“Am I really such a veteran? Is this what losing to the younger generation feels like? Wow.” Sakamoto admitted with a laugh. “It’s a completely new sensation for me.”
Kaori Sakamoto Focused on Growth and Fight for Olympic Qualification in Her Final Season
original source: Nikkansports, October 20th, 2025 by Katsube Kota / Nikkansports
Kaori Sakamoto reflects on her strong performance at the Grand Prix France, where she earned second place, and shares her determination to grow and succeed in her final competitive season, aiming for Olympic qualification. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Nikkansports.
Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto (25) placed second in the women’s event at the Grand Prix France, marking the last overseas Grand Prix event of her career. Closing the competition with a season-best total score of 224.23 points, she narrowly missed the gold medal, which was claimed by fellow Japanese skater Ami Nakai (17) with 227.08 points in her Grand Prix debut. Sharing the podium was bronze medalist Rion Sumiyoshi (22), who achieved a personal best of 216.06 points, with Team Japan dominating the top three spots.
Appearing in the Gala Exhibition the day after the free skate, Sakamoto reflected calmly on the outcome. Taking on the role of photographer for the group photo during the finale, Sakamoto remarked, “I could see the specific areas where I still need to make improvements. It’s frustrating to place second, but I’m embracing the challenges ahead.”
Nakai’s victory gave Sakamoto a new perspective. “I still think of university students as my peers, but high school students? That’s when I started to feel like, ‘Am I really such a veteran? Is this what losing to the younger generation feels like? Wow,’” she admitted with a laugh. “It’s a completely new sensation for me.”
Reflecting on her own career, Sakamoto remembered her early days when she was also in high school during her first senior season in the 2017–2018 season. She earned second place at the Japan Championships that December, securing one of the two Olympic spots and finishing sixth at the Pyeongchang Olympics. Now, standing on the other side of the generational shift, she observed, “From my perspective, that kind of momentum is a little scary.”
Sakamoto is determined to focus inward on herself, saying, “If I let my focus shift away from me, that’s when it ends.”
Speaking at Haneda Airport upon her return to Japan, Sakamoto reflected on the Grand Prix France. “This competition fired me up even more for the next one. Scoring over 220 points but still coming second – it was a tough, high-level battle,” she said. “At the same time, I felt a bit relieved knowing I’m still able to compete at this level.”
She acknowledged there’s still room for improvement. “If I were to lose with a perfect performance, then I’d definitely feel things were not looking good. But knowing I still have room to grow gives me hope. I don’t want to feel this frustration again, so I’ll work thoroughly on fixing the areas where I fell short.”
Sakamoto is looking to take full advantage of her extensive experience in her final season. “I have the kind of experience that’s unique to me – that’s something I won’t lose,” she said confidently.
Her vision for the season remains crystal clear: “I plan to produce consistent results, gain confidence, and approach the final selection at the Japan Championships in December ready to achieve the outcome I’ve envisioned.”
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