Kaori Sakamoto: “Since it’s still the pre-Olympic season next year, I want to try things with the program that make me wonder, ‘Can I pull this off?'”
Kaori Sakamoto about past season, new programs and goals.
original source: Hochi News / Nikkansports
Kaori Sakamoto held a press conference in Tokyo on the May 6th before leaving for Canada for choreography.
“I don’t feel like I accomplished everything I wanted to. I ended these last two seasons with a slight sense of regret. I’m feeling motivated to move forward without burning out,” said Kaori. “I felt the difficulty of continuing to win at the World Championships. I realized how hard it is to always be perfect,” she also added about the pressure she faced this season.
Sakamoto revealed that for her program choreography next season, she would work with Rohene Ward for the short program and continued to work with Marie-France Dubreuil for the free skate. Although the music are still undecided, she expressed her desire to challenge new things, saying, “Since it’s still the pre-Olympic season next year, I want to try things with the program that make me wonder, ‘Can I pull this off?'”
Kaori also shared that she particularly felt a strong response to this season’s free skate, ‘Wild is the Wind/Feeling Good,’ choreographed by Marie-France Dubreuil and that she was able to see her progress by performing a routine characterized by a flowing movement rather than pronounced choreography.
“This season’s free program was shocking. It was a mature song that I would have been too embarrassed to perform when I was a junior, but after gaining various experiences, it has become a program that I can perform now because of who I am today. I felt that I grew as a person and that I was able to see a new side of myself, and I think that was really great.”
In addition, she mentioned that she has been practicing quad jumps this offseason, although she described the situation as one of “trial and error.” Regarding her jumps for next season, she outlined her most realistic goals, saying, “I’d like to try two lutzes and two flips.”
She also candidly expressed her feelings about the strong Russian competitors who are currently absent from international competitions. “When the Russian skaters who can do quads came along, I lost sight of myself and didn’t even know how to keep going. But since I started to decide my way of competing in the Beijing Olympics season, I’ve been able to practice without any hesitation. When they return to international competitions after a long absence, I might be a bit unsettled at first, but I think it will be a good stimulus for me. I think it will make me feel, ‘I can’t lose,'” she revealed.
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