Arisa Go

instagram.com/arisago

Reason for choosing this sport	She was encouraged to take up the sport by her older brother.
Club / Team	Iyotec: Japan
When and where did you begin this sport?	She took up the sport at age four in Hokkaido, Japan.
Name of coach	Johan de Wit [national], NED

Memorable sporting achievement	Competing at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (Athlete, 21 Nov 2019)
Hero / Idol	Japanese speed skater and cyclist Sayuri Osuga. (Athlete, 21 Nov 2019)
Awards and honours	In 2021 she carried the Olympic torch during the relay ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Her leg of the relay was in Matsuyama, Japan. (Instagram profile, 22 Apr 2021) In 2018 she received the Hokkaido Sports Award in Japan. (pref.hokkaido.lg.jp, 28 Jan 2019) In 2017 she received the Shiny Matsuyama Grand Prize in Japan. (city.matsuyama.ehime.jp, 07 Jun 2017) In 2017 she was given a citation award by the governor of Nagano Prefecture in Japan. (mainichi.jp, 09 Feb 2017)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Enjoy skating." (Athlete, 21 Nov 2019)
Other information	RETIREMENT AND RETURN In March 2018 she announced her retirement from international competition, and later took up a role as coach of the Japanese national junior speed skating team. In April 2019 she announced her return to the international scene with a view to competing at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. "I was motivated when I watched junior skaters. I was thinking about what I can do, and then I felt like skating again. I want to take new challenges as a skater, and in the end I hope to compete at the Olympic Winter Games. But first of all, I'll do my best each year." (fujitv.co.jp, 30 Mar 2018; ehime-np.co.jp, 22 Jun 2018; blog.rnb.co.jp, 08 Apr 2019; Ehime NP YouTube channel, 27 Mar 2019)
Hobbies	Watching films. (skatingjapan.or.jp, 10 Dec 2020)
Ambitions	To win a medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (Ehime NP YouTube channel, 27 Mar 2019; ehime-np.co.jp, 21 Jul 2020)