Kaori Sakamoto (26, a Sysmex athlete) held her retirement press conference on the 13th in her hometown of Kobe, where she discussed her greatest strengths throughout her career.
Struggling to find the right words while repeating “Weapon, weapon, weapon…” she eventually began, “Well, in the latter part of my career, it’s been the extension of my skating.” She recalled that in her early senior years, she relied on the power of her jumps. “In the first one or two seasons as a senior, I felt I had to land my jumps to win. My base scores were lower than other skaters, so I aimed to rack up jump bonuses,” she revealed.
As she gained more opportunities to refine her skating technique, her strengths evolved. “In the latter half of my career, I’ve had more chances to study skating, and the flow and speed of my skating have become my weapons. I believe no one can beat me in that area,” she said with pride.
However, she admitted with a wry smile, “It’s hard to sum it up in one word.” She then turned the tables on the reporters, asking, “Can anyone think of a good word? How about a show of hands?” The room burst into laughter. Continuing her trademark lighthearted banter, she added, “It feels like school now. After that setup, I’d love to hear a word from each of you (laughs),” keeping the atmosphere warm and relaxed until the end.
Sakamoto has long been the ace of Japanese figure skating, becoming the first Japanese woman to compete in three consecutive Olympic Games. At the Milano Cortina Games in February, she won silver medals in both the individual and team events. Including a team silver and an individual bronze from the Beijing Games, her total of four Olympic medals ties Yuma Kagiyama as the most ever by a Japanese figure skater.
At the Japan National Championships, she achieved five consecutive titles from 2021 to 2025, the first woman to do so in the event’s history, and won a total of six titles including her first in 2018. She captured three straight World Championships from 2022 through 2024. In her final competitive event this March, she scored a personal best (238.28 points) to earn her fourth world title, the most by any Japanese skater.
Loved by both skaters and fans for her bright and friendly personality, she will now begin her second career as a coach under longtime mentor Sonoko Nakano (73), who has guided her since the age of four.
Kaori Sakamoto was born on April 9, 2000, in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. Inspired by the NHK morning drama “Teruteru Kazoku” (late 2003 season), she started skating at age four. She placed third at the 2017 World Junior Championships before turning senior, earned one of Japan’s two spots for the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics in her first senior season (finishing 6th individually), then won team silver and individual bronze at Beijing 2022, and silver in both disciplines at Milano Cortina 2026. Her four world titles are the most by a Japanese skater. She won the Japan Nationals six times (2018, 2021-2025). She also served as an alternate flag bearer for Japan’s Olympic team in Milano. She stands 159 cm tall with blood type B.
