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"We formed our team only three months ago"

Oumi Synchro is a new Japanese team of 8 skaters who debuted in 2019 Japan Synchronized Skating Open Competition on 2 -3 March. In the programme booklet, they described themselves as a very young team with skaters with rich individual personality. So how did they manage to form a team? Let’s meet Minami Maeda from Oumi Synchro team to learn a few things about the team.

21 March 2019

<p>The Oumi Synchro team competed for the first time this Spring. / Credits: Roy Ng Photography</p>

When was your team formed and where does your team base?
Minami Maeda: We formed in December 2018 and practice in Shiga Prefecture.

Wow, so Oumi Synchro is a really young team!
Yes indeed! We formed our team only three months ago and practised only about six times before the Open Competition. We don’t even have a coach! We think our performance was good, but the third place result is disappointing.

Why you started a team?
Because there was a synchronized skating competition in Shiga Prefecture. We were originally single skaters. Some team members have achieved the seventh level [of Japanese figure skating system; 8th being the highest].

So far what has been the most memorable to your team?
Three and a half hours of long practice! We had that long session to build the Beauty and the Beast “Be Our Guest” programme.

So what’s next for the coming new season?
We will participate in competitions. Although we are a new team with no coach, we think our programme is more “entertaining” than others through our acting during the programme. That is because of our personality and freedom. In order to entertain the venue, we must first have fun.

<p>Oumi Synchro comes from Shiga Prefecture, a region in central Japan, between Osaka and Nagoya. / Credits: Roy Ng Photography</p>

The skaters had lots of fun dressing as Belle of Beauty and the Beast. Their choice of now classic “Be Our Guest” music certainty connects with people right away and so spectators in the competition arena fell in love with the team immediately.

Thank you Oumi Synchro for sharing your story with us. We hope to see you again quickly at competitions.

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