Kaori Sakamoto (坂本花織,Sakamoto Kaori; born April 9, 2000) is a Japanesefigure skater. She is the2022 Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time Olympic team event silver medalist (2022,2026),[a] a three-timeWorld champion (2022–2024), the2025 World silver medalist, the2018 Four Continents champion, the2023–24 Grand Prix Final champion, two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist (2024–25,2025–26), a thirteen-timeISU Grand Prix medalist, the2025 Asian Winter Games silver medalist, the2023 World University Games silver medalist, and a six-timeJapanese national champion. At the junior level, she is the2017 World Junior bronze medalist and the2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist.
She is the first Japanese woman to win the World Championships sinceMao Asada in 2014, the first Japanese skater to win three consecutive World titles in any discipline, and the first woman to win three consecutive World titles sincePeggy Fleming (1966–1968). She is also the only women's singles skater from Japan to compete at three Olympic Winter Games.
Kaori Sakamoto was born on 9 April 2000 inKobe,Hyōgo, Japan. The decision for Sakamoto to become a figure skater was made with her family at an early age.[1] She graduated fromKobe Gakuin University in September 2023.[2] Her hobbies areswimming and completing jigsaw puzzles.[3]
Sakamoto was awarded the Kobe City Sports Special Award in August 2023 for becoming a two-time World Figure Skating Champion.[4] Sakamoto prefers to use white Edea skates in the Ice Fly model with traditional silver blades.[5]
She has expressed interest in becoming a figure skating coach following her competitive figure skating career.[6]
Sakamoto began learning to skate on November 18, 2003, in Kobe and has been with her coaches Sonoko Nakano, Mitsuko Graham, andSei Kawahara since starting.[7][8]
She won the gold medal at the 2012–13 Japan Novice Championships and placed 9th at theJapan Junior Championships in the same year. She was invited to skate in the gala at the2013 World Team Trophy.[citation needed]
During the2013–2014 season, Sakamoto debuted on theISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) circuit, placing sixth inOstrava, Czech Republic. She finished eighth at the Japan Junior Championships.
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Sakamoto started her season by finishing seventh at her JGP event inAichi, Japan. She won the Japanese national silver medal on the junior level before placing sixth on the senior level at the2014–15 Japan Championships. Those results gave her a spot to compete at the2015 World Junior Championships, where she placed fourth in the short program and 6th in the free skate to place sixth overall.
Sakamoto began her season by winning the silver medal at her JGP event inRiga, Latvia, and finishing fourth at her JGP event inToruń, Poland. Due to astress fracture in her right shinbone, she stayed off the ice in October and resumed skating without jumps in November.[9] At theJapanese Championships, she placed fifth competing in the junior event and thirteenth on the senior level. Sakamoto was selected to compete at the2016 Winter Youth Olympics. She placed fifth in the short program and sixth in the free skate to finish sixth overall.
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Sakamoto received medals at both of her2016–17 JGP assignments – silver in France and gold in Japan[9] – and then won the Japanese junior title. In December, she took the bronze medal at the Junior Grand Prix Final inMarseille, France, and placed seventh, competing on the senior level at the Japan Championships. She was assigned to replace the injuredSatoko Miyahara at the2017 Asian Winter Games but withdrew due to the flu.[10] She went on to win bronze at the2017 World Junior Championships.[11] She was invited to skate in the gala at the2017 World Team Trophy as the junior world bronze medalist.
Sakamoto started her first full senior season at the 2017Asian Figure Skating Trophy, placing first in both segments to take the gold. At the2017 U.S Classic, she placed fifth in the short program and 4th in the free skate to place fourth overall, behind compatriot and gold medalistMarin Honda. Making her senior Grand Prix debut, she finished 5th at the2017 Rostelecom Cup after placing fourth in the short program and fifth in the free skate. At the2017 Skate America, she scored new personal best scores for both segments of the competition; she placed second in both the short program and free skate and won the silver medal overall behind teammateSatoko Miyahara.
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Sakamoto won the short program at the2017–18 Japan Figure Skating Championships. In the free skate, she placed fourth and won the silver medal, her first senior national medal. Following the competition, theJapan Skating Federation named Sakamoto to Japan's team to the2018 Winter Olympics, alongside Satoko Miyahara.[12] Sakamoto was named in Japan's team to the2018 Four Continents Championships with Miyahara and training-mateMai Mihara. She was also selected as the first alternate for the2018 World Championships, behind Miyahara andWakaba Higuchi.
At the2018 Four Continents Championships, Sakamoto placed second in the short program with a new personal best score behind teammateSatoko Miyahara. Sakamoto won the free skate with another personal best score and the championship, leading a Japanese sweep of the podium.
Sakamoto competed in the ladies free skating portion of theTeam Event at the2018 Winter Olympics. She placed fifth individually and fifth overall within Team Japan. In theladies' singles competition, Sakamoto skated a new personal best short program and was fifth going into the free skate. In the free skate, Sakamoto made minor mistakes but still was able to post the sixth-highest free skating score of the event and ended in sixth place overall.
Post-Olympics, Sakamoto competed at the 2018Coupe du Printemps. In the short program, she placed first. In the free skate, she fell on the second jump of a planned double axel-triple toe loop-double toe loop combination and doubled a planned triple loop to place second in the segment. She ended the competition second overall behind compatriotMai Mihara.
