Kagiyama Yuma: In the name of my father

The son of a two-time Olympic figure skater, Japan's 18-year-old hope is ready to take yet another leap in his burgeoning career.

3 minBy Shintaro Kano
GettyImages-1360971127
(2021 Getty Images)

Like father, like son.

For Kagiyama Yuma, these words couldn't carry more weight.

Kagiyama, the son of two-time Olympian Masakazu (Albertville 1992, Lillehammer 1994), will make his Games debut on Sunday (5 February) in the free skate of the team event.

Following in his the footsteps of his father - who is also his coach - means the world to the 18-year-old, who openly wept after punching his ticket to Beijing at the nationals in December.

"My father is the rock to me", Kagiyama said following his first practice here at Capital Indoor Stadium last week.

"There were times when I don't think I could have made it on my own".

Hand in hand, father and son have steadily made the climb since Yuma began taking skating seriously when he was five.

He rose through the junior ranks with grace and broke through by striking gold at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne.

Kagiyama catapulted off that success to the Four Continents where he placed third in his senior competition debut, followed by a silver at the junior world championships.

He has not looked back since.

In the pandemic-hit 2020-21 season, Kagiyama lifted the NHK Trophy and was runner-up at the senior worlds. During the campaign leading up to Beijing 2022, he won twice on the Grand Prix circuit, in Italy and France.

Masakazu was distant from the podium in his two Olympic appearances, finishing 13th then 12th.

Forming a formidable trio for Japan with two-time defending champion Hanyu Yuzuru and PyeongChang 2018 silver medallist Uno Shoma, Yuma nevertheless has every chance of a medal at these Games in both the team and solo competitions.

And he is trying to go where no man has gone before. He landed a quadruple loop in the men's free skate portion of the team event. Although he turned out on the jump, it was landed and fully rotated. - history on ice.

Bold, young Kagiyama is.

"We have a shot at a medal in the team event this time so being in it, I want to do my part for sure", he said. "I want to make sure I get a feel for my jumps because it's new, ahead of the singles.

"Quad Salchow, quad loop in that order. I haven't prepared for anything else. I'm definitely doing the quad loop.

"I want to show everyone that I've improved and I want that feeling of knowing I am better myself. Whether I succeed or fail, I don't want to hold back".

Above all, however, Kagiyama is soaking up his first Games and loving it. He is relaxed and struggling to keep a smile off his face.

"I'm really glad to be on this stage and as long as I'm here, I might as well enjoy it to the fullest. I don't want to be nervous and get uptight".

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