“Talking about skating can be tough, so you have to be careful who you talk to. But with Wakaba, I can share everything honestly.” Kaori Sakamoto on close friendship with Wakaba Higuchi
Kaori Sakamoto, silver medalist at the Milano-Cortina Olympics, spoke on TV about her close friendship with Wakaba Higuchi, their shared journey through the Olympics, and their reflections before retirement.
original source: sponichi.co.jp dd. 188th May 2026
Kaori Sakamoto (26), the silver medalist in women’s figure skating at the Milano-Cortina Olympics who held her retirement press conference on the 13th, appeared in a video segment on TV Asahi’s “GET SPORTS” late at night on the 17th. She spoke about the person she traveled with before her final season. Here’s a translation of her comments.
The program aired footage from a talk event held in Tokyo on the May 6th. In addition to Sakamoto, special guest Wakaba Higuchi, a silver medalist in the team event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics who retired at the end of last season, also appeared.
Higuchi has known Sakamoto since elementary school, and they remain close friends and peers. Sakamoto said that Higuchi knows everything about her, remarking, “That’s right. She probably knows me inside and out – from everyday life to competition matters,” with a fond smile.
Both competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. “At the Japanese Nationals that decided the Olympic team, we talked about how we’d definitely go together,” Sakamoto recalled. “We worked so hard that when it was over, we both burst into tears – ‘I’m so glad!’”
The two shared a room in the Olympic Village and won a silver medal together in the team event. Sakamoto also won a bronze medal in the individual event.
Initially, Sakamoto had planned to retire upon graduating from university, but winning an Olympic medal changed her plans for the better, and she continued her career with the goal of winning gold next.
“I knew for sure that the Milano season would be my last. When you can see the goal ahead, those four years become all the more motivating. The moment I could see the finish line, I found myself able to work even harder,” she said with a smile.
After achieving a three-peat at the World Championships and entering her third Olympic season as a gold medal favorite, Sakamoto and Higuchi took a trip together during the off-season.
In June 2025, they traveled to Kyushu. “We talked so much we barely slept. Suddenly it was, ‘Oh no! Only 15 minutes until checkout!’ We’d been talking so much we just fell asleep,” Sakamoto laughed.
During that trip, “We definitely talked about retirement – how we wanted things to end, and how we wanted to give it our all for one more year,” Sakamoto said. “We also talked about the future of figure skating.”
“Talking about skating can be tough, so you have to be careful who you talk to. But with Wakaba, I can share everything honestly. I also want to hear what she thinks, so we talk about those things. She’s the first person I talk to,” Sakamoto revealed.
Related topics: Kaori Sakamoto, Wakaba Higuchi
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