Sakamoto began the season at the2018 CS Lombardia Trophy, where a disastrous short program left her in ninth place going into the free skate. She placed second in the free skate, rebounding to fourth place overall. Subsequently, Sakamoto indicated that she felt she had not had enough practice time before the event.[13] Competing at the2018 Skate America, she repeated as the silver medalist, again finishing behind compatriot Miyahara. She pronounced herself "satisfied" with the results.[14] At her second event, the2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki, Sakamoto fell twice in the short program, ending up in seventh place. She came second in the free skate to place third overall and remarked: "I gave it everything I had; that was the only chance I would have to make it to the podium today. I forgot about yesterday's program, and I just gave my best today."[15]
At the2018–19 Grand Prix Final, Sakamoto placed fourth in both segments, narrowly missing the podium after falling on the last part of her three-jump combination. She expressed happiness at her score, even with the error.[16]
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Competing in the2018 Japan Championships, Sakamoto placed second in the short program, slightly over a point behind Miyahara, the four-time defending champion. In the free skate, she again placed second, behindRika Kihira, but placed ahead of Kihira in the overall points total to win the gold medal. In doing so, she became the first skater to place ahead of Kihira in senior competition. She was named to the Japanese teams for the2019 Four Continents Championships and the2019 World Championships.[17]
AtFour Continents, Sakamoto placed second in the short program with a new personal best, 0.55 points behindBradie Tennell.[18] In the free skate, she missed her three-jump combination when she popped the opening double Axel, and despite adding a double toe loop to her final jump, she lost several points as a result, and placed fourth in the free. She missed the podium overall by 0.33 points. She expressed frustration at the end, saying, "I was very nervous, and I missed some elements. It was such a disappointment, but I learned from this failure. I want to be stronger. At the World Championships, I want to put out the performance, both short and free, that is sharp and clean."[19]
At theWorld Championships inSaitama, Sakamoto placed second in the short program, winning a silver small medal.[20] In the free skate, a popped triple flip caused her to fall to fifth place overall. Sakamoto commented: "I still cannot figure out why I always cannot perform a perfect program, a performance without any mistakes."[21] Sakamoto concluded the season at the2019 World Team Trophy, where she won the silver medal as part of Team Japan.[22]
Sakamoto began the season at the2019 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial, where she won the silver medal, her firstChallenger medal.
Beginning on theGrand Prix at2019 Skate America, Sakamoto placed second in the short program and fourth in the free skate after popping two of her jumps and finished the event fourth overall.[23][24] Her second Grand-Prix event was the2019 Internationaux de France, where she placed sixth in the short program after falling on a double Axel and putting a foot down on her triple loop.[25] Sakamoto was fourth in the free skate, despite several under rotations, rising to fourth place overall.[26]
On the2019–20 Japanese Championships, Sakamoto was third in the short program despite underrotating the back half of her jump combination and was narrowly behind second-placeSatoko Miyahara.[27] She struggled in the free skate, underrotating or downgrading five jumps, and falling once, placing seventh in that segment and dropping to sixth place overall.[28] Commenting on her disappointing results afterward, she attributed much of her difficulty this season to the absence of her friend and longtime training partnerMai Mihara, who was sidelined from training due to illness: "But this year I could not fight by myself. I'm old enough now that I should be able to rely on myself."[29]
Despite her sixth-place finish at the national championships, Sakamoto was assigned to compete at the2020 Four Continents Championships, where she was fourth in the short program despite turning out of the landing on her triple loop.[30] In the free skate, Sakamoto attempted aquadtoe loop in competition for the first time but fell and had the jump deemed downgraded. Making several other errors, she dropped to fifth place overall. Speaking afterward, she said, "I couldn't fully trust myself. I'm glad I can use this experience and results as a learning experience for next season and future competitions."[31]
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Sakamoto won both the Kinki Regional Championship and Western Sectionals to qualify for a spot at the national championships.[32] Sakamoto began the international season at the2020 NHK Trophy, which, to minimize international travel, was attended almost exclusively by Japanese skaters (the exception beingYou Young ofSouth Korea). She won the short program, introducing the tripleLutz into that segment for the first time in five years.[33] Skating a clean free skate, she won that segment by over twenty points, taking the gold medal by almost thirty. This was her first Grand Prix gold medal. Sakamoto attributed her improvement over the previous season in part to increased strength training facilitated by being off-ice during the pandemic.[34][35]
