Kaori Sakamoto: “When Utana and Masaya started skating, the crowd erupted in applause. I was so moved I almost cried, thinking, ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry,’ but when I glanced over and saw Yuma Kagiyama crying, I thought, ‘Well, I’ll cry too,’ and we both ended up in tears.”
Kaori Sakamoto on her and her teammates performances in the short program at the Olympic Team Event.
original source: sportiva.shueisha.co.jp dd 7th February 2026 by Komiya Yoshiyuki
Kaori Sakamoto delivered a top performance in the women’s short program at the Milano-Cortina Olympic team event, leading Japan to a strong start and reflecting on her growth, experience, and determination. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Web Sporttiva.
“I didn’t really feel in competition mode until right before my performance, but watching Utamasa (Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita) skate and hearing RikuRyu’s (Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara) results got me fired up, and I was able to skate with a good kind of nervous energy,” Sakamoto said with a bright expression.
“I know how tough ice dance is. When Utamasa started skating at the Olympics, the crowd erupted in applause. I was so moved I almost cried, thinking, ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry,’ but when I glanced over and saw Yuma Kagiyama crying, I thought, ‘Well, I’ll cry too,’ and we both ended up in tears,” she joked. Sakamoto was able to carry her teammates’ feelings – a difficult task. If she hadn’t scored a perfect 10 points for first place, Japan’s gold medal hopes would have been in jeopardy. Her ability to deliver the highest score when it mattered most is what makes Sakamoto exceptional, backed by her experience and history.
After Liu posted a high score, Sakamoto took the ice with composure. Skating to “Time To Say Goodbye,” which she chose for her final season. She was frustrated that her opening triple lutz received an “attention” call, but she landed it cleanly.
“Rather than feeling ‘Yes!’ I mostly felt relieved,” Sakamoto reflected. “I put pressure on myself to get the maximum 10 points. I just focused on doing what I needed to do. It wasn’t excessive pressure, just the right amount of nerves,” she explained.
Related topics: Kaori Sakamoto, Masaya Morita, Olympic Games, Utana Yoshida, Yuma Kagiyama
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