NHK Trophy 2023: Watanabe Hazuki battling weight of expectations as world and Japanese champion
Japan's new female all-around champion and the world's reigning balance beam gold medallist says she is feeling the heat in trying to qualify for Antwerp (30 September-8 October). Can the 18-year-old conquer her fears?
Artistic Gymnastics
Watanabe Hazuki was something of a fairytale at last year’s World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, going from being a reserve to winning gold on the balance beam for Japan in Liverpool.
The 18-year-old added another layer of success last month, when she won her first title at the All-Japan All Around Championships.
Going into the NHK Trophy this weekend when tickets to the Worlds in Antwerp in the fall will be awarded, you’d think Watanabe would be bursting with confidence as the newly crowned all-around queen and Japan’s only sitting female world champion.
Watanabe, however, is anything but confident. In fact, she’s at the opposite end of the spectrum.
“Last year, I was the one doing the hunting but now, I’m the one being hunted,” she said on Friday (19 May) after podium training at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. “The pressure I feel is on a whole new level.
“At the All-Japans I didn’t perform very well on the balance beam. I’ve been working on it for the NHK but I haven’t been able to pick it up.
“The competition for the World Championships team is close, and I’m dealing with a lot of anxiety, panic at the moment.”
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Four places for the 30 September-8 October World Championships will be decided following the women’s competition on Saturday. Points from the All-Japans will be added to the NHK Trophy results.
A mere three-tenths of a point separate the top four as things stand. Watanabe leads with 106.963 by a hair over defending champion Miyata Shoko on 106.797 followed by Kishi Rina (106.764) and Fukasawa Kokoro (106.664).
Miyata is on shaky footing for reasons completely different to that of Watanabe.
Miyata is still nursing a fractured right heel that she suffered ahead of the All-Japans. Her ankle is also sore now, having favoured the right foot for months, and she did not even practice on Friday.
Watanabe has a clean bill of health and provided that she can keep her composure, the NHK Trophy - as well as outright qualification for the Worlds this time, and not an alternate spot - would be hers to lose.
Whether she can stay composed remains to be seen. But if Watanabe does, it will be a big breakthrough for the teenager as the qualifying race for Paris 2024 heats up.
“This is a first for me. I’ve never been so anxious before. I’ve been practicing a lot to try to get rid of the anxiety but it makes things worse. I’m in a downward spiral I’ve never experienced before.
“At the World Championships, I didn’t really feel pressure. I was just hoping to not set back the team. But now I’m a world champion and the all-around champion so it’s a totally different situation.
“I have a bull’s eye on my back but I’ll try to focus on what I need to do. I’ve always been about the E-score more than the D. I need to focus on the details so I don’t lose points on the little things and not just big mistakes.
“I have to have a thorough performance so I can stay in first and make the cut.”