Poised to be one of Japan's star performers at the Beijing Winter Olympics, Miho Takagi is expected to contend for medals across five different speed skating events.
Already a multiple Olympic medal winner, having brought home gold, silver and bronze four years ago, the 27-year-old will head to the Feb. 4-20 games riding a wave of confidence following an outstanding World Cup season.
Takagi has been a key player in the 1,500 meters since taking silver four years ago in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and she is tipped to make a run at improving her own 1-minute, 49.83-second world record over the distance at Beijing's state-of-the-art National Speed Skating Oval.
She will also bid to improve on her bronze in the 1,000 and spearhead the Japanese women's pursuit team as it seeks to defend the gold medal it won with an Olympic record time in 2018.
Hailing from the northern island of Hokkaido, Takagi has been known for her near-flawless skating technique since debuting on the Olympic stage as a teenager in 2010.
Her technical prowess, combined with her dedication to training and strengthening her body, has helped her take possession of two world records -- one over 1,500 set in 2019 and another as part of Japan's team pursuit squad set in 2020.
On top of her busy competition schedule, Takagi will carry the additional responsibility of being Japan's Olympic team captain in Beijing. While she admits the five events are a heavy workload, she relishes the challenge.
"For me, personally, it's actually been the best method for getting faster. I've gotten where I am as a result," Takagi said in a recent online press conference.
Despite her medal haul in 2018, in addition to being a reserve on Japan's silver medal-winning team pursuit entry at the 2010 Vancouver Games, Takagi has not been satisfied with her Olympic results to date and will head to the Chinese capital with a sense of unfinished business.
"I've never once looked at those medals and thought, 'this will do,'" Takagi told Kyodo News last year. "I will carry that feeling with me to Beijing."
Takagi is the second women's speed skater in a row to be named Japanese Olympic team captain, inheriting the role from Nao Kodaira.
While Kodaira has long been the 500-meter ice queen, Takagi has also topped the podium over the distance in international competition and will be among the top contenders in Beijing.
The pair will also be competitors over 1,000 and 1,500, as well as prospective teammates in the women's pursuit.
Takagi's older sister Nana will also contest the 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 against her younger sibling, and is likely to once again be part of the women's team pursuit.
By competing for medals across the spectrum of events, Takagi is going against the overall trend of skaters specializing in specific distances. And with few examples to look to, she is confident about blazing a trail in Beijing.
"Not so many people have attempted it, so there's no proof it can be done. But that doesn't mean it's impossible," she said.
