“There are many reasons, but the biggest one is my desire to train alongside Kaori Sakamoto, who is my role model and someone I deeply respect.” Rena Uezono on training relocation
Junior Skater Rena Uezono reflects on her performance and growth after training relocation
original source: Nikkansports dd August 9th, 2025
Bronze medalist at the 2024 World Junior Championships, Rena Uezono, begins her new chapter training under coach Sonoko Nakano, seeking improvement from her new base at Kobe Club. Here’s a translation of her comments.
Rena Uezono (15), scored 41.84 points in the junior ladies’ short program (SP), placing 16th provisionally at the end of the first day at the Japanese Summer Cup. The SP event, which features 102 skaters, is spread over two days, and only the top 24 will advance to the free skate on August 11.
Uezono struggled in her performance, popping the rotations on her lutz-toe loop combination and landing her triple loop on two feet. She reflected on her program, saying, “It was a performance with noticeable mistakes, but compared to before, my success rate in practice has been improving,” remaining optimistic for the future.
During the off-season, Uezono decided to change her primary training location and began working with Sonoko Nakano, the coach of three-time World Champion Kaori Sakamoto. She shared her reasons behind the move:
“There are many reasons, but the biggest one is my desire to train alongside Kaori Sakamoto, who is my role model and someone I deeply respect,” she explained.
Now training at Kobe Club, Uezono has found herself motivated by the new environment. “There are so many good things about the club. Everyone chats a lot after practice, but during training, everyone is focused and driven. Their attitude is amazing. I want to value that balance of on and off time as well.” She added that Sakamoto has warmly welcomed her to the rink: “She makes me laugh a lot and shares so many fun stories,” Rena said with a smile.
Related topics: Rena Uezono
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