At the2020–21 Japan Championships, Sakamoto entered with the perceived momentum from her NHK Trophy win but faced the returningRika Kihira, who had been scheduled to compete elsewhere on the Grand Prix that season.[36] Sakamoto made an error in her short program, performing only a double toe loop instead of a planned triple as part of her jump combination, but ended up in second place, 7.48 points behind Kihira.[37] Skating cleanly in the free; she remained in second behind Kihira, who successfully performed a quadrupleSalchow.[38]
Sakamoto was assigned to the Japanese team for the2021 World Championships inStockholm.[38] Sakamoto placed sixth in the short program and fifth in the free skate finishing in the sixth place overall.[39][40] Her placement combined with Kihira's seventh place qualified three Japanese ladies' berths at the2022 Winter Olympics inBeijing.[41] Subsequently, she was announced as part of the Japanese team for the2021 World Team Trophy.[42] She placed third in the short program and second in the free skate at the Trophy, while Team Japan won the bronze medal.[43][44][45]
Sakamoto began the season at the Olympic test event, the2021 CS Asian Open, where she won the silver medal.[46] On theGrand Prix, she was once again assigned toSkate America, where she was fourth in the short program after doubling her planned triple flip jump. She was third in the free skate with no issues other than an edge call on her triple Lutz, but remained in fourth place overall, 1.04 points behind bronze medalistYou Young.[47][48] Sakamoto's second assignment was Japan's home event2021 NHK Trophy, which she entered as the frontrunner due to injury-related withdrawals from bothAlexandra Trusova andDaria Usacheva. She won both segments of the competition, her only flaws being edge calls on her triple Lutzes and an underrotated triple toe loop. She won her second consecutive gold at the NHK Trophy.[49][50] Sakamoto's results qualified her to theGrand Prix Final, but it was subsequently cancelled due to restrictions prompted by theOmicron variant.[51]
WithRika Kihira absent due to injury, Sakamoto entered the2021–22 Japan Championships as the favourite for the national title. She skated cleanly to win both segments of the competition and her second gold medal, 12.28 points ahead of silver medalistWakaba Higuchi. As a result of her victory, she was named to her secondJapanese Olympic team.[52]
Sakamoto began the2022 Winter Olympics as the Japanese entry for the women's free skate segment of theOlympic team event. Skating cleanly, she placed second in the segment, albeit 30 points behind first placeKamila Valieva, taking nine points for Team Japan. Japan would win the bronze medal, making the team event podium for the first time and earning Sakamoto her first Olympic medal.[53] In thewomen's event, Sakamoto skated a clean short program and earned a new personal best of 79.84, ranking third in the segment behind Valieva andAnna Shcherbakova. She said she was "quite satisfied" with the result and contrasted her prior Olympic experience at age 17 with "a lot of ups and downs in these four years" since.[54] Despite placing third in the short program, it was widely assumed going into the free skate that Sakamoto would be passed by Alexandra Trusova, in fourth, whose technical content greatly exceeded hers.[55] This occurred, despite a clean skate from Sakamoto that produced a new personal best score of 153.29. However, frontrunner Valieva faltered in the free skate and dropped to fourth place overall, resulting in Sakamoto winning the bronze medal. She was the fourth Japanese women's singles skater to win a medal at the Olympics and the first in twelve years sinceMao Asada in2010. Speaking afterward, she thanked her coaches for helping her through "very challenging and struggling years."[56]
At the2022 World Championships Sakamoto entered the championships as the heavy favorite to take the gold medal, since the Russian skaters had been excluded from the competition.[57] Skating cleanly, she won the short program with a new personal best score of 80.32, 5.32 points clear of second-placeLoena Hendrickx ofBelgium.[58] She went on to win the free skate as well, setting new personal bests in that segment (155.77) and total score (236.09), the latter nearly twenty points clear of silver medalist Hendrickx. She was Japan's first women's singles skater to win the World Championships since2014. Sakamoto observed afterward that "four years ago, I didn't compete at the Worlds after the Olympic Games because I felt burned out. It wasn't easy to get ready for this just a month after the Games, but I'm glad I did. It was all worth it."[59]
