Kaori Sakamoto: “Coach Nakano once told me, ‘It’s good that you have a personality that draws people in, but to be a coach, you also have to be willing to play the ‘bad guy’ sometimes.’ I want to be strong-hearted and do my best as a coach.”
Four-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto expressed gratitude for nutritional support during her final season, reflected on her career, and shared her aspirations to become a coach who nurtures strong, healthy athletes, also reflected on the importance of team unity and positive rituals.
original source: Hochi News dd. 23d April 2026 / Hochi News dd. 23d April 2026
Kaori Sakamoto, who won her fourth world championship title in women’s figure skating this year, paid a courtesy visit to Ajinomoto’s Tokyo headquarters on the 23rd. In her final competitive season, she received dietary support from the company, which helped her stay in peak condition. Here’s a translation of her comments.
“I received truly reliable support. Thanks to that, I was able to win two silver medals at the Olympics and my fourth world title at the World Championships. This really became the best season of my career. Thank you so much for the support,” she said with gratitude.
Having retired at the end of this season, Sakamoto will now pursue a career as a coach. Although she is currently busy with ice shows and hasn’t started preparations yet, she shared her new goal: “There are many students at the club I belong to, so I hope to provide instruction tailored to each individual.”
Sakamoto faced many challenges with her diet during her competitive years. She recalled, “Even if I lost weight during the season, I would always rebound in the off-season. It was a constant cycle of losing and gaining.” Based on her recent support and personal experience, she wants to teach her students, “By eating well and practicing properly, your metabolism increases and training becomes more efficient.”
Throughout her career, Sakamoto received strict yet loving guidance from her longtime coach, Sonoko Nakano, and achieved many accomplishments. She revealed that her mentor once told her, “It’s good that you have a personality that draws people in, but to be a coach, you also have to be willing to play the ‘bad guy’ sometimes.” Sakamoto’s cheerful and approachable nature is one of her charms, but she acknowledged, “If I don’t say tough things when necessary, my students won’t grow. I want to be strong-hearted and do my best as a coach.”
After the Milan Olympics, Sakamoto said, “I want to do everything I can to support my students so they can reach the Olympics. I want to become a coach like Ms. Nakano.” With her trademark bright smile, she added, “I want to raise athletes who can succeed on the world stage, manage their nutrition well, and become strong competitors,” sharing her next goal.
Before the Milan Olympics, a rally was held for figure skating athletes, coaches, and staff. “Figure skating is an individual sport, but the Olympics include a team event. I wanted everyone to unite and become one. That’s what makes the Olympics special,” Sakamoto said, expressing her strong feelings about the team.
At the rally, Sakamoto mentioned, “Since the Olympics are in Italy, I want to eat tiramisu,” prompting the company to create a “reward tiramisu” with less than 100 calories. On this day, the tiramisu served at the rally was provided to Sakamoto, company employees, and the press. With Sakamoto’s signal for a toast, everyone enjoyed the dessert together. Sakamoto quickly finished hers and said with a big smile, “It’s so delicious. This sweetness really resonates with athletes. It’s not the kind of sweetness that erases all your hard work, but rather motivates you even more. Thanks to the tiramisu and the gyoza rice bowl served at the rally, we all did our best in the team event and made it through the individual event. I’m grateful for both.”
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