“I’m in battle mode. Even if my results are bad, I’m full of motivation.” Kaori Sakamoto is ready to go all out from the beginning of the season
Two-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto (23) has renewed her determination for a third consecutive victory.
source: nikkansports.com
On the September 7th, she attended the 23rd “Uetsuki Sports Athlete Support Project” certification ceremony and the “Uetsuki Sports Award” presentation ceremony held at a hotel in Tokyo. She greeted the audience on stage as one of the 30 representatives who received the award. In a post-ceremony press interview, she expressed, “I was as nervous as at the World Championships. I didn’t even know what I was saying, but I’m really happy to receive the award again this year, just like last year,” and relaxed after the important moment.
In 2022, she won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics and her first World Championship title. Last season, there were times when her motivation waned. She had a turbulent year, but regained her shape in the latter half of the season to achieve consecutive world championship victories. This season, she plans to go all out from the beginning. She stated, “I’ve been in battle mode all along. Even if my results are bad, I’m full of motivation, so I don’t think I’ll have the same struggles as last year.”
Many athletes from various sports attended the ceremony on this day. There were moments when younger athletes approached her. She said, “It feels really fresh to be approached by others. It made me feel like, ‘Oh, everyone knows me,’ and I found it motivating.”
She finished third in the Gen San Summer Cup in August, her first competition of the season. She is preparing for the Autumn Classic in Canada next week. “My goal for this season is a third victory at the Japanese Nationals and the World Championships. The fact that I’m receiving support like this is a great source of encouragement. The best way to repay it is by achieving good results. I hope to accumulate solid training and competitions and increase the number of performances where I feel like it was a good competition,” she said, looking ahead.
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