Kaori Sakamoto: “I don’t think I’ll be there for the next-next Winter Olympics (2030). I want to consider the Milan Olympics as my last.”
Kaori Sakamoto on 2026 Olympics.
original source: Nikkansports
Kaori Sakamoto commented on the 2026 Olympics during the training camp organized by the Japan Skating Federation in Italy. Here’s a translation of her comments.
“It will be “the culmination of my own efforts,” said Sakamoto, emphasizing her commitment to the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympics in 2026.
“Physically, I am reaching my limit. While I am still considered young by general standards, and it seems feasible to continue in my mid-twenties, considering I started competing on the world stage around the age of 13, my decline is becoming visible,” she revealed feeling the changes in her mind and body.
“I don’t think I’ll be there for the next-next Winter Olympics (2030). If I think about the next four years, I won’t be able to concentrate on the present and will neglect it. I want to consider the Milan Olympics as my last,” she cautiously stated while discussing her career.
She commented on her performance at the training base that will be used during the Olympic period, commenting, “The rink is located in a calm atmosphere, and I think it’s a great environment.” This season, she is tackling a tango piece for the first time in her short program and hopes to “build up and be able to skate freely during the Olympic season.”
Kaori also views the 2025 World Championships, where she aims for a fourth consecutive title, as a stepping stone towards the Olympics. “While I am aiming for victory, I view it merely as a milestone. I think of these two years (this season and the next) as a set, and I’ve been consistently saying, ‘to lead into the next.'”
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