Masakazu Kagiyama reflected on his coaching approach after Yuma placed third at the 2025 Worlds, falling 40.37 points behind Ilia Malinin., admitting, “I think I caused him pain.” and “No matter the specifics of the content, I just want to celebrate the outcome wholeheartedly.”
Masakazu Kagiyama, Yuma’s father and coach, on his son accomplishments at the Olympics.
original source: Hochi News dd. 14th February 2026 / Hochi News dd. 14th February 2026
Yuma Kagiyama earned his second consecutive Olympic silver at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games, highlighting his remarkable growth and artistic evolution over the past four years. Supported by his coach and father, Yuma’s journey reflects the bond between parent and child, as well as an effort to overcome the challenges of balancing technical perfection with artistry in figure skating. Here’s a translation of Mazakuzu Kagiyama’s comments.
“This is the Olympics, after all. I’ve decided not to complain and instead to celebrate his achievement wholeheartedly,” said Masakazu Kagiyama, expressing his acknowledgment of Yuma’s four years of tireless dedication.
Last season, Yuma placed third at the 2025 World Championships, falling 40.37 points behind his rival, Ilia Malinin. Masakazu later reflected on his coaching approach during that time, admitting, “I think I caused him pain.” Malinin’s consistent success with an arsenal of six quad jumps – including the quad axel – drew attention from the Kagiyamas, leading Masakazu to focus on pushing Yuma toward technical gains. However, this focus came at the expense of Yuma’s strengths in artistry, spins, and the quality of his renowned quad salchow, which once earned claims of being the most beautiful in the world. The relentless physical and mental toll of practicing high-difficulty jumps led Yuma to the point of frustration, at times saying, “I don’t understand how to jump anymore.”
After the World Championships, Yuma approached his father with a notebook outlining his goals for the Olympic season: to pursue challenging jumps. Masakazu initially accepted this plan but later decided to call Yuma for a conversation. “Let’s focus on what you do best – let’s aim for perfect program component scores and work toward scoring as close to 200 as possible,” Masakazu advised, freeing Yuma from the enormous pressure tied to jump execution. This decision was a turning point for the duo; it reaffirmed Yuma’s identity as a skater who prioritizes artistry, expression, and precision over technical difficulty.
For his free skate, Yuma chose Turandot, choreographed by the esteemed Lori Nichol. Masakazu found the choreography so extraordinary that he believed it transcended figure skating as a competition, saying, “This is the essence of figure skating. This deserves to be seen as art, not just scored in a competition.”
On the ice, Yuma and Masakazu work as athlete and coach; off the ice, they are a typical father and son. Yuma doesn’t drink alcohol, so they often relax together by watching anime on Netflix during meals. “When we get home, we put aside skating – we’re just father and son like any other pair,” Masakazu explained with a gentle smile. He even admitted moments of wistful affection, saying, “I wish we’d been skaters at the same time. I would have loved to compete against him as a skater. If we’d both lived in the same era, maybe I’d have improved more and learned to love skating even more.”
Masakazu praised his son’s accomplishment after the skate. “I just kept thinking: Keep going, keep going, and do your best. There were many ups and downs in terms of performance, but the Olympics come only once every four years. So I decided not to criticize and instead to celebrate his efforts wholeheartedly,” Masakazu said.
When asked about his feelings as a father witnessing Yuma’s journey, he expressed deep pride: “I truly believe his effort and training could be described as world-class, and I wholeheartedly want to commend him for that.”
Masakazu also revealed his concern before the free skate, sensing unusual tension in Yuma during practice and before his performance. “It was as if his feet weren’t firmly grounded. Nervousness is fine because you can channel it into focus, but when you’re overly tense, your body feels disconnected from the ice. That’s how it seemed. For this reason, I gave him words of encouragement before sending him out to skate.”
This silver medal, while similar in color to the one Yuma earned at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, held deeper significance for both the skater and his coach. Masakazu explained how much Yuma has matured since his first Olympic experience: “Four years ago, he was simply chasing a dream, skating without fully understanding the challenges of the Olympics. He rode the momentum then. But this time, it was his second attempt – he came in knowing the risks and pressures, understanding what he carried on his shoulders. Watching him face these difficulties, I could see how much he had grown.”
For Masakazu, this second silver medal carries immense value, precisely because of the challenges Yuma overcame to achieve it. “Winning amidst adversity, especially at this level, is incredibly difficult. No matter the performance itself, the result reflects his effort. I firmly believe that he trained harder than anyone else in the world – it’s no exaggeration to say that his efforts deserve the highest praise. So, no matter the specifics of the content, I just want to celebrate the outcome wholeheartedly.”
Related topics: Masakazu Kagiyama, Olympic Games, Yuma Kagiyama
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