Yuma Kagiyama: “In the past, I would always look at my rivals, including Ilia Malinin, but this season I’ve really learned to face myself. That’s led to more stability.”
Yuma Kagiyama made history by winning his third consecutive NHK Trophy, overcoming challenges and advancing toward the Grand Prix Final and the Milan-Cortina Olympics
original source: Nikkansports, November 8th 2025 by Katsube Kota
Yuma Kagiyama (22), the 2022 Beijing Olympic silver medalist, achieved a historic third consecutive NHK Trophy victory—the first ever for a Japanese man. He claimed the title in his first Grand Prix Series event of the season, scoring 188.66 points in the free skate for a total of 287.24 points. Here’s a translation of his comments posted on Nikkansports.
“It was a tense moment as the final skater, but since I was the last to skate, I decided to just enjoy skating to the fullest. I made a few mistakes, but I was able to recover in the second half and didn’t give up. I’m still far from my ideal performance, but I gave everything I could today. I want to keep striving to show even better skating.”
Kagiyama narrowly edged out his close friend Shun Sato (21), who delivered a flawless performance and finished just 1.53 points behind. Kagiyama commented enthusiastically, “I can’t afford to lose to Shun yet,” energizing the crowd.
Matching Evgeni Plushenko’s three consecutive NHK Trophy wins, Kagiyama admitted, “I feel about 80% frustration. I wanted to deliver a truly great performance. I didn’t feel pressure from the three-peat, but I managed to endure it.”
In the short program (SP) on November 7, Kagiyama led with 98.58 points, despite a rare spin error – his first ever in competition. He landed all three jumps but reflected, “I made a mistake I absolutely shouldn’t have made.” On the morning of the free skate, he carefully adjusted his spins and step sequences, saying, “I need to stay calm and focused on the non-jump elements as well.”
Kagiyama’s journey has involved confronting his weaknesses. At the World Championships in March, he finished with a disappointing bronze, falling from first to tenth in the free skate after multiple jump errors, trailing champion Ilia Malinin by 40.37 points. He realized that focusing too much on rivals and striving for perfection caused him to be overly affected by small mistakes.
This season, Kagiyama has shifted his focus inward. During official practices, he avoids watching other skaters and only checks results from the early Grand Prix events. “In the past, I would always look at my rivals, including Ilia Malinin, but this season I’ve really learned to face myself. That’s led to more stability.” He added, “I still have a long way to go to reach my ideal, so I need to keep working hard.”
Kagiyama’s next challenge is the sixth Grand Prix event in Finland (November 21–23, Helsinki), as he continues to build momentum toward the Grand Prix Final and the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February. “Every time I make a mistake, I get stronger,” he said.
Related topics: ISU, Yuma Kagiyama
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