Sports

[ODDS and EVENS] Success and Confidence are Interlinked in Sports

Insights on success in sports from snowboarder Mitsuki Ono, basketball player Yuki Togashi, boxer Kenshiro Teraji and surfer Kana Nakashio.

Published

3 months ago

January 26, 2024

Ed Odeven

Snowboarders Mitsuki Ono (left) and Ruki Tomita display their awards after finishing first and third, respectively, in the women's halfpipe competition at the Laax Open on January 20, 2024, in Laax, Switzerland. (KYODO)

Read the full story on SportsLook - [ODDS and EVENS] Success and Confidence are Interlinked in Sports

In sports, success bolsters confidence. Victories can provide confirmation that the step-by-step process leading up to the desired results was not an accident.

Of course, luck sometimes plays a part. But the combination of hard work, determination, a smart strategy and quality athletic performances remains a potent recipe for success.

In recent days, various sporting events have provided reminders of this.

Athletes don't always discuss the process that ended with a triumph in post-event news conferences. Sometimes, the raw emotions of excitement or disappointment about what just happened are all the public will read about or watch.

However, the takeaway from triumphant athletes and teams often underscores that they believe in the process and that the results are tangible evidence that they are doing things the right way.

Ono Collects Snowboard World Cup Victory

Japanese teenager Mitsuki Ono claimed her first victory of the FIS Snowboard World Cup season on Saturday, January 20 in Laax, Switzerland. Ono finished first in the women's halfpipe competition, the third event of the season, with 81.75 points at the Laax Open. American Bea Kim was second (77.50) and Japan's Ruki Tomita was third (60.50).

For Ono, a ninth-place finisher in her specialty event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the victory in Switzerland confirmed what she had hoped for.

"I feel I've really gotten stronger performing in real competition," the 19-year-old Ono said, according to Kyodo News.

What else did Ono, the overall World Cup women's halfpipe points leader in 2023, feel after securing the top prize in Laax?

It was a "satisfying result," she revealed, according to Kyodo News, "but I'm aware I've still got some way to go. I'll keep working to improve my skills."

Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.

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.