Sibling Success: Ueno sisters thrive in Japanese curling

The finest of margins can change the career of athletes, as Ueno Miyu found out as skip of her Karuizawa-based club at the 2024 Japan Curling Championships.

Just two years removed from winning her nation’s first-ever world title as part of the women’s team at the World Junior Curling Championships, she was finally skipping her own rink amongst the adults for the first time in Sapporo. There, her side lost to Teams Nihira and Kitazawa, but importantly, defeated Fujisawa Satsuki’s double Olympic medal-winning team to advance. Having lost to Kitazawa and Ueno, Fujisawa would suffer a shock exit by virtue of a tiebreaker.

It meant Japan’s competitive women’s division could become just that bit stronger with Nihira and Ueno seeking a spot at the Women’s World Curling Championship for the first time as skips. Ueno’s rink won the semi-final against the experienced Kitazawa outfit in the semi-finals with a deuce in the final end. The same happened in the final against Nihira to come from behind, winning their first title in dramatic fashion.

High Hopes for the start of the season

After debuting at the World Women’s Curling Championship last season, Miyu and her younger sister Yui look to finish the calendar year off – alongside their teammates Kanai Asuka and Nishimuro Junko – with a gold medal around their necks.

“I think this will be a stage where we can see how far we can show what we have built up as a team since the World Championships,” said Miyu about the Pan Continental Curling Championships 2024.

“I think it will be a competition where we will find the key to further growth.

“We want to give our best performance as a team by demonstrating one by one the issues we have learned from the World Championships and what we have worked on as a team.

“Of course, we are aiming for the gold medal, but we want to concentrate on each throw and each game in front of us and enjoy our fans by aiming for the play that only we can do.”

Learning is key

Learning is key coming off the World Championship experience, where the team finished with a record of 3-9. Yui stressed the team were unable to adapt to the ice-reading at the event – “we want to overcome it”, she added.

“The top teams in the world were quickly responding to the ice and making draws, takes, and super shots,” said Miyu.

While the results did not go their way, it can be excused. Their underdog story to the Japanese title saw them defeating teams they once idolised.

“It was my first time to play in the Japan Championships, so I was very anxious, but I was happy to win, and I decided to do my best to play even better in the Women’s World Curling Championship,” said Yui.

“We were playing against a great team with many good results in international competitions, but instead of focusing on our opponents, we tried to do our best to do what we could do.”

“We decided to enjoy the Japanese Championships more than any other team,” added Miyu.

“We won some and lost some, but it was really good that we were able to enjoy playing until the end.”

The victory over Fujisawa was a turning point for Miyu.

“When I was a junior, I actually saw Team Fujisawa win a medal at the Olympics,” she added.

“They were strong and I admired them, so I was very happy that we played well and won against them at the Japan Championships. In hindsight, this victory may have led to a good performance in the play-offs that followed the round-robin.”

World CLass COaching

Under the tutelage of Ogasawara Ayumi, who represented her nation four times at the Women’s World Curling Championship, their team continues to grow with every stone thrown. Yui lauded her coach’s advice, with her tournament experience dating back to 1994.

“Ayumi-san coached me when I became a member of the junior national team and taught me the basics of tactics and techniques,” said Yui.

“What she taught me was the idea of ‘what to leave for the opponent’, which left a strong impression on me and I still play with that in mind.

“She also impressed me when she said, ‘We can’t control the opponent, so we have to be aware of what we should do now’.

“Ayumi-san has gained a lot of experience as a player, so she understands our feelings while coaching us – I want to learn a lot as a team together again.”

“She told us that there is no right answer in curling, and if you think for yourselves and make your own choices, that is your right answer,” added Miyu.

“She used to say how important it is to think for yourselves; I still play with that in mind.

“Ayumi shares a lot of her experiences and thoughts with us, so it’s exciting to curl while learning a lot.

“Off-ice, I often get nervous, but she says positive things like ‘Miyu will be fine’. I feel at ease going on the ice with her around.”

Ogasawara Ayumi © World Curling / Rocky Sung

The Future of Japanese Curling

Still just 23 and 21, Miyu and Yui are the future of their nation’s curling. While Ogasawara has been pivotal to their success, there is clear respect and love between the sisters as players and as siblings.

“Yui’s strength is that she thinks about how to win in every situation,” said Miyu.

“We have differences of opinion and sometimes clash, but this leads to mutual growth. We have been playing together since we started curling and formed a team.

“We often talk about what each of us is thinking, both during and outside of curling, and I think it is an advantage that we spend a lot of intense time together.”

“I like my sister’s dedication to accomplish what she decides to do,” added Yui.

“I have a great sense of rivalry with my sister, I never want to lose to her in practice, matches or training, and I am determined to play well.

“Our mutual desire not to lose leads us to improve our skills.”

With World Championship qualification on the line at the Pan Continental Curling Championships, it is another audition for Ueno’s team to establish themselves as the number-one rink in Japan.

Great challenges are expected by Canada’s Rachel Homan and Korea’s Eun-ji Gim, but Yui will be looking to harness her strength as a can-do winner on lead, while Miyu anchors the blossoming squad with the hammer.

And perhaps the Ueno sisters would not be competing in Lacombe if that match against Team Fujisawa had gone another way. Fine margins, indeed.