Off 2024-25 Grand Prix Series, Japanese skaters vow to springboard to Milano Cortina
Sakamoto Kaori, Kagiyama Yuma and the figure skating powerhouse known as Japan have their sights firmly set on the Olympic Winter Games in 2026 with the new GP season set to open next month.
Figure Skating
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina isn’t until February 2026. But already for the Japanese figure skaters, everything and anything they do is for the Games.
“It’s the pre-Olympic season so there’s still plenty of time to try things out,” three-time women’s singles world and national champion Sakamoto Kaori said on Monday (30 September) in Tokyo, at a pre-season press conference for the 2024-25 ISU Grand Prix Series.
“I want to increase the number of my options for the Olympic season by doing new things and through it, show a different side of me. I want to make it a year of experience, something I can build on for the next.”
Said Kagiyama Yuma, the men’s Beijing 2022 silver medallist, “I’m going into the season like every competition is an Olympic qualifier.
“From every meet, I hope I can take away something that I can build on for Milano and get better each and every single day.”
Kagiyama Yuma will look to dethrone Ilia Malinin this season.
Kagiyama and Sakamoto - Japan’s Nos. 1 on the road to Milano Cortina - were among 10 skaters present who have been assigned to the upcoming Grand Prix season.
Also in attendance were Yamamoto Sota, Miura Kao, Sato Shun and Tomono Kazuki on the men’s side. The women to join Sakamoto were Chiba Mone, Watanabe Rinka, Yoshida Hana and Mihara Mai.
The new figure skating campaign got under way this month with the Lombardia and Nebelhorn Trophies. The GP Series starts with Skate America on 18-20 Oct. Both Sakamoto and Kagiyama are entered for the 8-10 November NHK Trophy with the former penciled in for 25-27 October Skate Canada and the latter 15-17 November Finlandia Trophy.
The two competed at the Lombardia Trophy, finishing third and second, respectively. And both said there were few positives to highlight their season debuts as they tinker their programs for 2025-26.
“I have lots to work on after Lombardia,” said Sakamoto, who bleached her hair over the summer a la the character Roxie Hart from the musical “Chicago”.
“Through the short and free, the only thing that worked was my spins at level four, which is encouraging since the marks are tougher now.
“I need more practice plain and simple but if I keep putting in the work the confidence will come.”
Sakamoto and Kagiyama finally received their silver medals from the Beijing 2022 team event during a ceremony at the Paris 2024 Games. Unlike Beijing which was held behind closed doors due to coronavirus countermeasures, watching the Games in Paris amid capacity crowds everywhere only further stoked their fire for Milano Cortina.
“The moment I received the medal after a wait of two-and-a-half years made me want to win another in Milano all the more,” Sakamoto said.
“After Paris we had a camp in Milano and I was saying with Yuma and (Miura Riku/Kihara Ryuichi) just how much we want to win another medal together.”