Kaori Sakamoto: “During the team event, I was watching everyone perform and thought that ‘there isn’t a monster [uncontrollable external force] at these Olympics,’ but now… I don’t know. I’m feeling pretty nervous.”
Three-time Olympian Kaori Sakamoto prepared for her upcoming short program at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, drawing inspiration from the double podium finishes of Japanese male skaters Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato.
original source: Hochi News dd. 15th February 2026
Official practice for the women’s short program, set to take place on February 17, was held at the main competition rink. Three-time Olympic competitor Kaori Sakamoto participated in the session as part of her preparations. Here’s a translation of their comments.
On February 13, Yuma Kagiyama had won silver, and Shun Sato secured bronze in the men’s singles event. Sakamoto, who watched the competition in person, commented, “Seeing everyone fighting so hard made me really feel like my turn is finally approaching.”
The men’s event was full of surprises, where only one of the top three from the short program, Kagiyama, made it to the podium and claimed silver. “As a spectator, I found the final group to be quite surprising,” Sakamoto remarked. Praising the Japanese team’s performance, she added, “The way those two [Kagiyama and Sato] showed their incredible strength and made it to the podium was amazing. They gave it their all, starting from the team event.”
As she prepared for her individual event, Sakamoto reflected on the distinct atmosphere compared to the team competition. “During the team event, I was watching everyone perform and thought that ‘there isn’t a monster [uncontrollable external force] at these Olympics,’ but now… I don’t know. I’m feeling pretty nervous,” she admitted. Imagining herself in the same situation as her peers, she continued, “If that happened to me, I don’t think my mental state could handle it. My heart felt like it was going to break just watching them – it was painful.”
However, as a seasoned veteran of three consecutive Olympics, Sakamoto is determined to approach her event with a fresh mindset. “I’ll draw the line here and approach it as if it’s just another competition. I’m going to tackle it with a renewed sense of purpose,” she concluded.
Related topics: Kaori Sakamoto, Olympic Games
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