Domu Narita admitted Japan's snowboarders still have a long way to go before they can hope to seriously challenge the world's top riders after returning home empty-handed from the Winter Olympics on Thursday.
Japanese halfpipe snowboarder Domu Narita reacts after failing to qualify for the final round during the men's halfpipe event in Bardonecchia Feb. 12.
Narita and Kazuhiro Kokubo had been tipped as possible medal contenders in Turin but all four of Japan's men bombed on the Bardonecchia pipe and failed to make it past the qualifiers.
"The riders that come to compete in the Olympics are a different class," Narita told reporters after arriving at Narita airport. "It's the first time for me to experience these three feelings of nervousness, pressure and deep frustration."
"I just want to say thank you to everyone that supported us and sorry that I couldn't do better. This has motivated me to try even harder to become first Japanese snowboard medalist in four years time."
Narita's sister Melo Imai, Japan's best and most popular rider, also suffered bitter disappointment when she injured her back after suffering a bad crash and was eliminated in the women's halfpipe qualifiers.
But she said she thought she had benefited from the experience of her first Olympics.
"It was good for me to gain the experience of appearing in an Olympics," said Imai, who changed her name to her mother's maiden name after she split from her coach and father to go solo following a row over an equipment sponsorship deal last summer.
"My back is not in very good condition but I'm trying not to let it get me down," she said.
Shiho Nakashima, Soko Yamaoka and Chikako Fushimi made it through to the women's final but failed to impress. Nakashima finished ninth, Yamaoka 10th and Fushimi last in the 12-woman final.
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