Sena Miyake achieved a victory in Luxenburg in 2018, inspired by the exploits of Ayrton Senna on the slopes
Ayrton Senna da Silva is the full name of the Brazilian idol who dominated the tracks of Formula 1 in between the 80s and 90s. Names are undoubtedly one of the most important and characteristic elements of a person. They ensure that there is no confusion when they call the driver who won the race to the podium.
However, in the case of people as great as the three-time champion, the name is rarely private property. In addition to the original pilot, some combination of his first and last name has served to designate television shows, documentaries, a comic character, people and the most iconic curve of Interlagos. And, in this case, also a Japanese figure skater named Sena Miyake.
Sena Miyake competed, and won, with a performance inspired by the Brazilian driver who helped determine his name. ESPN
But how did the last name end? Ayrton on the other side of the world and inspired a father to name his son that? To answer this question, it is important to remember that Senna is a great idol in Japan. In the 80s, Honda, which supplied engines to Formula 1, was looking for a hero to promote the sport in the country, and the Brazilian was the one chosen. Brought to McLaren with its iconic overalls and red cars, the driver made history and charmed many hearts in the land of the rising sun.
And it was no different for the family of Sena Miyake: “My father, apart from loving motorsports, of course, and being very fond of Ayrton SennaI wanted a name that would inspire achievements around the world,” explains the skater in an exclusive interview with ESPN.
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And his father’s intention, it seems, worked. Asian junior champion in the 2017/18 season, Sena has brought the name of the Brazilian champion to some podiums. In fact, his own Miyake highlights how much he enjoys this legacy: “It’s incredible every time I hear my name in reference to a world legend, a Brazilian hero. I feel great pride.”
However, the Japanese’s most significant title, at least in regards to his connection with the Brazilian driver, came in 2018 in Luxembourg. Sena Miyake was inspired by the performance of the great Russian skater Alexei Yagudin who, in 2002, played an ice-skating racing driver. However, there was still something missing for the adaptation of this sequence of movements to do it justice and really be of the lineage of “Senna“.
Miyake prepared a suit, just like the classic red one from the time of Senna at McLaren, with an iconic phrase from the Brazilian driver that is very important for the Japanese skater: “Running, competing, it’s in my blood. It’s part of me. It’s part of my life.”
“Speed and competition are also in my blood. And figure skating, like motorsports for Senna“It’s my life,” he explains. Miyake.
Clad in the red suit, Sena Miyake He imitated the movements of a pilot and, as a culmination, he finished with his fist raised. And with that, he took his name, his suit and his symbolism to the top of the podium of that tournament. That day, The Japanese Sena Miyake was also a bit of the Brazilian Ayrton Senna.
