“It’s frustrating, but what I gained is huge. It’s half frustration, half joy. I have to face my position head-on and work as hard as I can to achieve my goals.”
Yuma Kagiyama earned his second consecutive silver medal at the Grand Prix Final.
original source: Nikkansports 7th. Decembr 2025 by Katsube Kota / Hochi News 7th December 2025
In the men’s free skate, Yuma Kagiyama (22), who was first after the short program (SP), scored 193.64 points in the free skate and a season-best total of 302.41 points, finishing second overall. Here’s a translation of his comments posted on Nikkansports.
Still, despite some minor jump mistakes, Kagiyama surpassed 300 points for the first time this season. “It’s frustrating, but what I gained is huge. It’s half frustration, half joy,” he said with satisfaction. “I’ve found how to have confidence and how to approach my performances,” he added.
Kagiyama skated last, following Malinin’s record-breaking performance two skaters before and clean skate from his teamamte Shun Sato. “I focused on the sound of my own breathing and the feeling in my feet,” he said.
Kagiyama became only the second skater this season to surpass 300 points in total, and as the top Japanese finisher at the GP Final, he made a significant step toward Olympic selection. Still, Kagiyama is aiming for even higher scores, including adding the quadruple flip. “First, my own wall is very high. I felt the distance to being the best in the world is still very far. What matters is whether I can believe in myself,” he said.
His free skate to “Turandot” is an arrangement of the famous Italian opera, not the standard Puccini version, but a special arrangement recorded in the UK with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a local opera choir for his free program. “It’s one of the pieces most fitting for the Olympics,” Kagiyama said. He is looking ahead to Milan, inspired by the same music that brought Shizuka Arakawa gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics.
Five years ago, Kagiyama said, “To become the best in the world, I have to be the best in Japan.” After the Beijing Olympics, his usual confidence faded, feeling the pressure of following in the footsteps of Hanyu and Uno. Even after their retirements, he lamented, “I can’t be like them,” and “I don’t have star quality,” feeling the weight of being called the ace. The turning point came at last year’s Nationals, his seventh attempt, where he finally claimed the title of “Japan’s best” and developed a new sense of responsibility. “My seniors were called that too, so I can’t run away from it.” He is determined to win: “After all, I hate losing.”
His mindset has changed, but what he needs to do remains the same. “I have to face my position head-on and work as hard as I can to achieve my goals,” he said, staying grounded. Although he did not achieve his first Grand Prix Final victory, he showed the pride of Japan’s ace. “Titles are decided by others,” he said.
Related topics: grand prix final, Yuma Kagiyama
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