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By Mark Stephens, (c)
JapanSkates 2005.
Photos taken at Skate
America are at Yoshie's
photo page.
 After I arrived at the Boardwalk
Hall in Atlantic City on Friday, October 21, I watched Yoshie's
dynamic short program and then spotted her sitting with her coach
Josée Chouinard in the
stands. I approached them and they were very friendly (and
remembered me from the Granite Club interview!). Josée
informed me that the Japan Federation had approved an
over-the-boards interview with Yoshie following the Exhibition
practice on the Sunday. Then on
the Saturday, I saw Yoshie sitting in the stands following her free
skate and we planned the 'where and when' for the following day's
interview.
Around noon on Sunday, Josée and Yoshie came out from backstage
and approached the stands. Yoshie was immediately flooded with
autograph requests so we waited patiently until she had finished
them all. Gregg and I had planned to alternate our prepared
questions, but given the physical limitations and short time
available I handled the questions and Gregg stood by with the
camera. Josée then said her goodbyes to Yoshie, as she was
about to return to Toronto.
 JS: Hi Yoshie!
YO:
Hi!
JS: Congratulations on
yesterday!
YO: Thank you!
JS: How do you feel about
your performance (free skate) yesterday?
YO:
I was so nervous yesterday but I did a
good start for this season. And I want to keep going to (give
a) good performance for next Cup of Russia.
 JS: I know that even I was
nervous before you skated! How did you deal with being the
third to skate? What did you do to remain calm and to relax
before you went out?
YO:
Oh no...before,
everyone was giving a standing ovation for Alissa and so I was
surprised and thought "OH OH!" and I couldn't be so (calm) in my
head. Yeah, but you know she has just started in Senior and I
have competed longer in Senior so it was a little bit different.
But a few years ago I was the same, but now I have a lot more
pressure; but I have to deal with my pressure, so I did good (under)
pressure at this competition.
JS:
Were you happy to see Daisuke win the gold medal on the men's side?
YO: (Smile)
Yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah! Exactly, because he's such as a good skater
but every time he does a good short program but he couldn't do a
good long program. I was so nervous for Daisuke but he did a
good performance for Skate America. I hope...next competition,
NHK Trophy, he try...I hope that he does a good performance in NHK
Trophy.
 JS: He was wonderful, yeah!
YO:
Yeah!
JS: Have you seen any of
Atlantic City?
YO:
No I've
never been. You know, I've never competed Skate America, so
this competition I am first time at Skate America.
JS: But have you seen any
of the casinos, anything in Atlantic City, or was it all skating?
(I knew what the answer would be, but asked anyway!).
YO:
Oh no no no no, just
you know, hotel...skate...hotel...skate! Sometimes I walked
around outside, but it's almost all hotel and skate.
JS: What are your plans?
Are you going home to Japan for a while, or back to Toronto?
 YO:
Toronto.
JS: Are you going to be in
Toronto with Josee through to the Olympics and Worlds?
YO:
Yes.
JS: Who chose
your exhibition program?
YO:
Josee, oh
yeah it was Josee!
 JS: Well I think
that's just about everything. So, congratulations!
YO:
Thank
you so much!
JS:
Thank you very much for being so helpful to us.
YO:
You're
welcome!
We then had Yoshie pose for a
photo with Gregg. Gregg had already taken one of me
interviewing her. We said our goodbyes and Yoshie went
backstage to get ready for the Exhibition. We enjoyed her
program, Alicia Keys' "Heartburn", immensely, and were so proud of
her as she took her place in the parade of champions at the end of
the day.
Thanks go to Yoshie and her coach
Josée Chouinard for graciously allowing us to interview Yoshie for
the second time in a month! They are two of the nicest people
in skating.
Return to Yoshie's page
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