On October 27, SUGIYAMA Takumi, a member of Okayama University's Figure Skating Club and a third-year student in the Discovery Program for Global Learners, competed in the 49th West Japan Figure Skating Championship held at Hiroshin Big Wave in Hiroshima City. He secured the third position in the Men's Singles category. With this result, he has earned a spot in the 92nd All-Japan Figure Skating Championships scheduled for December.

Participants in this championship are selected from winners of the block championships in the Chubu, Kinki, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions, as well as those recognized by the Figure Skating Committee. Since this serves as a qualifier for the All Japan Championships to be held in Nagano Prefecture in December, the competition among athletes was intense.

In the Men's Singles category, 20 participants who triumphed in their respective regional competitions competed for rankings based on the total points from the Short Program and Free Skating. Mr. Sugiyama secured the third position with third place in Short Program and second place in Free Skating, earning him the qualification to participate in the All Japan Championships.

Mr. Sugiyama, who started skating at the age of 11, has been actively participating in national competitions. Reflecting on this achievement, Mr. Sugiyama stated, "I am very grateful for achieving third place in this tournament. Moreover, this result means that I will be participating in the All Japan Championships for the fourth time. I will do my best to deliver a performance that satisfies me."

The 92nd All Japan Figure Skating Championships are scheduled to take place from December 20 to 24 at the Nagano City Wakasato Multipurpose Sports Arena in Nagano City.

Best wishes for his performance in the upcoming All-Japan Championships!