Japanese men have been a dominant presence on the international scene for the past two seasons, but it was not until Daisuke Murakami captured the title at NHK Trophy in Osaka last November that he joined those elite ranks.
It has been a bumpy road for the 24-year-old, who has been playing catch-up since he underwent surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder two seasons ago.
“It was a mental struggle last season because I was coming back from the injury, while all of the other Japanese men were having really phenomenal results,” said Murakami, who hails from Kanagawa but calls Southern California home. “Then, when I saw this season’s Grand Prix roster and I didn’t get an event, I was pretty devastated.”
Discouraged, he briefly considered retirement, but a discussion…
