NHK Trophy 2023: With sights set on Milano-Cortina 2026, beauty is in the eye of Kagiyama Yuma
After a season of struggle, the Olympic men's figure skating silver medallist is back with renewed hunger for the Grand Prix Final and a new coach - Carolina Kostner.
Figure Skating
Taught by his father and two-time Olympian Masakazu, figure skating is in Kagiyama Yuma’s blood. And now, like the thoroughest of thoroughbreds, he’s gone for a transfusion from another Olympian - Carolina Kostner, the Sochi 2014 bronze medallist.
“Carolina was always artistic when she competed, a beautiful skater,” Kagiyama said during an exclusive interview with Olympics.com at the Grand Prix de France, where he placed third on his return to the Grand Prix circuit.
“And that’s my bar, to skate beautifully like her. I’m so grateful for her.”
Patience is a virtue
Kagiyama sat out the 2022-23 Grand Prix season with a fairly serious skater’s injury - a stress fracture in his left foot - that he probably came back from prematurely, trying to compete at the Japanese nationals in December.
There, he couldn't find the form that won him silver at Beijing 2022, fizzling to eighth place and missing out on a spot at the world championships in March. He then shut it down for the remainder of the season.
While the 20-year-old was getting himself right physically, he felt his competitors pull away. But this time, Kagiyama did not attempt to rush back. He did not lose sight of his priorities and regaining fitness was at the top of the list.
“Watching from afar last season, I thought the level was so high, really amazing,” Kagiyama told us. “I was out for a year and there’s a gap I need to bridge. I feel like I need to work harder than ever to get back into it.
“When I was out hurt I tried to stay upbeat. I was determined to beat it. And once I healed, I was in no rush. I knew it was important to take it step by step.
"I put in the work one day at a time and I’m back to a point where I can do quads. I hope I can continue to get better from hereon.
“The injury is not a concern anymore. I’m practicing at 100 percent and through competitions I want to get back into the shape I need to be in to go up against the best in the world.”
With a hand from Carolina Kostner, Kagiyama Yuma is trying to take his skating to an art form.
Express yourself
Feeling a need to elevate his skating as he eyes the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Kagiyama, coincidence or not, turned to an Italian for a helping hand.
His father, two-time Olympian Kagiyama Masakazyu, is still part of the posse - but looking out mainly on the technical aspects of his son. Kostner joins the team as the creative director so to speak, hoping to peel an untapped layer within Yuma.
For this season, Kagiyama has chosen 'Believer' as his short program music and 'Rain, In Your Black Eyes' for the free skate, two tunes he may not have picked during his pre-Kostner days.
But that is exactly what Kagiyama wants.
“Since I stared working with coach Carolina, she has mainly taught me the artistic side - how to express,” he said.
“I only worked on jumps and the technical aspect up until now but for me to be competitive through Milan, I have to be more expressive to round out my skate.
“She is teaching me the finer points of the craft - how I use my body, how much of the rink to use, my line of sight, things like that.”
Kagiyama won the NHK Trophy two years ago in his maiden senior campaign although it was contested by just by the home skaters as the coronavirus pandemic raged worldwide.
He used it as a springboard to finish third at the following nationals behind Hanyu Yuzuru and Uno Shoma, and then was runner-up to Nathan Chen at the world championships.
In the 2021-22 Olympic season, Kagiyama swept the Gran Premio d’Italia and Grand Prix de France to punch his ticket to what would have been his first Grand Prix Final - only to see it called off due to Covid.
This weekend in his return to the NHK Trophy, Kagiyama could qualify for the season finals with a podium finish in Osaka. It will be close, with his compatriots Uno, Miura Kao, Sato Shun and Yamamoto Sota all having terrific seasons.
Yet Kagiyama is not pressing. He knows the one to beat is not Uno or any of the other skaters. It is Kagiyama himself.
“For the Grand Prix Series, my goal is to be on the podium for both assignments while being consistent through both programs. I made a few mistakes in the free (in France) but I hope to be much, much better at the NHK Trophy.
“I’m aiming for the Grand Prix Final and I have to put it all together.”