Shun Sato: “I was overwhelmed with frustration at not being able to take first place. But I was able to do everything I could. I’m grateful to all my teammates.”
Shun Sato delivered a flawless and powerful performance in the men’s free skate at the Milano-Cortina Olympic team event, helping Japan secure its second consecutive silver medal after a dramatic showdown with the United States.
original source: Hochi News dd. 9th February 2026 by / Hochi News 9th February 2026
Japan earned its second consecutive silver medal in the figure skating team event at the Milano-Cortina Olympics, with Shun Sato delivering a personal best in the decisive men’s free skate. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“Honestly, I would have been happiest if I could have beaten Ilia, but he’s on another level, so I just wanted to get as close as possible,” Sato said. He revealed that he had considered attempting a quad flip until just before his skate. “I was thinking about trying it, but after landing the lutz, I decided to stick to my usual layout and focus on a solid performance, and I did my best as usual,” he reflected.
When his score was announced and the silver medal was confirmed, Sato broke down in tears. “I was overwhelmed with frustration at not being able to take first place,” he admitted. “But I was able to do everything I could. I’m grateful to all my teammates.” His passionate performance moved everyone. His teammates, also in tears, told him, “You did great.” Sato smiled and said, “The flow from the RikuRyu pair to Kaori Sakamoto was really good, and I’m glad I was able to take the baton and deliver at the end without dropping it.”
First-time Olympian Sato said, “I was really nervous, but thanks to this team, I was able to skate freely without being overwhelmed by nerves. I’m truly grateful.”
Related topics: Olympic Games, Shun Sato
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