Kaori Sakamoto: “Having seen recent news about Russian skaters return, I want to do my utmost to show how strong Japan is. I hope to further enhance our level.”
Kaori Sakamoto about winning Japanese Nationals.
original source: Nikkansports / Nikkansports dd. 22d December 2024 by Daisuke Fujizuka
Kaori Sakamoto (24) achieved her fourth consecutive victory at Japanese Nationals. She has also been selected to represent Japan at the World Championships. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Nikkansports.
Her spot on the national team was already secured with her victory, but she confessed she “simply cried” when she was informed of her representative status by officials. “I am sincerely happy to be selected. I want to perform my very best as the Olympic quota will be determined,” she affirmed.
On the December 20th, the announcement that Russian athletes could participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics qualifiers under certain conditions was made, and Kaori commented on this matter. “Having seen recent news about Russian skaters return, I want to do my utmost to show how strong Japan is. I hope to further enhance our level.”
With her eyes set on both a team medal and an individual gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympics, she emphasized the importance of every upcoming competition, saying, “Each competition from here on becomes crucial, so I want to cherish and strive through each one.”
There’s also a translation of her coach’s words, also posted on Nikkansports:
“Q: What did you say to her?”
Sonoko Nakano: At the end, I did say to her, “Only you can achieve the fourth consecutive victory,” but honestly, she wasn’t really concerned about that. We were just praying that we could battle against ourselves and put on a solid performance, so in terms of this fourth victory compared to last year’s third, it didn’t really feel different. However, I did feel that the performance could have been “a bit more” than last year.
Q: Do you feel like there is still a bit more to squeeze out of her performances?
Sonoko Nakano: Yes, I do. More than that, there was quite a bit of tension this year as well. There were some mistakes in the final and such, and I felt that we somehow needed to fix those. The condition during practice was very good, and she was moving unusually well during the six-minute warm-ups, but I think the pressure was still quite significant.”
Related topics: Kaori Sakamoto
Kaori Sakamoto feels like a never ending stream of positivity. Good for her and her victory at nationals !