Kaori Sakamoto: “With only two or three months left in my career, I just want to live in the moment with no regrets and nothing left undone!”
Kaori Sakamoto, who will retire after this season, is energetically preparing for her final Olympics, aiming to surpass her previous bronze medal with a silver or gold.
original source: Nikkansports 4th January 2026
Kaori Sakamoto (25), who has announced her retirement at the end of this season, is charging full speed ahead toward her last Olympic Games. Here’s a translation of her comments.
On January 4, she performed at the “Nagoya Figure Skating Festival” ice show at Nippon Gaishi Arena in Nagoya. Looking ahead to the Milano-Cortina Olympics, which begin on February 6, she said, “If I can do enough to feel confident in myself, I think I’ll be fine when it’s time for the real thing.”
She spent the New Year recharging both physically and mentally. After securing her third consecutive Olympic spot with her fifth straight Nationals win in late December, she gave her final performance of the year on December 30. On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, she played mahjong at her grandmother’s house. “I kept losing, but when I won for the first time and checked my phone, it was exactly 0:00.” She got off to a great start in what will be her culminating year, laughing, “Thank you for the first win!”
On New Year’s Day, she attended a concert by the male idol group WEST., and on the 2nd, she went to Universal Studios Japan in the afternoon. “It was a great way to refresh myself,” she said, sounding fulfilled.
Even while enjoying the holidays, she hit the ice for her “first skate” on the morning of the 2nd, practicing on her own from 9:45 a.m. “It was a really slow morning practice,” she said, but she skated hard for a full hour, keeping active even in her off mode.
On the 3rd, she visited a shrine for her first prayers of the year and drew a “suekichi” fortune slip. “It had some pretty harsh things written, like ‘Don’t cling to past glory.’ For the competition part, it said, ‘Avoid contests.’” Although the message was somewhat ominous, she decided to take it as a sign to change her mindset. With about a month left until the Olympics, she thought, “Instead of going to fight, maybe I should just enjoy it for myself.”
Her goal is to surpass her previous bronze medal and win silver or better. “I’m super motivated and will do my best! With only two or three months left in my career, I just want to live in the moment with no regrets and nothing left undone!” For her final big stage, she’s focusing on being true to herself.
Related topics: Kaori Sakamoto
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