Three-time world champion Mao Asada inspired countless individuals during her decorated career as a figure skater.
Now, eight years after her retirement from competition, the 2010 Olympic silver medalist aims to give back to the sport as a mentor for athletes who want to follow in her footsteps.
The Kinoshita Mao Academy is her new ambitious project, and it is set to open on August 1.
In November 2024, Mao Rink Tachikawa Tachihi opened in Tachikawa, a city in western Tokyo. The state-of-the-art facility gave Mao a home base to help develop future generations of skaters.
"I will take this new step forward as a coach," Asada told a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday, June 12, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported. "My dream is to train those who will go on to become world-class skaters.
At her new skating academy, Mao's focus will be coaching young students.
The initial plan is for the 34-year-old to begin working with roughly 10 students between the ages of 5-9, multiple media outlets reported.
Outlining her approach in her new occupation as a full-time coach, the national icon said, "I'm taking a new step, [and] I want to instruct each skater carefully one-on-one," Kyodo News reported.
With that in mind, she added that her goal is to "develop skaters who can be world No 1."
A New Challenge for Mao Asada
As she embarks on her coaching career, Mao said she's eager to provide instruction to young skaters.
"This will be my first experience, so I want to teach while giving careful thought to the various aspects of my job," the Nagoya native said, according to NHK. "I believe that you cannot work hard if you do not love skating. So no matter what happens, I will try not to lose my love for skating."
The six-time Japan national champion recalled being inspired by her former coaches as she looks ahead to her new work.
"When I was a skater, I had many coaches who helped me, and I want to remember to love skating as much as they did," Mao was quoted as saying by NHK.
Mao has participated in ice shows in the years following her retirement from competitive skating. But she revealed she isn't planning to be involved in ice shows again anytime soon, saying, "I don't have any ice shows lined up at the moment."
Added Mao, "I want to focus all my energy on the academy first."
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Baseball
Mets' Senga Suffers Hamstring Injury
New York Mets right-hander Kodai Senga injured his right hamstring in the sixth inning of a game against the visiting Washington Nationals on Thursday, June 12.
The injury occurred when Senga covered first base in the sixth inning. On CJ Abrams' grounder, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso's throw to Senga forced the pitcher to jump to catch it.
Abrams was out on the play, and Senga left the game after landing awkwardly.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that the pitcher felt pain in his hamstring as he moved toward first base, according to The Associated Press.
"I talked to [Alonso] right away as soon as the inning was over ― I went up to him and I was like hey, man, this is baseball, it happens," Mendoza was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. "And then Senga went in, he sent the translator and basically told him, hey, I felt it on the step before the jump, so tell him not to worry about it."
Senga allowed just two hits in 5⅔ scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out five. The 32-year-old is the MLB leader in ERA (1.47).
As a result of his hamstring strain, Senga is scheduled to receive an MRI on Friday to determine the precise extent of the injury, Mendoza told reporters.
Senga will be placed on the injured list.
In other MLB news, Chicago Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki smacked a solo home run in a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. Suzuki is tied for third among all MLB players in RBIs (57).
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Soccer
Urawa Reds Preparing for Club World Cup Opener
The Urawa Reds are getting ready for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (June 15-July 13) in the United States. And even before its first game, pride is a driving force for the J.League club.
"In order to tell the world how wonderful the J.League is, we need to produce a good result," Reds goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa said, according to Kyodo News. "Earning at least a point in the opener is the most important thing and we want to focus on that [for now]."
Urawa faces Argentina's River Plate on Tuesday, June 17 (Wednesday 4 AM JST kickoff) in its Group E opener in Seattle. There are eight four-team groups for the Club World Cup's group stage throughout the United States.
After the Reds play River Plate, they take on 2010 CWC winner Inter Milan of Italy on Saturday, June 21 (Sunday 4 AM JST kickoff, also in Seattle).
Then, on Wednesday, June 25 (Thursday 10 AM JST) at the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, Urawa meets Mexico's Monterrey in the teams' final Group E match.
FIFA, soccer's world governing body, increased the tournament to 32 teams for the 2025 event. It marked a massive increase in size.
Urawa earned a fourth-place finish (among seven teams) at the 2023 Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
In an April interview with FIFA.com, Reds manager Maciej Skorza spoke about his excitement for the upcoming tournament.
"It is an incredible feeling to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup held in this format ― a first in football history," the Polish boss said. "We are all extremely excited and it will certainly be an unforgettable experience in our football careers."
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Track and Field
Javelin Star Kitaguchi Wins Diamond League Competition
Haruka Kitaguchi finished first in the women's javelin competition at the Oslo Bislett Games, a Diamond League meet, on Thursday, June 12.
The reigning Olympic and world champion secured the victory with a season-best throw of 64.63 meters. Her previous best mark was 64.16, set at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix on May 18 at Tokyo's National Stadium.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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