Our Town Inagi 2026 Yui Shibata

2nd Place at the Saitama Inline Freestyle Asia Cup 2026!

From July to August, at the Asia Cup held in Saitama (Classic Slalom Jr. Girls Division and Battle Slalom Jr. Girls Division), Shibata (a first-year student at Inagi Dai 3 Junior High School) won 2nd place. She achieved an outstanding result among about 40 participants from 7 Asian countries. This competition involves skating between evenly spaced pylons to about 2 minutes of music, competing in skills such as spins and expressive performance. Reflecting on this tournament, Shibata said, "I also participated last year, but this year I leveled up and had confidence. It was very good to be able to challenge myself with confidence, and I was not very nervous, so I was able to perform in my own style."

Shibata first encountered inline skating in the second grade of elementary school. She now trains every day, honing her skating skills in addition to basic practice. She says that during practice, she makes a point of approaching it with the mindset that "I can definitely do it."

When asked about the appeal of inline skating, she replied, "The sense of accomplishment when I can perform difficult tricks or those I practiced during training in the actual event, and the joy and fun of having my routines, which I have practiced so far, recognized in competitions."

For Shibata, inline skating is "a sport where I can express my individuality, receive support from those around me, and find a sense of fulfillment."

When asked about her future goals, she said, "I would be happy if I could convey the fun and appeal of inline skating to many people and if more people started it. I want to become an athlete who can succeed on the world stage, so I want to work hard toward that goal."

This year, Shibata was also selected for the Japanese national team and is looking toward the world. We look forward to her promising future progress.