A PERSONAL COMEBACK
Making a comeback after a long absence from the competitive scene is a risky move for anyone, but even more so for someone who was a skating superstar not only in his nation, but also around the world.
Daisuke Takahashi is aware of the risks of returning to competition after a four-year hiatus, but his reasons for coming back are strictly personal.
This time, he is skating for himself.
“There are only a few years left where I can show my best in my personal skating.”
Daisuke Takahashi took the skating world by surprise when he announced in early July that he was returning to competition. Though he had made the decision many months before, few were aware of his intentions.
Absent from the competitive scene the past four years, the attendance at his recent press conference left no doubt he is still a shining star in his Japanese homeland.
Social media sites around the world lit up like a Christmas tree when the news was announced, with fans from all four corners of the globe welcoming the return of the highly-respected skater.
Takahashi is not seeking fame or fortune with his comeback bid. He is returning to put the final exclamation point to a brilliant career — on his own terms.
His road to success began eight years earlier with an historic bronze medal finish at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. A month later, he captured the World title. In 2011, he claimed the Four Continents crown, and in 2012, stood atop the podium at the Grand Prix Final, re-writing Japanese men’s skating history every step of the way.
The following season, despite suffering from a knee injury, he continued to train and compete. But following his victory at NHK Trophy in late 2013 — the last of his career — he was forced to withdraw from the Grand
