Kaori Sakamoto: “2013 Nationals was the first and only competition we skated together, and seeing her ‘Hymne à l’amour’ made me fall in love with it. From then on, I wanted to be like Akiko-san.”
Kaori Sakamoto on Akiko Suzuki and her free program to “Hymne à l’amour”
original source: Tokyo Sports, 16th January 2026
Kaori Sakamoto, Japan’s representative for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, is refining her free skate with advice from her idol Akiko Suzuki, aiming to deliver her best performance at the Games. Here’s a translation of her comments.
This season, Sakamoto selected “Hymne à l’amour,” the free skate music performed by Akiko Suzuki in her final competitive year, as her own free program. When they spoke in early January, Suzuki offered advice such as, “You want a little pause at the pinpoint of the step sequence, where you stop,” and Sakamoto is now working hard to further polish her performance.
Sakamoto also competed at the 2013 Nationals, which was Suzuki’s final year as a competitor. “It was the first and only competition we skated together, and seeing her ‘Hymne à l’amour’ made me fall in love with it. From then on, I wanted to be like Akiko-san. As the years passed and I became a senior, we performed together in ice shows, and as we talked, I realized how wonderful her personality and character are. I really came to love her,” Sakamoto shared, expressing her deep admiration for Suzuki.
On the January 16th, Sakamoto held an open practice in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, running through both her short and free programs. She said, “Even at Nationals, I was satisfied with my performance, but I believe I can do even better. I want to push myself a bit more and make the most of the remaining training time.”
Related topics: Kaori Sakamoto
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