Sakamoto began the season at the2022 CS Lombardia Trophy. She finished first in the short program but second in the free skate due to multiple errors, dropping to second place overall behind teammateRinka Watanabe.[60] At the 2022Japan Open, she finished first in the women's free skate, helping Team Japan to the gold medal.[61] She opened theGrand Prix series at her fifthSkate America competition. Narrowly first in the short program after performing only a triple-double combination, she won the free skate decisively over AmericanIsabeau Levito to take the gold medal, a result she said left her "filled with joy."[62] HerJanet Jackson medley short program earned praise from Jackson herself.[63] Sakamoto entered theNHK Trophy as the two-time and reigning champion and the favorite for the title. She placed second in the short program, behind South Korea'sKim Ye-lim, after the technical panel deemed one jump underrotated, another a quarter short of rotation, and her Lutz edge unclear.[64] She finished first in the free skate, despite two jumps being called a quarter short of rotation and popping her usually reliable triple loop jump into a single, but remained in second place overall behind Kim. Both women subsequently qualified for theGrand Prix Final.[65] Reflecting on her disappointing result, Sakamoto remarked, "coming into this season, I really wanted to do my best. Inside myself, there were an angel and a devil fighting each other. I want to overcome the devil. It tells me: 'you gave your best last year; this season, you can relax.'"[66]
Sakamoto entered the Final as a contender for the title, winning the short program by 1.28 points over longtime friend and training partnerMai Mihara. She successfully landed a triple-triple combination in the short program for the first time in the season, commenting: "I understand that no matter how my short program goes, I have to do well at the free skate. So finishing my short program perfectly after a long time, although I'm relieved, tomorrow's here soon."[67][68] The free skate saw most participants struggle, with Sakamoto making several critical jump errors, finishing sixth in the segment and dropping to fifth overall. She said afterward that she had struggled in her practice sessions and felt mentally strained, concluding: "In any case, I have no other choice but to accept this result."[69][70]
At the2022–23 Japan Championships, Sakamoto skated cleanly in the short program for a score of 77.79, taking the lead with 3.09 points over Mihara.[71] Her free skate score, 155.26, was a new domestic personal best, earning her the national title for the second consecutive year, ahead of Mihara and bronze medalistMao Shimada. Sakamoto, Mihara, and twelfth-place Rinka Watanabe were named to Japan's2023 World Championship team.[72] Considered the favourite at the2023 Winter World University Games inLake Placid, Sakamoto won the short program over Mihara, but fell on her final triple loop jump in the free skate, finishing with the silver medal overall behind Mihara, the defending event champion.[73] Appearing next at theInternational Challenge Cup at the end of February, Sakamoto won both segments of the competition to take the gold medal, in the process posting her first international free skate score of over 150 points for the season. Mihara andMana Kawabe joined her in a Japanese sweep of the podium.[74]
At the2023 World Championships inSaitama, Sakamoto won the short program with a score of 79.24, more than five points clear of South Korea'sLee Hae-in in second place.[75] In the free skate, she singled a planned triple flip jump, the same jump she had erred on in Saitama four years earlier, but still completed the intended jump combination with a triple toe loop. She skated the rest of the program cleanly, finishing second in the segment behind Lee with a score of 145.37, and remained first overall with a score of 224.61 to win her second World gold medal.[76] In doing so, Sakamoto became the fourth woman to win consecutive World Championships since abolition ofcompulsory figures in1991, afterKristi Yamaguchi (1991-1992),Michelle Kwan (2000-2001), andEvgenia Medvedeva (2016-2017).[77] Reflecting on her free skate in comparison to her podium miss in 2019, Sakamoto said that "this time, ideally I wanted to skate clean and end with a happy smile. However, I made the same mistake I did four years ago, so I am disappointed. I was able to recover, though, so I think I have grown from four years ago."[78]
Sakamoto was named captain of Team Japan for the2023 World Team Trophy.[79] In the short program, she underrotated and fell on the second part of her jump combination, but nevertheless placed second in the segment, behind only Lee of Team South Korea.[80] She was second in the free skate segment as well, again behind Lee, with her only error being another fall on a jump combination.[81] Team Japan won the bronze medal.[82]
In preparation for the2023–24 figure skating season, Sakamoto worked with choreographerJeffrey Buttle on her short program, having selected the music "Baby, God Bless You" from the soundtrack of Japanese medical drama,Kōnodori. Having become an aunt to a niece and nephew in 2023, Sakamoto stated that she had wanted to dedicate a program specifically to them.[83] As for her free skate, Sakamoto worked withMarie-France Dubreuil for the second year in a row. Regarding the program, Sakamoto said, "It's a jazz program with an image that I've never done before. I've done mature songs before, but it's a genre that I haven't done before, and it has a bit of a sexy part. I think it's a song that I can do because I'm at this age. I'm looking forward to seeing how it will be received." She also worked with retired American ice dancer,Zachary Donohue, over the summer to further improve her skating skills.[84]
