[Murakami Mai] "Moments of happiness" she felt after retiring from active competition
Mai Murakami was the first Japanese female athlete to win a medal in an individual Olympic event, in the floor exercise at the Tokyo Olympics. She went on to win two medals, including a gold medal, at the World Championships in the same year, and retired from competitive swimming in the best possible way.
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Murakami: "When I was still active, I lived in the dormitory of the gymnastics club at Nippon Sport Science University, but after I retired I started living alone. I stop by the supermarket on my way home to buy dinner, and relax at home without having to think about practice the next day. Living such an ordinary life makes me feel really happy."
As she speaks, Murakami's expression is bright and you can sense her fulfillment. We also asked her about her current approach to gymnastics.
Murakami: "Right now, I have no desire to do gymnastics at all. My active days were really tough, and I was pushing myself to the limits of what was humanly possible, so it's traumatic after all. But it's not like I've come to hate gymnastics, and I'm still grateful to it. That's one of the reasons why I decided to work in gymnastics after I retired."
I started doing gymnastics for other people.
Murakami is now the coach of the gymnastics club at his alma mater, Nippon Sport Science University, where he is responsible for training the next generation of athletes.
Murakami: "When I was still playing, I was able to let all my emotions out in practice, and as long as I was doing well, that was fine, but it's not that way as a coach. There are times when you have to get angry, and there are times when you have to be there for them and give them a push. I feel that it's a different kind of difficulty to when I was a player."
Murakami-san says that from her days as an athlete, when she only cared about herself, she now faces each of the nearly 30 members of the team individually, and that "I began to do gymnastics for other people." She says that her perspective has broadened dramatically since becoming a coach.
Words to the members of the Japanese women's gymnastics team competing in the world for the first time
With the retirement of Murakami, the absolute ace, all of the members of the Japanese women's gymnastics team were selected for the first time. They had almost no experience of competing in overseas competitions, let alone world championships. So, before the World Championships held in Liverpool, England from October 29 to November 6, 2022, Murakami went to meet the athletes and said the following.
Murakami said, "When I went to watch them practice and training camp, I could see that they were nervous. What they need now is to gain as much experience as possible, even if they make mistakes. So I told them, 'I know you're nervous, but leave those feelings in Japan and, because this is your first time representing Japan, just be open-minded and give it your all.'"
These female gymnasts who are on the Japanese national team will also be competing in the All Japan Gymnastics Team Championships to be held in Fukui Prefecture. Murakami has named the following athletes as the ones to watch:
Murakami: "From the Nippon Sport Science University team where I coach, there are Ayaka Sakaguchi, who is capable of competing at the World Championships, and Urara Ashigawa, who won the gold medal in the balance beam event at the 2021 World Championships. Also, Shoko Miyata from the Sabae Gymnastics School in my hometown of Fukui is an athlete who came in first in the World Championships qualifiers, so these three are worth watching."
What are the essentials for traveling and what are the joys of the future?
Murakami also said that when he was still active, he only traveled to games and training camps, and had never traveled privately. However, now that he has more free time than when he was a player, he went on a solo trip to Kitami City in Hokkaido in August this year.
Murakami: "I have a friend who is a curling player in Kitami. I had made plans to go and see her, and I happened to have some time off in late August, so I decided to go on a solo trip. I booked a JAL package tour that included a flight, accommodation, and rental car (laughs)."
By the way, when he was still active, when he traveled overseas for games or training camps, he would apparently use this secret item on the plane to stay in good condition during the long flights.
Murakami: "I always made sure to bring a short stretch pole with me. I would put it under my buttocks on the plane and massage it, or I would prop it up, cover it with a towel, and use it as a pillow to sleep on... Also, I would ask the flight attendants if there were three empty seats abreast, and they would lend me a special space so I could stretch."
The place Murakami would like to visit right now is Miyakojima, home to abundant, untouched nature, and a trip to hot springs with her mother and daughter.
"I've always been devoted to gymnastics, so I've never traveled with my mother. I'd like to go to a hot spring with my mother someday, even if it's just somewhere nearby. That's what I'm looking forward to the most right now."
Murakami has now embarked on her second career in gymnastics. Keep an eye on the performance of the women's gymnasts she leads.
Mai Murakami
Born in 1996. Originally from Kanagawa Prefecture. In 2018, she won the All Japan Championships Individual All-Around for the third consecutive year, and in the same year at the World Championships, she became the first Japanese woman to win a silver medal in the Individual All-Around. She also won the bronze medal in the Individual Floor Exercise at the Tokyo Olympics, the first time a Japanese woman has won one in history. In the same year at the World Championships, she won her second gold medal in the Individual Floor Exercise in four years, retiring on a high note.
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Uchimura and Murakami, who have both experienced the world stage, have high hopes for the future of Japan's gymnastics world. The All-Japan Gymnastics Team Championships is an opportunity for Japan's top gymnasts to gather together in one place. Why not come and experience their dynamic techniques up close?
The 76th All Japan Gymnastics Team Championships
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The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
