Kaori Sakamoto (26, of Sysmex), a women’s figure skater, held a retirement press conference in her hometown of Kobe on the 13th, where she received heartfelt farewell messages from two coaches who have guided her since the age of four: Sonoko Nakano and Atsuko Graham.
Coach Nakano was the first to speak, expressing gratitude: “Kaori, thank you for skating with us for so long. And thank you for saying you want to become a coach.” However, she also humorously touched on the challenges of the coaching path, saying, “But coaching is a humble job, with not much fun.” She added with affection, “Since you’re used to the glamour of the spotlight, I’m a bit worried whether you can calmly and steadily continue.” Nakano also expressed her hope for Sakamoto as a successor: “I pray that you will somehow energize Hyogo Prefecture in my place. Please take care of that.”
Next, Coach Graham offered her encouragement: “Ka-chan, thank you for 21 years of hard work. You did a great job.” She continued, “From here on, as a coach, study hard, work hard, and aim to nurture many skaters who will fly from Kobe to the world.” She also promised ongoing support: “I’ll support you until you become a teacher like Coach Nakano. Let’s do our best.”
Sakamoto has long been Japan’s leading ace in women’s figure skating. She became the first Japanese woman to compete in three consecutive Olympic Games. At the February Milan-Cortina Games, she won silver medals in both the individual and team events. Including a team silver and individual bronze from the Beijing Games, her total of four Olympic medals ties with men’s skater Yuma Kagiyama for the most in Japanese figure skating history.
At the Japan National Championships, she achieved five consecutive titles (2021–2025), becoming the fifth woman to do so, and won a total of six titles including her first in 2018. At the World Championships, she won three consecutive titles starting in 2022. In her final competitive event this past March, she delivered a personal best total score (238.28 points) and captured her fourth world title, the most by any Japanese skater.
Known for her bright and friendly personality, Sakamoto was beloved by skaters and fans alike.
◆Kaori Sakamoto was born on April 9, 2000, in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. Inspired by the NHK morning drama “Teru Teru Family” in late 2003, she began skating at age four. After placing third at the 2017 World Junior Championships, she moved up to seniors. In her first senior season, she secured one of Japan’s two spots for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, finishing sixth individually. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she won team silver and individual bronze. At the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, she earned silver in both individual and team events. She has won the World Championships a record four times for a Japanese skater, and the Japan National Championships six times (2018, 2021–2025). She served as a flag bearer substitute for the Japanese delegation at the Milan Olympics. Height: 159 cm. Blood type: B.