Appearing on theChallenger circuit to start the season, Sakamoto won gold at the2023 CS Autumn Classic International.[85] At the2023 Japan Open, she finished first in the women's free skate with a score of 149.59, helping Team Japan to win the gold medal.[86]
Sakamoto began theGrand Prix with her first-ever appearance at theSkate Canada International, winning both segments of the competition to take the gold medal by a 25-point margin over silver medalistKim Chae-yeon of South Korea.[87] With a 151-point free skate score, Sakamoto remarked "not often am I able to skate that well in an international competition."[88] She went on to win the2023 Grand Prix of Espoo as well, this time defeating fellow Japanese skaterRion Sumiyoshi by exactly 15 points.[89] She commented that "I wanted to skate without major mistakes and to win and I was able to do that. Hopefully it will lead to another first place in the Grand Prix Final."[90]
At theFinal in Beijing, Sakamoto won both segments, capturing her first Grand Prix Final title by over 20 points and thereby completing the "Career Grand Slam" of major event gold medals. “This year, I had a good start with the Grand Prix,” noted Sakamoto, “so I really wanted to keep it going like that."[91] Reflecting on disappointments in prior years, she said she "went into the Final last year confused – and it showed in competition. I think it may have been my worst performance ever. But I knew I couldn't be any worse and I've been a lot more motivated than last season."[92] At the end of the same month, Sakamoto entered the2023–24 Japan Championships as the heavy favorite for a fourth straight national title. She won the short program by almost nine points over second-placeMako Yamashita.[93] She went on to win the free skate segment by 13.09 points overMone Chiba, and claimed the gold medal over Chiba by over 23 points.[94]
At the2024 World Championships in Montreal, Sakamoto placed fourth in the short program after a somewhat shaky performance that saw a rough landing on her triple Lutz and a stumble in her step sequence. She expressed disappointment with the outing, noting "so many mistakes one after another." Despite this, she was only 0.26 points behindLee Hae-in, in third place, and 3.69 points behind leaderLoena Hendrickx.[95] Sakamoto rallied in the free skate, placing first in that segment by a wide margin to take the gold medal over silver medalistIsabeau Levito and bronze medalist Kim Chae-yeon. "I skated well from the beginning of the season, and I feel like I gained confidence going for next season,” she said.[96] Her victory marked the first time in 56 years that a women's singles skater won three consecutive World titles. Reflecting on her performance, Sakamoto remarked, "I was able to calm down today. I was able to keep focused and do my elements one after the other and I am happy with this result."[97]
During the2024 Paris Olympics, a medal ceremony was held for Sakamoto and her teammates from the2022 Olympic Figure Skating Team Event, where they were awarded their Olympic silver medals.[98]
Sakamoto began the season by finishing third at the2024 CS Lombardia Trophy behind American skaters,Amber Glenn andSarah Everhardt.[99] Going on to compete on the2024–25 Grand Prix series, Sakamoto won the short program at2024 Skate Canada International but fell twice during the free skate, finishing second in that segment of the competition behind teammateRino Matsuike. However, her twenty-two point lead over Matsuike in the short program was enough for her to hold onto first place.[100] Following the event, Sakamoto said, "I am happy about the win but I am very disappointed about the content. So, I will take this very big disappointment to heart and make it my motivation to do better."[101]
Two weeks later, at the2024 NHK Trophy, Sakamoto delivered two clean performances and won the event, almost twenty points ahead of silver medalistMone Chiba.[102][103] In a post-event interview, Sakamoto expressed, "I was nervous in a good way. I don't know why, but I had that confidence that I could enjoy myself. I wanted the audience and the judge to have a smile on their faces. I was able to jump well. And at the very end, on the choreography sequence, it was really physically tough. But my coaches encouraged me and I was able to get through."[104] During the event's exhibition gala, all members of the 2022 Olympic Team Event, including Sakamoto, were invited to center stage, wearing their Olympic costumes and Olympic medals, in celebration of their achievement.[105]
With her Grand Prix results, she qualified for theGrand Prix Final for a third consecutive year.[106] Competing there, she finished in fourth place in the short program after falling on her jump combination, and she said that she had skated with too much caution.[107] In the free skate, she received under-rotation calls on her jump combinations in the second half of the program but rose to third place overall to win the bronze medal. She noted that she had been struggling with her jumps in practice and said, "I'm glad I was able to get on the podium."[108][109] After the free skate, she said: “Compared to the short program, I was able to approach it with more confidence. I was able to give it my all with the feeling that I wanted to show what I had been practicing. So, I am satisfied with today’s program."[109]
Two weeks later, she competed at the2024–25 Japan Championships, winning her fifth national title.[99][110] She was subsequently named to the World team.[111]
