Kaori Sakamoto: “The third part oh the FP translates to ‘I have no regrets,’ so I skated with the feeling that I have no regrets about my skating career.”
Kaori Sakamoto reflects on her growth, training adjustments, and determination to maximize her strengths as she aims for a third Olympic appearance
original source: number.bunshun.jp dd. 16th November 2025 by Yoshie Nogichi
Kaori Sakamoto, in her final competitive season, claimed victory at the NHK Trophy with a world-leading score, reflecting on her growth, training adjustments, and determination to maximize her strengths as she aims for a third Olympic appearance. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Sports Graphic Number Web.
At the NHK Trophy women’s medal ceremony, figure skating legend Midori Ito appeared as the presenter. Kaori Sakamoto, standing atop the podium, couldn’t help but smile and clench her hands in delight. When Ito placed the medal around her neck, the two shared a heartfelt hug, and the venue was filled with celebratory applause.
After the women’s medal ceremony, Midori Ito expressed her admiration:
“I watched the short program from the stands and thought, ‘As expected, she’s amazing.’ But for the free skate, I was in the VIP section, right behind the judges. Seeing it from ice level, the sense of speed was completely different. I understood why Sakamoto’s skating skills are rated the best in the world.
You could see she’s thoroughly practiced her skating, not just the jumps. She values skating skills within the program and practices the transitions carefully. She can execute elements at speed and show deep edges. After all, you can’t score in skating without actually skating. With Sakamoto, if she brings out what she has, her scores will rise and she’ll win.”
Though Ito was known for her triple axel, she didn’t mention the need for big tricks, instead saying, “If Sakamoto brings out what she has, she’ll get the scores.”
In June, at the opening event for the new year-round Sysmex Kobe Ice Campus in her hometown, Sakamoto announced her retirement at the end of this season.
“My training environment has improved. Before, I could only get one hour of private ice a day, but now there are days I can train two hours in the morning and two at night. I’m ready for the Olympics. Now it’s just up to me.”
She started her season at the Kinoshita Cup, finishing second overall with 203.64 points, yielding victory to 20-year-old Mone Chiba.
“I realized I trained too much at my own pace this summer. Each practice felt like, ‘That’s good enough,’ and I didn’t train with enough tension. This was a wake-up call, so I’ll push myself harder and have Coach Nakano push me too.”
At the French Grand Prix in October, she delivered perfect performances in both the short and free, scoring 224.23 points. However, 17-year-old Ami Nakai, rapidly improving with her triple axel, scored a season-high 227.08, leaving Sakamoto in second.
“So this is what it’s like to lose to the younger generation…”
Despite this, she didn’t get discouraged.
“I just thought, ‘This is such a high level!’ Experiencing not being able to win even with 220 points early in the season is important. When I come in second, it’s usually meaningful. The scores and placements told me, ‘You can’t let your guard down!’”
After returning from the French Grand Prix, she changed her training routine. During private ice sessions in the morning and evening, Coach Nakano stood rinkside, focusing on jumps and run-throughs. She did basic training, like skating and spins, during public sessions in the daytime.
“I realized how important it is to steadily work on basics like skating and spins during public sessions. Since I missed some levels at the French Grand Prix, I knew I needed to practice spins more.”
At the NHK Trophy short program, she landed all her jumps cleanly and pumped her fist in satisfaction, scoring a high 77.05 points.
“I changed my jump layout this season, and I’m starting to feel it’s really working.”
Sakamoto answered reporters’ questions with a smile, but as soon as she finished, she eagerly checked the score sheet. The first thing she looked at was the program component scores: “Composition 9.00, Presentation 9.14, Skating Skills 9.25.” She murmured,
“Hmmm. Composition is just barely a 9… I still have to work harder.”
The next day’s free skate to “Hymne à l’amour,” a piece she had wanted to skate to in her retirement season. After landing all her jumps, she also earned Level 4 on the two spins she missed at the French Grand Prix.
“The second song in this free skate medley, ‘Hymne à l’amour,’ is the part I wanted to do most, so I put my heart into it. The third part translates to ‘I have no regrets,’ so I skated with the feeling that I have no regrets about my skating career.”
Her PCS rose from 73.34 at the French Grand Prix to 73.39. Coach Nakano, however, was strict about the slight improvement in performance scores.
“If she doesn’t show more speed in the second half, it won’t be moving. I want her to skate more, run more, and build up her stamina.”
Sakamoto responded with a wry smile.
“I thought so. I tend to go easy on myself, so I was thinking, ‘Well, at least it’s better than at the French Grand Prix.’ I’m grateful to be pushed harder.”
Coach Nakano added in her usual calm tone, “This is Sakamoto’s last year. I’m trying not to get angry as much as usual. She’s an adult now, so I want her to do things without being scolded.”
Sakamoto’s eyes widened in surprise. “So that’s why… I was worried I was being scolded less because she’d given up on me. I really have to do my best!”
Her total score of 227.18 edged out Nakai’s season best by just 0.1 points.
“Of course, I don’t want to lose. I’d like the next generation to wait just a few more months before taking over.”
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