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 Laurent Dubreuil (CAN)  and Yuma Murakami (JPN) @ISU

Dubreuil and Murakami, the Japanese Canadian connection

They are about the same age and they both skate the 500m under 34 seconds, but they speak different languages and they were born 9,480 kilometers apart. Yet 500m World Cup leader Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) and runner-up Yuma Murakami (JPN) found each other in their passion for Speed Skating. Training together in Quebec for seven weeks last summer, helped them to become better skaters, and better friends.

“You can split my summer in two: before Yuma arrived it was bad and after it was good,” says Dubreuil.

After winning 1000m silver at the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, the Canadian struggled with back problems, but maybe even more important: he had a hard time to find back his motivation. 

Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) poses during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

He got in touch with Murakami, who found himself in a similar situation.

“I wrote to him at the end of last season,” Dubreuil says. “And he told me that he needed a change of scenery to mix things up and find back motivation as well. He asked me: can I come train with you?  And I said absolutely.”

Meeting up in Prague

Dubreuil and Murakami had known each other for quite some years already.

“We became friends after the races for the Silver Ball the Netherlands in 2019 [a traditional after season sprint tournament over 100m],” explains Dubreuil.

“Me and my wife went on holiday visiting many European cities, and we ran into Yuma in Prague. We had talked about it in the Netherlands, but we booked our vacations separately. Then we happened to be in Prague at the same time.”

Laurent Dubreuil (CAN), his wife and Yuma Murakami (JPN) eating dinner in Prague (CZE) @Yuma Murakami

Murakami shows some pictures and adds: “We went out for dinner together and we had a couple of beers. It was great fun and that’s how we became friends.”

For real

Murakami and Dubreuil would meet-up a lot at the international Speed Skating events in the following season, but when Covid struck and the Japanese team did not skate in the Heerenveen (NED) bubble in 2021, the two only got back together at the World Cup events last season.

“I’d say we were friends, but we became really good friends last summer,” says Dubreuil.

After Murakami had asked Dubreuil if he could train with him in Quebec, Murakami made arrangements.

Dubreuil: “I thought he meant like, two weeks training in Quebec, and then he send me his plane ticket and I saw that he was coming for seven weeks. I thought: okay, it’s for real.”

Looking for a new routine

Murakami was looking for new ways to go forward as a Speed Skater after the Olympic Games in Beijing. When national coach Johan de Wit (NED) left Japan, Murakami also quit the national team.

“I was with the national team for six years, and I felt that it was time to change my training methods. Under the Dutch coach we used to cycle a lot and I felt that it was not the best way to go for me. I wanted a change of routine.”

 Yuma Murakami (JPN) reacts during the 2022 ISU World Cup Speed Skating in Tomaszow Mazowiecki (POL)  @ISU

Murakami started training with former USA Speed Skater Tucker Fredricks, who has an academy team in Murakami’s home town Obihiro.

“I discussed the idea of going to Quebec with Fredricks, and he thought it would be a good idea.”

Teaming up with Dubreuil for two months, meant that he could train with the best in the world.

“Laurent is a very good skater,” says Murakami. “I wanted to learn from him. I skate a very good 500m, but I’m not so good at the 1000m and Laurent won Olympic silver in the 1000m.”

Mutual benefits

Both Murakami and Dubreuil benefitted from their joint summer.

“In Quebec I did less biking, but I spend more hours in the gym,” Murakami explains. “Laurent is very good at single leg power, while I’m better in two-legged squats. That’s how we could help and motivate each other.”

They stood on the ice together a lot as well.

Murakami: “When it comes to skating, I’m looking at Laurent’s cornering and that’s what I’m trying to learn from.”

Dubreuil pays special attention to Murakami’s start:

“He opens 9.4s, so I learned I have to be faster in the opener.”

Yuma Murakami (JPN) competes during the 2023 ISU World Cup Speed Skating in Tomaszow Mazowiecki (POL) @ISU

But for both Murakami and Dubreuil, the main benefit of their joint training sessions was motivation.

“Before Yuma arrived, I was a bit fat. He even told me so when we were in the pool at my house. During the first part of my summer, training was not great. I didn’t feel the motivation and I had a lot of back problems.

“When Yuma arrived, I thought: he’s a great skater and he comes over to train with a great skater. I said to myself: he’s making a big commitment to come over, so I need to be at the top for him to have a good partner in training.”

Part of the family

Durbreuil and Yuma got along on the ice, and maybe even more so off the ice.

“I had an apartment in Quebec, and in the weekends I would often sleep over at Laurent’s place, and have dinner with Laurent and his family,” Murakami says.

Dubreuil adds: “It was fun sporting wise, but also because of the human experience. To make an international friend like that.

“Yuma would often come over to our place. My daughter Rose (2019) really loves Yuma. He was really good with the kids. We all enjoyed his presence, my wife and my parents as well. We welcomed him as if he were part of our family.”

Going forward in the Speed Skating season, the two enjoy battling for the prizes, with Dubreuil leading the 500m World Cup and Murakami chasing in second place.

 Yuma Murakami (JPN), Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) and Wataru Morishige (JPN) pose during the 2022 ISU World Cup Speed Skating in Tomaszow Mazowiecki (POL)  @ISU

Both skaters are looking forward to the World Single Distance Championships in Heerenveen in March.