Stephane Lambiel exclusive: In a reflective phase, Uno Shoma ‘aware of what he wants’ more than ever

When two-time and reigning world champion Uno Shoma sets blade to ice this figure skating season, it will mark a decade on the international circuit.

“He looks so young – and he is still so young – but he's one of the veterans in men’s skating,” says his coach, Stephane Lambiel, the Torino 2006 silver medallist, in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com last month.

“I feel like with the maturity and experience that he has, this is a good moment to wrap up a chapter of his career,” Lambiel continued. “And there might be other seasons, but for now, this is where he is with maturity and with his skating, and with who he is as a person.”

Lambiel is clear: It’s a season-by-season approach for team Uno, as it has been since the 25-year-old won his second Olympic medal in singles at Beijing 2022. There are no solidified plans to step away, and – in fact – the focus-on-the-now approach has brought out some of Uno’s most significant skating, having won every international event he’s competed in the last two seasons – including a pair of world championship titles.

“Shoma has always been a challenger,” explains Lambiel. “Either as a defending world champion or when he was competing with Hanyu [Yuzuru] and [Nathan] Chen, I think he always loved the competition: He always loved to push himself.”

Uno Shoma's free skate: 'Closure of a chapter'

Lambiel, who has been at Uno's side since 2019, said he and the skater mark this “chapter” of Uno’s competitive life in a two-part free skate, “Timelapse”/”Spiegel im Spiegel”, choreographed by Miyamoto Kenji, whom Uno has worked with since 2021.

“The image that I had listening to the music that I suggested is kind of like making a closure of a chapter,” Lambiel said. “[The second half] is a reflection of all his career. He’s been a skater in the circuit for so many years... and I wanted to have this reflection on all those years, a bow to this whole chapter with a lot of success and great moments.”

Lambiel continued: “The first part of the free skate is a photo album of all these little moments, reflecting on [their beauty].”

“We don't know if this chapter will have a continuation, but for now, that is the image: [Shoma has] been around for so many years and he [has] already had two Olympic cycles.”

With his short program set to music from Everything Everywhere All at Once, and choregraphed by Lambiel, Stephane said this season also marks a continued journey of Uno allowing himself to turn inward – finding what he wants.

“He’s become more and more aware of what he wants, what his opinion is, and how he want to deal with his objectives,” Lambiel explained.

Stephane Lambiel: Guiding Shoma 'is an honour'

It’s set to be a busy two months for Uno, should all go according to plan: After his season debut at Cup of China this weekend (10-12 November), he is set to compete at his home Grand Prix later this month.

Results pending, Uno will skate at the Grand Prix Final in early December in Beijing (where he is the defending champion) before going for his sixth national title later that month in Japan.

Among that crowded schedule is an awareness for Uno that has come with time: He’s competing with himself, for himself.

“He is [also] now aware of what he wants to achieve in terms of jumps, in terms of expression, in terms of skating, in terms of performance. And it's been an honour to guide him through that.”

“He’s very smart at focusing on what he wants, what he needs, in order to improve his skating technically or artistically,” Lambiel said. “Yes, he's very aware and he works really hard for what he wants. His image in his head is very clear and I can say guiding him is an honour because he goes with so much intensity and it's just narrowing that road for my part.

“So I look forward to see how he will now develop the new programs and show them in competition and see that process of pushing forward and increasing and improving and going forward for the best he can do.”

Mentor and student appear to be on the same page.

Last month, as he put in the work at his home rink in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, for the Cup of China, Uno echoed Lambiel about the clarity he has come to find.

"This season, I have been pouring everything I have into both my jumps and artistic expression," Uno told the Japanese press. "Every day is rewarding and I feel growth on a daily basis.

"But the fact that I find practice rewarding also means there is a lot of room for improvement. I want to put on a performance that I myself would repeatedly want to watch.

"I want that self-satisfaction and when all is said and done at season's end, I want my programs to be at a level where I don't want ever to drop them."