Kaori Sakamoto: “From the outside, it looks like I’m skating alone out there…But I feel like I’m being watched over by everyone — my coaches and the audience, who I believe are watching with a sense of ‘You can do it.’”
Interview with Kaori Sakamoto.
original source: number.bunshun.jp dd. March 24th 2025 by Takaomi Matsubara
In an Interview posted on Sports Graphic Number Web, three-time World Champion Kaori Sakamoto speaks about her coaches. Here’s a translation of her comments.
“From the outside, it looks like I’m skating alone out there…” she prefaced before continuing, “But I feel like I’m being watched over by everyone — my coaches who are standing rinkside, and the audience, who I believe are watching with a sense of ‘You can do it.’ I truly feel like I’m skating under everyone’s watchful eye.”
She speaks of her coaches, Sonoko Nakano and Mitsuko Graham, who have guided her for 20 years. “Of course, having the two of them instructing me is not just a given but absolutely essential. When my performance isn’t going well, Nakano-sensei doesn’t just comfort me; instead, she gives me a pep talk with words like, ‘Kaori, this isn’t your best.’ Her strict but loving words have always motivated me to rise to the occasion. Thanks to her, I’ve achieved many good results. Her harsh yet caring advice always inspires growth in me.
Graham-sensei, on the other hand, has a knack for pinpointing areas that need improvement, giving me exact instructions. She often says things that make me realize ‘This is what’s wrong, and I absolutely need to correct it.’
Having spent 20 years with Nakano-sensei and Graham-sensei, I feel like they know Kaori even better than I do. They notice things I wouldn’t have realized on my own.”
“If I hadn’t met my coaches, I think I would’ve turned out badly since I tend to be indulgent toward myself. Being the youngest of three sisters with a large age gap, my older sisters felt more like mothers to me and spoiled me a lot growing up,” Kaori admitted the importance of discipline she learned from her coaches.
She also emphasized the importance of practice, saying “When I take my opening pose, whether or not I think, ‘Today I’ve got this,’ often determines the outcome. If I feel any insecurity from my training, that small doubt can snowball. Over the course of many competitions, I’ve learned that confidence is key.”
Her routine before performances is another crucial aspect of overcoming pre-competition nerves. Before starting her program, Nakano-sensei always offers a few words through the rink boards, gives her a pat on the back, or gently nudges her forward toward the starting position.
“This routine is something I absolutely rely on, and if it weren’t there, I’d feel like, ‘Oh no, what should I do?’ Depending on the moment, her words change, but I think these interactions are vital for both of us. They always give me the feeling of, ‘Alright, let’s do this!’”
One memory that stands out for Sakamoto is the 2017 Skate America Grand Prix, her first senior season after transitioning from juniors. “I hadn’t been able to deliver a clean free skate at any competition up until then — I always made at least one mistake. Heading toward Skate America, my condition had improved significantly, so I felt like, ‘Today might be the day.’ But I was also incredibly tense and nervous.”
Right before starting her free skate, ranked second after the short program, Sakamoto remembers Nakano-sensei’s words: “She said, ‘If you don’t skate clean, don’t bother coming back off the ice,’ which made me think, ‘What? Of course, I want to come back! I have to do this.’ Her words loosened the tension (laughs).”
For the first time that season, Sakamoto delivered a flawless free skate.
Her experiences at the Beijing Olympics four years later also remain vivid. After finishing third in the short program, she entered the free skate as part of the final group, facing unprecedented pressure.
“As the skater before me performed, I was so nervous I felt like I might cry. I kept telling myself, ‘You’ve worked so hard for this moment, to come here and deliver a great performance —so you have to do it.’”
At that moment, Nakano-sensei was behind her, offering a brief but memorable interaction. “I turned back to her and said, ‘If I do well, can we go out for yakiniku?’ She replied, ‘Yes, let’s skate well so we can enjoy some yakiniku.’ Those words boosted me and allowed me to perform at my best.”
“We definitely argue a lot,” Sakamoto laughs. Still, even exchanges like joking about yakiniku reflect a bond cultivated over years. “She’s like a mother to me. She not only teaches skating techniques but also corrects mistakes in everyday life with full force. She’s not a coach whose only job is to teach skating. Skating is a unique world, and it doesn’t always align with general societal norms, but she teaches me how to live as a stable, well-rounded individual. I’ve learned so much from her, not only in practice and competition but in life as well.”
“I’m only where I am today because of my coaches, friends, teammates, and everyone who practices alongside me. I never could’ve come this far alone, and I truly feel, ‘I’m not alone.’”
Speaking of things that helps her to overcome difficult days, Sakamoto mentioned: “Talking to friends outside of skating allows me to vent my emotions. Their lack of knowledge about skating sometimes gives me opinions from a completely different perspective. Hearing ideas that challenge my preconceived notions, I often think, ‘Oh, that’s another way to look at things. Next time I feel down, maybe I’ll try this approach.’ I’m grateful that I can gather different options and start moving toward a more positive outlook thanks to these conversations.”
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