Yuma Kagiyama: “Even though I say I’m facing myself, I often end up working for someone else or for the people watching, rather than putting myself first. At the Final, I want to focus on myself.”
Yuma Kagiyama, after winning the Finland Grand Prix, is determined to focus on himself and overcome mental challenges as he prepares for the Grand Prix Final.
original source: Nikkansports, 24th November 2025
Yuma Kagiyama (22), after winning the Finland Grand Prix, is determined to focus on himself and overcome mental challenges as he prepares for the Grand Prix Final, a key event before the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Here’s a translation of his comments posted on Nikkansports.
On the November 24th, Kagiyama returned to Haneda Airport from the sixth Grand Prix Series event in Finland. Although he claimed victory following his win at the NHK Trophy, he made mistakes in both the short program and free skate, saying, “I was able to recognize my mental weakness,” and acknowledged areas for improvement.
Despite his experience at international events, he said, “When the venue is bigger, or my skating order is later in the program, or when things are different from usual, feelings of insecurity come out.”
Furthermore, after the Beijing Olympics, with Yuzuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno stepping back from the front lines of competition, Kagiyama has naturally come to be seen as a leader of the national men’s team a change in position he hadn’t initially felt but now faces. This season marks his second Olympic cycle, and though he continues to struggle with these thoughts, he tells himself, “ I can’t run away. Even if my position changes, what I need to do doesn’t.”
The Grand Prix Final will feature six participants, including two-time world champion Ilia Malinin (USA). “Even though I say I’m facing myself, I often end up working for someone else or for the people watching, rather than putting myself first. At the Final, I want to focus on myself. If I do it for myself, I think it will naturally benefit those around me as well. I want to deliver a performance that is true to myself,” Kagiyama said.
Related topics: Yuma Kagiyama
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