Kaori Sakamoto, Yuma Kagiyama to lead Japan's hunt for Olympic skating gold
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The Japanese team, who have been selected to represent their country at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, pose for photos at a press conference after the figure skating national championships in Tokyo on Dec 21.
PHOTO: AFP
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TOKYO – Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto and Beijing Winter Olympics silver medallist Yuma Kagiyama will lead Japan’s hunt for figure skating gold at the Milan-Cortina Games after being named in their country’s squad on Dec 21.
Pairs world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara also made the team, despite the former’s injury forcing them to withdraw midway through last weekend’s national championships, which also served as Japan’s Olympic trials.
Sakamoto, the bronze medallist at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, secured an automatic berth by winning Japan’s women’s singles title for a sixth time in Tokyo.
The 25-year-old, who will retire at the end of the season, finished with 234.36 points to beat Mao Shimada (228.08) and Mone Chiba (216.24).
Chiba and fourth-placed Ami Nakai were picked for the Olympic team along with Sakamoto, with the 17-year-old Shimada too young to be eligible for selection.
Sakamoto will become the first Japanese women’s singles skater to appear at three straight Olympics when the Games begin in February.
“When I was asked after the Beijing Games if I wanted to appear at a third Olympics, I thought that no one had done that before and I wanted to achieve it,” she said.
“Then I became world champion and had other experiences that gave me confidence and I started to think I could do it as long as I didn’t slack off.”
Sakamoto has had an up-and-down season but she gave a commanding performance with her Olympic spot on the line.
She covered her face and sobbed at the end of her routine, and admitted she had been racked by nerves.
“I had to really battle to win today and I’m going to have to dig deep mentally again,” she added.
Japan's Kaori Sakamoto competing in the women's free skating during the nagtional chips in Tokyo on Dec 21.
PHOTO: AFP
Chiba and Nakai will appear at the Olympics for the first time.
Kagiyama booked his spot by winning a third successive men’s national title on Dec 20.
The 22-year-old, who is seen as the closest challenger to American Ilia Malinin for Olympic gold, scored a total of 287.95 points.
Shun Sato was second on 276.75, followed by Kao Miura on 261.18. Both also made the Olympic team.
Kagiyama finished a distant second to Malinin at the Grand Prix Final earlier in December, despite leading after the short programme.
He said his national title was “not the goal, it’s just a point along the way”.
“I’ll be doing all I can in the time I have left to make sure I have no regrets after the Olympics,” he said.
Sato, who finished third at the Grand Prix Final, and Kao Miura will both be making their Olympic debut at Milan-Cortina.
In the pairs competition, Riku Miura and Kihara led after the short programme but withdrew before the Dec 21 free skate, with the former suffering a dislocated shoulder.
Their record as reigning world champions earned them a spot on the team alongside Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi, who won the national title in their absence.
Riku Miura and Kihara are attempting to become Japan’s first Olympic pairs medallists.
Utana Yoshida and Masaya Morita were selected as Japan’s ice dance representatives for the Olympic team event. AFP
