A year without overseas competition amid the coronavirus pandemic has been a challenge for speedskating star Miho Takagi, but has also given her a different perspective on her sport.
The adversity didn't stop Takagi from an impressive sweep of all five distances at December's national championships, and the Hokkaido native is now gearing up for next year's winter games in Beijing.
"It was fortunate I could still compete in domestic competitions," Takagi told Kyodo News in an interview. "Because I couldn't go overseas, it was a year that made me think on many fronts about how to handle the situation.