“I’ll admit – I cried several times. It feels like we’ve completed a life cycle together.” Benoit Richaud on creating a program for Kaori Sakamoto in her last competitive season
Benoit Richaud reflects on his journey as choreographer for Kaori Sakamoto’s final season.
original source: Sports by Maya Bagriantseva
In an interview with Sports correspondent Maya Bagriantseva, choreographer and coach Benoit Richaud shared his thoughts on working with Japanese figure skating star Kaori Sakamoto. As Sakamoto prepares to retire after the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic season, she invited Richaud to choreograph her short program (SP) set to “Time to Say Goodbye”. Richaud shared his emotions about their collaboration and the bittersweet nature of crafting what is likely her last competitive program. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“Q: Kaori Sakamoto trained at your camp recently?
Benoit Richaud: Yes, she spent two weeks here. I think she was satisfied with the experience. According to her, she had wanted to work together again for a long time – the last program I choreographed for her was before the Olympics, four years ago. Kaori has already announced that she’ll retire after this season, so this was our last chance to create something together for competition.
Q: What’s it like to choreograph an athlete’s final program?
Benoit Richaud: It’s a very strange feeling. I’ll admit – I cried several times. This is the first time something like this has happened to me, and this season has been incredibly emotional. Two skaters with whom I began their senior careers are both retiring this year: Kaori Sakamoto and Bradie Tennell. It feels like we’ve completed a life cycle together.
For Sakamoto, Richaud worked on a short program set to Andrea Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye.”
Q: Who chose this piece of music?
Benoit Richaud: I did. With Kaori, I’ve always had a sense of where we needed to go artistically, and this time was no different. She asked for my advice, and after a few days, I told her, ‘I’ve found your music.’ She listened and immediately said it was exactly what she wanted. I think the program turned out to be both powerful and worthy of her career.
Q: How did she fit into your team during training?
Benoit Richaud: Very easily and naturally. Kaori is wonderful, cheerful, and sociable. She participated in all the sessions and group training with the others on equal footing, and it was pure joy for everyone involved. It was an incredible experience for all of us.”
Related topics: Benoit Richaud, Kaori Sakamoto
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