Kaori Sakamoto: “I don’t want to lose. I’d like the next generation to wait just a few more months before taking over (laughs).”
Kaori Sakamoto secured her second consecutive NHK Trophy title with a world-leading score, advancing to the Grand Prix Final
original source: Hochi News dd. 8th November, 2025
On the final day of the Grand Prix Series NHK Trophy, Kaori Sakamoto, who led after the short program, scored 150.13 points in the free skate and a season world-best total of 227.18 points, claiming her fourth NHK Trophy title. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Hochi News.
When informed of her record-breaking performance, Sakamoto looked surprised and said, “Oh? Really? Oh, wow.” Her candid reaction brought laughter to the arena.
She admitted, “I was so focused that I even forgot to take off my blade covers before the six-minute warm-up.” In the first Grand Prix event, she finished second to 17-year-old Ami Nakai. Now, as she faces her final season, Sakamoto said, “I don’t want to lose. I’d like the next generation to wait just a few more months before taking over,” showing both humor and pride as Japan’s top skater.
Sakamoto’s coach, Sonoko Nakano, reflected on the event: “It was pretty good, but there are still a lot of issues to work on.”
For her free skate this season, Sakamoto chose the chanson classic “Hymne à l’amour.” She recalled being inspired at age 13, watching Akiko Suzuki’s short program at the 2014 Nationals during the Sochi Olympic season. “I admired her, and I thought it would be wonderful to skate such a beautiful program in my own retirement year.” Twelve years later, that dream remained unchanged.
Sakamoto shared her wish with coach Sonoko Nakano, who initially hesitated, saying, “It’s too soon for Kaori.” Nakano explained, “She still lacks life experience.” Nevertheless, Sakamoto insisted, “If I don’t do it now, when will I?” and pushed forward with her choice.
On this day, Sakamoto made some minor mistakes in her steps, and Nakano rated the program’s current completeness at 60%. “I want her to make it a program that moves people even more,” Nakano said.
This season marks the last for the coach-skater duo. Nakano noted that she’s been less strict than usual, but not because it’s the final season: “I want her to do well even without being scolded.” Despite Sakamoto’s strong results, Nakano emphasized, “She still has room to grow. I want her to keep running, keep skating, and build up her stamina.” The tough training is set to continue.
After the NHK Trophy concluded, Sakamoto spoke to the press: “I was able to update my personal bests in both the short and free programs at this NHK Trophy. I got revenge for the frustration I felt at the France event, so it was a really good competition for me.”
Following her narrow loss at the first Grand Prix event in France (where she placed second), she again scored over 220 points. “Being able to consistently score in the 220s gives me confidence. But I still have room to grow, so I don’t want to say this is my maximum – I want to aim even higher,” Sakamoto said.
She continued: “I’m relieved to have made it to the Final, since the Grand Prix Series is one of the Olympic selection criteria. I want to aim even higher in the next month and do my best.”
Reflecting on her final season, Sakamoto shared, “Since deciding this would be my last season, practice has become more enjoyable. Every day feels rewarding, and that’s a really good trend.” She now has only two domestic competitions left: the Grand Prix Final and the Japanese Nationals. “I want to practice so I can deliver an even better performance at those events. I want to secure my Olympic spot at Nationals and achieve strong results at the Olympics,” she said.
Related topics: Kaori Sakamoto, NHK Trophy
Leave a Reply