内村インタビューだけど冨田の話題も出てくる。 Uchimura built up to the silver after a horrendous pommel horse routine earned him just 13.275 points, by far his lowest mark. That score was almost a point lower than what he managed in Saturday's qualifying. «I think I was in a very bad situation,» he said through a translator. «I thought, `I won't be able to get a medal.' Therefore, at that moment, I didn't think anything except for continuing the competition. Which he did stylishly. And steadily, until he had overcome South Korea's Yang Tae-young and Russia's Sergei Khorokhordin to grab the silver by nailing his parallel bars and high bar routines. «Now that I've won the silver medal,» he said, «I feel very happy. His parents left Wednesday and missed his big day. But it was no less exciting. «Whether my parents are here or not, it will not affect my performance,» he said. Uchimura has never even been to a world championships. The youngest member of the team, he was second in the Japanese nationals this year. By contrast, the veteran Tomita won a team gold medal with Japan in 2004 and also was second at the 2006 worlds to Yang. He clearly seemed the strongest medal threat from Japan when the games began. Asked if he would like to succeed Tomita as Japan's leader and become a role model in his nation, Uchimura smiled widely. «I'm only 19 years old,» he said.
«He is my idol. He is very strict with himself during training and he won't give up easily on small details. He will try his best to overcome his obstacles. «I adore him. And all of Japan will surely now adore Uchimura.