Yuma Kagiyama: “There were many performances where things didn’t go as planned. If I only look at the bad parts, the season feels like it’s almost a 0. But I learned a lot, and I want to use those lessons to move forward.”
Yuma Kagiyama about quad flip, World Team Trophy and this season.
original source: sportiva.shueisha.co.jp dd April 20th by Yoshimi Oriyama / Nikkansports dd. April 20th 2025 by Kota Katsube
In the interview posted on Web Sportiva, Yuma Kagiyama spoke about this season, quad flip and World Team Trophy. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“After competing at the World Championships in Boston, Kagiyama traveled to Canada to work on choreography and prepare for next season’s programs. Prior to the World Team Trophy, he shared, “I’ve been able to train properly for this competition. Since I plan to incorporate a quadruple flip into the layout for next season’s short program, I’ll include it here as well. I think it will be a good challenge.”
However, Kagiyama faced difficulties with the flip during official practice sessions for the competition. After the World Championships, he admitted to developing a mental block regarding the jump, feeling it was prone to mistakes. “I’ve been unsure about how to train for it,” he said, expressing his struggles.
Despite his uncertainty, he decided to take on the challenge. Unfortunately, during the actual performance, tension caused him to overexert, resulting in a fall on a triple flip.
In his free skate, Kagiyama’s quadruple flip showcased a sharper and more cohesive rotation compared to the wobbly execution in the short program. However, he fell, unable to fully overcome his mental block with the jump.
“During the six-minute warmup, I was overly eager and forward-leaning, and my father (Coach Masakazu) told me, ‘Take it easy, calm down.’ After that, I managed to compose myself, but from my past experience, I’ve noticed that if I succeed in practice, I will likely succeed in the main performance, and if I fail, I’ll replicate that failure. I felt that my performance was a direct reflection of my condition during the official practice in the afternoon and in the six-minute warmup.”
“Before my performance, my father told me, ‘Don’t overthink anything — just give it your all. Even if you make every mistake, that’s fine.’ Unlike at the World Championships, I approached the program with a positive mindset and the determination to give it my best. Still, I feel frustrated about missing important jumps like the quad flip and quad salchow. But in the second half, I was able to recover, and during the final steps, choreography, and spins, I made sure to focus on the faces of the audience and deliver everything I wanted to express. This was the last time performing this program, so I put everything I had into conveying my message to the audience.”
In the end, Kagiyama went through the season without being able to deliver a completely clean performance in his free skate. Reflecting on this, he shared, “I’m deeply frustrated that I couldn’t complete this program to my own satisfaction, but someday, I want to create a program in a similar genre and perfect it.”
“No matter how off my form may have been, I never considered adjusting or simplifying the layout of my programs. I just wanted to keep challenging myself and take on as much as I could. Even if I couldn’t land the quad flip, I decided I would still go for it.”
Speaking about preparation for the Olympic season. Kagiyama said: “This season, I strongly realized that I need to reestablish my goals and clarify what kind of performances I want to deliver. Regarding the quad flip, I feel positive about the fact that in the free skate, I was able to hold my body position firmly and give it my all. But it’s also incredibly frustrating that I couldn’t consistently land it this season. There’s a lot to think about, but during the off-season, I want to focus on steadily building up my training. Next season, I’d like to return to the mindset of starting from scratch — to go back to my roots, forget everything, and simply skate with a pure heart.”
On the April 20th, Kagiyama gave an interview at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium before the exhibition at the World Team Trophy where he rated his season as “about 30 points.”
“There were many performances where things didn’t go as planned, and there were so many events to reflect on. If I only look at the bad parts, the season feels like it’s almost a 0,” he said reflectively. “But I learned a lot, and I want to use those lessons to move forward,” he added.
Kagiyama sees mental growth as a crucial factor for success at the Olympics. “During training, I want to always simulate competition and cherish each individual attempt. Additionally, I’d like to set clear plans for achieving my goals and make sure I don’t waste a single day,” he envisioned.
Related topics: Yuma Kagiyama
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