Yuma Kagiyama: “One of the challenges was improving my skating ability, so I received a lot of guidance in that regard from Carolina Kostner.”
Yuma Kagiyama about start of the season.
source: nikkansports.com
In the Men’s Short Program at the Tokyo Figure Skating Championships, Yuma Kagiyama (20), the silver medalist at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, took the lead with 89.80 points despite a fall during his quad jump. He showcased his exceptional technical skills and expressive abilities.
Reflecting on his performance, Kagiyama explained, “I thought I had adjusted well during the six-minute warm-up and official practice, but perhaps it was because it was the first jump of the competition, my footwork became a bit smaller, which caused the issue.” He was referring to the opening quad salchow, where his movements became cramped, causing him to lose his axis and fall.
However, Kagiyama showed remarkable composure and skill recovery after the fall. He executed a triple lutz- triple toe loop combination, followed by a triple axel in the latter part of the program, earning extra points. He also achieved high scores in the program components, receiving scores in the 9-point range. Kagiyama stated, “I was able to stay calm and skate without dwelling on the mistake.”
This event marked the first time Kagiyama competed in front of a live audience in Japan since the Japanese Nationals at the end of last year. Reflecting on the experience, he said, “I had the feeling of enjoyment right from the beginning because I was able to skate in front of a Japanese audience and many people. Mentally, I felt composed throughout.”
Just two weeks ago, Kagiyama secured victory at the Lombardia Trophy in Italy, marking his first international competition win in 1 year and 6 months. He also had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with his new coach, Carolina Kostner, a three-time European champion and bronze medalist at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Alongside his father, Masakazu Kagiyama, who is also his coach, he had strong support from these mentors. Kagiyama expressed his gratitude, saying, “As for me, one of the challenges was improving my skating ability, so I received a lot of guidance in that regard.”
In the Men’s Free Skate, Yuma Kagiyama secured a victory in his first official domestic competition of the season.
After scoring 89.80 points in the short program (SP) the previous day to take the lead, Kagiyama maintained his position at the top with a free skate score of 194.95 points, resulting in a total score of 284.75 points. Despite it being early in the season, he achieved impressive scores in the 190s and 280s, expressing his joy by holding his head with a smile.
As he took the ice for the final performance of the free skate, Kagiyama admitted to feeling nervous due to the long gap since his last competition. However, he started the routine beautifully, nailing the quad salchow that he had fallen on the previous day.
“After finishing the free skate and receiving the cheers from the audience, my nervousness dissipated. I was able to land the salchow smoothly, and things started to flow well,” he said.
He continued to execute his jumps, including a quad toe Loop and a triple axel-double axel sequence all of which went smoothly.
In the latter part of his performance, Kagiyama danced to “Rain in Your Black Eyes.” While he expressed some regret about his stamina in the final segment, comparing it to his victory at the Lombardia Trophy two weeks prior, he smiled broadly as he finished his routine with his hands clasped above his head.
Waiting for his scores in the Kiss & Cry, Kagiyama commented, “I was more tired than at the Lombardia Trophy. It was a close call in the second half,” while sharing a joyful touch with his father and coach, Masakazu Kagiyama. With this victory, he passes the first qualifying round leading to the Japanese Nationals.
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