoted as saying about her decision.
The move by Shimada is an interesting one, as she and coach Mie Hamada are currently based in Kyoto, a 35-minute ride from Nagoya on the Shinkansen. Chukyo University's campus, which features an ice rink, is also located outside the city, requiring a further commute.
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Author: Jack Gallagher
The author is a veteran sports journalist and one of the world's foremost figure skating experts. Find articles and podcasts by Jack on his author page, and find him on X (formerly Twitter) @sportsjapan.
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