“That result was within expectations. The probability of a clean program in practice hasn’t been high.” Kaori Sakamoto on the start of her season
Kaori Sakamoto, the reigning World silver medalist and two-time Olympian, began her farewell season at the Challenger Series Kinoshita Cup, scoring 65.25 points in the short program.
original source: Nikkansports, September 5th, 2025
Kaori Sakamoto (25) opened her final season with a short program score of 65.25 points. Performing to Time to Say Goodbye, Sakamoto landed her opening triple lutz and double axel but under-rotated her planned triple flip-triple toe loop combination, resulting in a double flip instead. After finishing her performance, she bit her lip in frustration. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Nikkansports.
In the interview area, Sakamoto candidly remarked, “That result was within expectations. The probability of a clean program in practice hasn’t been high. The triple-triple combination has always been a hurdle, so it happened today as well.” She reflected on her current form, saying, “This is my first competition in a long time, and I realized I need to practice under pressure more. I finally feel like the switch has been turned on, and I’m in competition mode.”
Looking ahead to the free skate on September 6, Sakamoto expressed determination: “Just as with the short program, I think this will highlight the areas that concern me most and need addressing. I’ll do what I can now, identify those issues, and use them to get the momentum I need for the next steps. I’ll give it my all tomorrow.”
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