Kaori Sakamoto: “I want to make next season a season that will lead to the Olympics, rather than a four-peat.”
Kaori Sakamoto about this season and plans for the next one.
original source: Nikkansports / Hochi News
On the April 24th, the Japan Skating Federation held a celebration to award the 2023-24 season in Tokyo, where figure skater Kaori Sakamoto were awarded the JOC (Japan Olympic Committee) Cup, equivalent to the Best Skater. Here’s a translation of her comments made in her award acceptance speech posted on Nikkansports and Hochi News.
“I am truly happy that I was able to achieve my goals of winning Nationals and the World Championships for the third time in a row, which I had set out to do from the early part of this season. I am very pleased that I was able to build up my form from an early stage of this season, challenge the competitions, and maintain my momentum until the end of the season. Next season, I want to level up more than this year and increase the number of competitions that I feel were good. And to continue to stay at the top, I will act with self-awareness and work hard to become even stronger.”
When asked to grade her own performances, she rated herself “90 points”, saying “Not everything was perfect, and of course, there were still some regrets. Of course, I aim to be perfect, but I don’t have a perfect shape yet.”
Kaori also spoke a bit of her plans for next season. “I’m thinking of including two Lutz jumps (in the free), so I’m currently considering how to structure that,” she mentioned in light of the likely rule changes this offseason.
She has asked Marie-France Dubreuil to choreograph the Free Program, and she did not disclose details about the Short Program.
Amid rising expectations for her fourth consecutive World Championship win, she said, “I want to make next season a season that will lead to the Olympics, rather than a four-peat,” emphasizing completing a higher quality performance.
Related topics: Kaori Sakamoto
Leave a Reply