In February, Sakamoto competed at the2025 Asian Winter Games, where she won the silver medal behindKim Chae-yeon of South Korea.[99] The following month, at the2025 World Championships inBoston, Massachusetts, United States, Sakamoto placed fifth in the short program after popping the first part of her planned triple flip-triple toe combination into a double.[112] She came back with a strong free skate, however, placing second in that segment and winning the silver medal overall behindAlysa Liu of the United States.[113][99][114] In an interview following the event, Sakamoto shared, "I am so emotional right now. I was actually already emotional all day. I was crying on the bus here and when I was doing my makeup.Wakaba was texting me, ‘Let’s just do our best,’ and that also made me cry and feel so emotional. At the end, when Alysa hugged me, there were also so many mixed emotions inside me. On one hand, I was happy for Alysa, of course, but on the other hand, there was a little bit of frustration. After so many consecutive titles, now everything is back to zero, and I feel like a weight is falling off my shoulders. My coach also told me maybe this is for the better."[115]
A few weeks later, Sakamoto competed for Team Japan at the2025 World Team Trophy. She placed second in the women's short program behind Alysa Liu and third in the free skate behind Liu and Amber Glenn. These placements helped secure the silver medal for Team Japan.[116][117][118]
In June, Sakamoto announced her intention to retire from competitive figure skating following the season's conclusion.[6] For her short program, Sakamoto decided to collaborate withBenoît Richaud and selected the song, "Time to Say Goodbye" as her music. Speaking on the intention behind the program, she shared, "The title of the song means goodbye, but rather than it being the end, it's more like I'm looking towards my next self, and since this is a short program to move on to the next thing, it definitely doesn't feel like the end."[119] For her free skate, one of the songs used in the program, "Hymne à l'amour", was music Sakamoto had been saving to use in her last season after having seen fellow Japanese skaterAkiko Suzuki, whom she admired, perform to it during her own final season at the2014 Winter Olympics.[120]
She opened the season at the2025 CS Kinoshita Group Cup in September, where she won the silver medal behindMone Chiba.[99][121]
The following month, she placed a close second behindAmi Nakai at the2025 Grand Prix de France.[122] She shared that "coming in second was significant" for her. "This is my 20th Grand Prix event, and that experience definitely helps me in a positive way," she said. "I know how to handle these events and what to do. But on the other side, sometimes it also leads me to overthinking."[122]
Three weeks later, Sakamoto dominated the women's discipline at the2025 NHK Trophy, taking her fourth gold medal at this event, and qualifying for the 2025-26Grand Prix Final.[123] "To be honest, I’m really very relieved,” she said after the free skate. “I’m in a pretty good condition, but still, if I make a mistake, I find that I tend to lose my concentration."[123]
In December, Sakamoto competed at2025–26 Grand Prix Final inNagoya, Japan. She finished rose from fifth place after the short to third overall. "I basically left something on the table in both the short and free programs," Sakamoto acknowledged. "But despite that, I was able to place third, so I’m satisfied with this result. The Japanese Nationals is only two weeks from now, so I think it was a good experience for me to have been able to do this competition."[124]
At the2025–26 Japan Championships, Sakamoto won her sixth national title and was subsequently named to theWinter Olympic team for a third consecutive time.[125][126] Thewomen's short program of theteam event was held on 6 February 2026. Sakamoto finished in first place, setting a new personal best score for the season.[127] Sakamoto's performance was described as "dazzling", earning top levels on her spins and step sequence. "I thought I skated really well for my first performance at this Olympics," Sakamoto said in an interview. "I was my usual self. I was nervous like I always am, but it wasn’t to a point where my legs were shaking."[128]
On 6 February, Sakamoto placed first in the short program with a new season's best score in the2026 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Team Event. "The idea of getting the perfect 10 points had been something that made me put pressure on myself internally," she said. "But today, I skated with the mindset of simply doing what I needed to do properly, so instead of it becoming overwhelming pressure, it turned into a good, healthy level of tension."[129] Two days later, Sakamoto also won the free skate segment, helping Team Japan secure the Olympic silver medal for a second consecutive time.[130] "We’ve been talking about this since Paris two years ago, really since Beijing four years ago," she shared after her free skate.Riku,Ryuichi,Yuma, and I talked about doing our best to win another medal at the Milan Olympics four years later. Since winning a medal in Beijing, the team event has become just as important as the individual competition. Of course, there are concerns about physical strain, but it makes me really happy to be trusted as the team that can help Japan win, and we want to answer that trust."[131]
