Mayu Fujiki was born June 21, 1975 in Japan to a competitive
Mayu Fujiki was born June 21, 1975 in Japan to a competitive swimmer (father) and a competitive synchronized swimmer (mother). She began her career as a synchronized swimmer at the age of seven and began training at the Hamadera Suiren Gakko, a swimming school in her home town of Osaka, Japan. By the time she reached high school, she was captivated by the performance of the American team, and spent her second year of high school studying in the United States.
Fujiki returned to Japan and competed for her country as a member of the FINA Junior World Championship Team. She went on to compete on the senior level, earning a bronze medal at the 1992 American Cup, a bronze medal at the 1995 FINA World Cup, and bronze medals at the 1997 Swiss Open event in both the duet and team events. Ultimately, she earned a place on the Japanese national team for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA, and won a bronze medal as part of the Japanese Olympic Team.
Following the 1996 Olympic Games, she enrolled in Nihon University’s College of Humanities and Sciences in Tokyo, Japan, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. Fujiki began her coaching career in the United States with the Walnut Creek Aquanuts (2002-03). In 2003, she was invited to join the coaching staff of the Spanish Swimming Federation’s National Team. Anna Tarres, Head Coach of the Spanish National Team described Fujiki as a “key component” of the Spanish team’s rise to success on the international scene. Tarres and Fujiki led Spain to two Silver Medals (of a possible two) at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and medals in each of the events at the 2010 FINA World Trophy, including winning the overall trophy at that competition.
Fujiki has been recognized by the Japanese edition of Newsweek Magazine as one of the 100 most recognizable Japanese people in the world. She has been invited as a guest coach by the Canadian Swimming Federation, hired as a choreographer by the National Swimming Federations of the Dominican Republic, Greece, and Hungary and acted as the Technical Advisor for the Italian Swimming Federation.
Fujiki has written regular columns on the sport for “Japanese Swimming” Magazine, and has had numerous articles written about her, and her positive effect on the Spanish team’s efforts, in several major newspapers and magazines. She also acted as the Team Manager for the 2004 Japanese Olympic Team in Athens, Greece.
USA Synchro was proud to name Mayu Fujiki as the head coach of the U.S. National Team in 2011.
The American way is to tell them what they are good at and give them little bit of freedom to approach their own way. I consider myself not in either one of them but mixed.
ASIANCE: Tell us about landing this amazing job as head coach of US National Team. How did you manage that?
Mayu: I swam with a club in California before I become a coach, and I started to coach in that club before I started to work in other national teams. A couple years ago the US team offered me the job. I took it after the 2010 season when I reached my goal with the Spanish team to become a world champion.
ASIANCE: What kind of diet and sports regimen do you keep the team on?
Mayu: All of the girls’ physical conditions are different. Under the direction of our team nutritionist, they all follow a different diet.
ASIANCE: What kind of music do you like to use for their routine?
Mayu: To highlight their strength, I tend to select powerful and energetic music. America has great musical variation. I have been choosing all American music to emphasize what the USA is about.
ASIANCE: Any beauty tips?
Mayu: The girls are in the pool eight hours a day. Their hair is easily damaged by the chlorine, but Infusium 23’s collections of shampoos, conditioners and leave-in treatments really help to restore their hair and protect it from future damage.
ASIANCE: Who are your favorite designers?
Mayu: Rachel Roy, Zac Posen, Chie Mihara
ASIANCE: How do you keep the routine fresh?
Mayu: By training every day to make the routines more clear, sharper and higher.
ASIANCE: What is the hardest part of being an Olympic synchro swimmer?
Mayu: The mental part, and the pressure and expectations from your country.
ASIANCE: Do you have a favorite athlete? Who should we watch out for at London 2012?
Mayu: Andrea Fuentes (synchro), Dara Torres (swimmer) Mario Pestano (discus), Mario Garcia (water polo), Ivan Rodriguez (400m hurdles)
ASIANCE: Do you have a favorite Japanese athlete?
Mayu: Koji Murofushi
Koji Murofushi is a World Champion Japanese hammer thrower
ASIANCE: What are the top 3 things or lessons that you teach your athletes?
Mayu:* Being on time is very basic to being part of a team; it shows respect to the team.
* It’s not the talent to make a great synchro swimmer, but the everyday work ethic, wanting to be better and willing to do more than others, that make you a great swimmer.
* When you get in the pool, leave all other distractions on the ground and focus on training.
ASIANCE: What are the differences between the Japanese way of training & learning and the American way of training & learning?
Mayu: It’s very cultural. The Japanese way is, as a coach, to be “higher” than the swimmers and to tell them everything they should be doing or not be doing. The American way is to tell them what they are good at and give them little bit of freedom to approach their own way. I consider myself not in either one of them but mixed.