Kaori Sakamoto: “Right now, I feel like I absolutely cannot afford even one mistake, so I want to stay strong and pull through.”
Kaori Sakamoto Prepares for NHK Trophy with Determination Despite Practice Challenges
original source: Nikkansports, November 6th 2025
Kaori Sakamoto (25) reflects on struggles in practice ahead of the NHK Trophy short program and vows to deliver a mistake-free performance in front of her hometown crowd. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Nikkansports.
During the run-through with music, Sakamoto stumbled during her step sequence and fell on a triple flip. She also experienced rotation issues on her loop, leading to consecutive mistakes throughout the session.
After practice, Sakamoto spoke candidly about her concerns: “When I make one mistake, I have a tendency to unravel from there.” She acknowledged the high stakes of the NHK Trophy: “This time, mistakes can’t be tolerated.” Looking ahead to her performance, she expressed resolve: “If I focus and do things properly, the results will follow. Right now, I feel like I absolutely cannot afford even one mistake, so I want to stay strong and pull through.”
Sakamoto comes into this event following her second-place finish at the French Grand Prix, where she was bested by 17-year-old Ami Nakai. Now skating in her second Grand Prix event of the season, Sakamoto will compete at the Towa Pharmaceutical RACTAB Dome in Osaka, her home region of Kansai.
Speaking about competing so close to home, Sakamoto shared the heightened tension she felt: “I was nervous to the point where it felt like it could be right before the competition,” she said with a wry smile, recalling her mindset ahead of practice. The veteran skater believes the nerve-wracking peak she experienced will help her settle as the competition approaches. “Once this peak of nerves has passed, I think I’ll be able to calm down and find the right level of tension by the time the event starts. I want to stay focused and composed.”
Related topics: Kaori Sakamoto, NHK Trophy
Leave a Reply