| Season | Short program | Free skate program | Exhibition program |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 [132] |
|
| N/a |
| 2014–15 [133] |
|
| N/a |
| 2015–16 [134] |
|
| N/a |
| 2016–17 [135] |
| The Color Purple |
|
2017–18 [137][138][139] |
|
Tracks used
| James Bond Medley[136]
|
| The Color Purple[140] | |||
| Amélie[141] | |||
| Primavera Porteña[141] | |||
| 2018–19 [7][142] | "From My First Moment (Gymnopédie No. 1)"
|
Tracks used
| "Jin"
|
| |||
| 2019–20 [143] | "No Roots"
|
| "Jin" |
| 2020–21 [144][145] | Medley:
| The Matrix |
|
| "Jin" | |||
| 2021–22 [146] |
| I Am a Woman
| "Tango Amore"
|
| |||
| 2022–23 [3] | Janet Jackson Medley
| (Original song and Clams Casino remix)
| "Heart Upon My Sleeve"
|
| "Tango Amore" | |||
| |||
| 2023–24 [147][148][4] | "Baby, God Bless You"
| Lauryn Hill Medley
| (Violin cover)
|
| |||
| 2024–25 [149][150] | Astor Piazzolla Medley
|
| "Poison"
|
"Shine"
| |||
| 2025–26 [151] |
| Édith Piaf Medley
|
|
"Poison" |
| Season | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | 6th | 3rd | TBD | ||||||||||
| Winter Olympics (Team event) | 5th | 2nd | 2nd | ||||||||||
| World Championships | 5th | 6th | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | TBD | ||||||
| Four Continents Championships | 1st | 4th | 5th | ||||||||||
| Grand Prix Final | 4th | 5th | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | ||||||||
| Japan Championships | 15th | 6th | 13th | 7th | 2nd | 1st | 6th | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| World Team Trophy | 2nd (3rd) | 3rd (2nd) | 3rd (2nd) | 2nd (2nd) | |||||||||
| GPFinland | 3rd | 1st | |||||||||||
| GPFrance | 4th | 2nd | |||||||||||
| GPNHK Trophy | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | ||||||||
| GPRostelecom Cup | 5th | ||||||||||||
| GPSkate America | 2nd | 2nd | 4th | 4th | 1st | ||||||||
| GPSkate Canada | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||
| CSAutumn Classic | 1st | ||||||||||||
| CSKinoshita Group Cup | 2nd | ||||||||||||
| CSLombardia Trophy | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | ||||||||||
| CSNepela Memorial | 2nd | ||||||||||||
| CSU.S. Classic | 4th | ||||||||||||
| Asian Games | 2nd | ||||||||||||
| Asian Open Trophy | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | ||||||||||
| Challenge Cup | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||
| Coupe du Printemps | 2nd | ||||||||||||
| Japan Open | 1st (2nd) | 2nd (4th) | 1st (1st) | 1st (1st) | |||||||||
| World University Games | 2nd |
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| Season | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Youth Olympics | 6th | ||||
| World Junior Championships | 6th | 3rd | |||
| Junior Grand Prix Final | 3rd | ||||
| Japan Championships | 9th | 6th | 2nd | 5th | 1st |
| JGPCzech Republic | 6th | ||||
| JGPFrance | 2nd | ||||
| JGPJapan | 7th | 1st | |||
| JGPLatvia | 2nd | ||||
| JGPPoland | 4th | ||||
| Asian Open Trophy | 1st | ||||
| Challenge Cup | 1st |
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | TSS | 236.09 | 2022 World Championships |
| Short program | TSS | 80.32 | 2022 World Championships |
| TES | 43.25 | 2022 World Championships | |
| PCS | 37.07 | 2022 World Championships | |
| Free skating | TSS | 155.77 | 2022 World Championships |
| TES | 80.10 | 2022 World Championships | |
| PCS | 76.20 | 2024 NHK Trophy |
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | TSS | 214.21 | 2018 Four Continents Championships |
| Short program | TSS | 73.18 | 2018 Winter Olympics |
| TES | 40.36 | 2018 Winter Olympics | |
| PCS | 32.82 | 2018 Winter Olympics | |
| Free skating | TSS | 142.87 | 2018 Four Continents Championships |
| TES | 74.78 | 2018 Four Continents Championships | |
| PCS | 68.11 | 2018 Winter Olympics |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Aug 2–5, 2017 |  2017 Asian Open Trophy | 1 | 63.70 | 1 | 112.41 | 1 | 176.11 |
| Sep 13–17, 2017 |  2017 CS U.S. International Classic | 5 | 56.82 | 4 | 112.30 | 4 | 169.12 |
| Oct 20–22, 2017 |  2017 Rostelecom Cup | 4 | 68.88 | 5 | 125.12 | 5 | 194.00 |
| Nov 24–26, 2017 | 2017 Skate America | 2 | 69.40 | 2 | 141.19 | 2 | 210.59 |
| Dec 21–24, 2017 |  2017–18 Japan Championships | 1 | 73.59 | 4 | 139.92 | 2 | 213.51 |
| Jan 22–28, 2018 |  2018 Four Continents Championships | 2 | 71.34 | 1 | 142.87 | 1 | 214.21 |
| Feb 9–12, 2018 |  2018 Winter Olympics (Team event) | – | – | 5 | 131.91 | 5 | – |
| Feb 9–12, 2018 | 2018 Winter Olympics | 5 | 73.18 | 6 | 136.53 | 6 | 209.71 |
| Mar 16–18, 2018 |  2018 Coupe du Printemps | 1 | 73.27 | 2 | 129.29 | 2 | 202.56 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 12–16, 2018 |  2018 CS Lombardia Trophy | 9 | 49.91 | 2 | 130.94 | 4 | 180.85 |
| Oct 6, 2018 | 2018 Japan Open | – | – | 2 | 130.28 | 1 | – |
| Oct 19–21, 2018 | 2018 Skate America | 2 | 71.29 | 2 | 142.61 | 2 | 213.90 |
| Nov 2–4, 2018 |  2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki | 7 | 57.26 | 2 | 140.16 | 3 | 197.42 |
| Dec 6–9, 2018 |  2018–19 Grand Prix Final | 4 | 70.23 | 4 | 141.45 | 4 | 211.68 |
| Dec 20–24, 2018 | 2018–19 Japan Championships | 2 | 75.65 | 2 | 152.36 | 1 | 228.01 |
| Feb 7–10, 2019 | 2019 Four Continents Championships | 2 | 73.36 | 4 | 133.43 | 4 | 206.79 |
