“Peace is what enables development and is critical in providing opportunities to young people. Efforts to preserve peace are absolutely vital in bringing prosperity and hope for the future.”
“People expect that I'll be just perfect on ice, and that's not the case. I make mistakes, too. When I review my performance, sometimes I feel I did awful. That's the whole part of the process of what people see when I'm performing.”
“The Sochi Games is not only my second Olympics, but the 'retirement stage' for me, so I want to have a greater experience than any other competition before. In the past, I had strong concepts for short programs and lyrical ones for the long. But this time, it's the other way around.”
“When I was young, many people didn't know what figure skating was. Some who knew of it thought of it as dancing on ice. But, as I entered international competitions and got good results, many people got to know more about it and came to cheer for me.”
“I get tired too, just like everybody else. Sometimes I tell people that, but all I get is people saying that being vulnerable and weak is just not like me. I rarely get the response of emotional support I want. But sometimes I need it.”
“If I give up my career as a skater simply because I fear I won't show my best performance, I would be really sorry later in life.”
“I'm not feeling much pressure for the Olympics because I think I already have done many things in my career. I will try to enjoy my second Olympics.”
“In competition, when I start performance I try not to think about all the pressure from the fans. But, I got a lot of energy from them always. They make me more perfect.”
“The Vancouver Olympics was the first competition where I completed the short and free programs without any mistakes, and that in itself was a huge achievement.”
“After I won the Olympics, like any gold medalist, I did feel some emptiness in my heart. I did think about coming back to the ice for a long time. What motivated me is skating is something I am best at and I love the most. So I want to give it one more try.”