Yuma Kagiyama: “I made mistakes, and I feel tremendous frustration about that. However, I was able to achieve my quad flip. Even though I carried more weight on my shoulders compared to four years ago, I chose a bold approach.”
Yuma Kagiyama secured his second consecutive Olympic silver medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games.
original source: Nikkansports dd. 14th February 2026 / Hochi News dd. 14th February 2026 by Otani Shota
Yuma Kagiyama claimed his second consecutive Olympic silver medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games. While reflecting on his performance and challenges, he expressed disappointment at missing his goals but shared appreciation for the learning experience and admiration for fellow competitors. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“There’s no regret in how I fought today, especially with my quad flip attempt. Even though I carried more weight on my shoulders compared to four years ago, I chose a bold approach,” said Kagiyama.
Carrying words of encouragement from his father and coach, Masakazu Kagiyama (age 54)—“It’s okay if you fall on every jump, just make sure to fight until the end”—he skated a four-minute routine filled with determination. Though frustration lingered, Kagiyama acknowledged his effort with, “I guess I did my best.”
“Q: Your feelings after the performance?
Yuma Kagiyama: I don’t feel any sense of relief at all. I made mistakes, and I feel tremendous frustration about that. However, I was able to achieve my quad flip and made an overall effort to challenge myself here, so that holds significant meaning for me. Today was really disappointing, but looking at the bigger picture, competing on the Olympic stage gave me immense experiences and valuable lessons.
Q: You stood on the podium alongside Shun Sato. How do you feel?
Yuma Kagiyama: It made me really happy. I believe Shun earned his medal through his own talents, and I’m genuinely delighted for him. Going forward, I’ll continue to compete alongside him, including in the World Championships. But honestly, I want to beat Shun. I’ve been losing to him in the free skate, so I want to grow stronger, build my skills, and keep working hard.
Q: Was your frustration more about settling for silver or the performance you delivered?
Yuma Kagiyama: Definitely the latter. My focus was entirely on how I wanted to perform today, and it frustrates me so much that I couldn’t achieve the goals I set for myself. That said, Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan) delivered an absolutely incredible performance and won gold. I want to offer him my heartfelt congratulations.
Q: How did you view Malinin’s fall to 8th place overall?
Yuma Kagiyama: It was surprising and rare, something unexpected for sure. But considering how tightly packed his schedule was – skating in the team event’s short and free programs, as well as the individual event’s short and free programs – it’s impressive that he persevered. He carried immeasurable pressure, with the entire world expecting him to take the gold medal. I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of tension he felt. I think he must feel deeply disappointed right now, but for someone competing in his first Olympics and skating four routines, I really admire what he achieved.”
Related topics: Olympic Games, Yuma Kagiyama
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