| Mar 18–24, 2019 | 2019 World Championships | 2 | 76.86 | 5 | 145.97 | 5 | 222.83 |
| Apr 11–14, 2019 | 2019 World Team Trophy | 3 | 76.95 | 3 | 146.70 | 2 (3) | 223.65 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 19–21, 2019 |  2019 CS Nepela Memorial | 4 | 59.97 | 2 | 134.45 | 2 | 194.42 |
| Oct 18–20, 2019 | 2019 Skate America | 2 | 73.25 | 4 | 129.22 | 4 | 202.47 |
| Nov 1–3, 2019 |  2019 Internationaux de France | 6 | 64.08 | 4 | 135.16 | 4 | 199.24 |
| Dec 18–22, 2019 | 2019–20 Japan Championships | 3 | 69.95 | 7 | 118.31 | 6 | 188.26 |
| Feb 4–9, 2020 | 2020 Four Continents Championships | 4 | 73.07 | 8 | 129.72 | 5 | 202.79 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Nov 27–29, 2020 | 2020 NHK Trophy | 1 | 75.60 | 1 | 153.91 | 1 | 229.51 |
| Dec 24–27, 2020 | 2020–21 Japan Championships | 2 | 71.86 | 2 | 150.31 | 2 | 222.17 |
| Mar 22–28, 2021 |  2021 World Championships | 6 | 70.38 | 5 | 137.42 | 6 | 207.80 |
| Apr 15–18, 2021 | 2021 World Team Trophy | 3 | 77.78 | 2 | 150.29 | 3 (2) | 228.07 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Oct 3, 2021 | 2021 Japan Open | – | – | 4 | 133.26 | 2 | – |
| Oct 13–17, 2021 |  2021 Asian Open Trophy | 1 | 76.70 | 2 | 125.58 | 2 | 202.28 |
| Oct 22–24, 2021 | 2021 Skate America | 4 | 71.16 | 3 | 144.77 | 4 | 215.93 |
| Nov 12–14, 2021 | 2021 NHK Trophy | 1 | 76.56 | 1 | 146.78 | 1 | 223.34 |
| Dec 22–26, 2021 | 2021–22 Japan Championships | 1 | 79.23 | 1 | 154.83 | 1 | 234.06 |
| Feb 4–7, 2022 | 2022 Winter Olympics (Team event) | – | – | 1 | 148.66 | 2 | – |
| Feb 15–17, 2022 | 2022 Winter Olympics | 2 | 79.84 | 3 | 153.29 | 3 | 233.13 |
| Mar 21–27, 2022 | 2022 World Championships | 1 | 80.32 | 1 | 155.77 | 1 | 236.09 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 16–19, 2022 | 2022 CS Lombardia Trophy | 1 | 72.93 | 2 | 132.40 | 2 | 205.33 |
| Oct 8, 2022 | 2022 Japan Open | – | – | 1 | 146.66 | 1 | – |
| Oct 21–23, 2022 | 2022 Skate America | 1 | 71.72 | 1 | 145.89 | 1 | 217.61 |
| Nov 17–20, 2022 | 2022 NHK Trophy | 2 | 68.07 | 1 | 133.80 | 2 | 201.87 |
| Dec 8–11, 2022 | 2022–23 Grand Prix Final | 1 | 75.86 | 6 | 116.70 | 5 | 192.56 |
| Dec 21–25, 2022 | 2022–23 Japan Championships | 1 | 77.79 | 1 | 155.26 | 1 | 233.05 |
| Jan 13–15, 2023 | 2023 Winter World University Games | 1 | 78.40 | 2 | 139.02 | 2 | 217.42 |
| Feb 23–26, 2023 |  2023 International Challenge Cup | 1 | 76.85 | 1 | 151.50 | 1 | 228.35 |
| Mar 20–26, 2023 | 2023 World Championships | 1 | 79.24 | 2 | 145.37 | 1 | 224.61 |
| Apr 13–16, 2023 | 2023 World Team Trophy | 2 | 72.69 | 2 | 145.75 | 3 (2) | 218.44 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 14–16, 2023 | 2023 CS Autumn Classic International | 1 | 75.62 | 1 | 127.58 | 1 | 203.20 |
| Oct 7, 2023 | 2023 Japan Open | – | – | 1 | 149.59 | 1 | – |
| October 27–29, 2023 | 2023 Skate Canada International | 1 | 75.13 | 1 | 151.00 | 1 | 226.13 |
| Nov 17–19, 2023 | 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo | 1 | 69.69 | 1 | 135.52 | 1 | 205.21 |
| Dec 7–10, 2023 | 2023–24 Grand Prix Final | 1 | 77.35 | 1 | 148.35 | 1 | 225.70 |
| Dec 20–24, 2023 | 2023–24 Japan Championships | 1 | 78.78 | 1 | 154.34 | 1 | 233.12 |
| Feb 22–25, 2024 | 2024 International Challenge Cup | 2 | 67.76 | 1 | 144.67 | 1 | 212.43 |
| Mar 18–24, 2024 | 2024 World Championships | 4 | 73.29 | 1 | 149.67 | 1 | 222.96 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 13–15, 2024 | 2024 CS Lombardia Trophy | 2 | 73.53 | 4 | 126.41 | 3 | 199.94 |
| Oct 25–27, 2024 | 2024 Skate Canada International | 1 | 74.97 | 2 | 126.24 | 1 | 201.21 |
| Nov 8–10, 2024 | 2024 NHK Trophy | 1 | 78.93 | 1 | 152.95 | 1 | 231.88 |
| Dec 5–8, 2024 | 2024–25 Grand Prix Final | 4 | 63.98 | 3 | 137.15 | 3 | 201.13 |
| Dec 19–22, 2024 | 2024–25 Japan Championships | 1 | 78.92 | 1 | 149.76 | 1 | 228.68 |
| Feb 11–13, 2025 | 2025 Asian Winter Games | 1 | 75.03 | 2 | 136.87 | 2 | 211.90 |
| Mar 25–30, 2025 | 2025 World Championships | 5 | 71.03 | 2 | 146.95 | 2 | 217.98 |
| Apr 17–20, 2025 | 2025 World Team Trophy | 2 | 75.54 | 3 | 145.00 | 2 (2) | 220.54 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 5–7, 2025 | 2025 CS Kinoshita Group Cup | 4 | 65.25 | 2 | 138.39 | 2 | 203.64 |
| Oct 17–19, 2025 | 2025 Grand Prix de France | 2 | 76.20 | 2 | 148.03 | 2 | 224.23 |
| Nov 7–9, 2025 | 2025 NHK Trophy | 1 | 77.05 | 1 | 150.13 | 1 | 227.18 |
| Dec 4–7, 2025 | 2025–26 Grand Prix Final | 5 | 69.40 | 1 | 149.40 | 3 | 218.80 |
| Dec 18–21, 2025 | 2025–26 Japan Championships | 1 | 79.43 | 1 | 154.93 | 1 | 234.36 |
| Feb 6–8, 2026 | 2026 Winter Olympics – Team event | 1 | 78.88 | 1 | 148.62 | 2 | - |
| Feb 17–19, 2026 | 2026 Winter Olympics | ||||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Nov 17–28, 2012 | 2012–13 Japan Junior Championships | 13 | 46.56 | 7 | 92.96 | 9 | 139.52 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Aug 8–11, 2013 |  2013 Asian Open Trophy | 1 | 53.20 | 1 | 102.28 | 1 | 155.48 |
| Oct 2–5, 2013 |  2013 JGP Czech Republic | 7 | 52.80 | 6 | 93.69 | 6 | 146.49 |
| Nov 22–24, 2013 | 2013–14 Japan Junior Championships | 8 | 47.14 | 4 | 101.64 | 6 | 148.78 |
| Dec 20–23, 2013 | 2013–14 Japan Senior Championships | 9 | 56.29 | 16 | 95.56 | 15 | 151.85 |
| Mar 14–16, 2014 | 2014 International Challenge Cup | 1 | 54.98 | 2 | 98.89 | 1 | 153.87 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 11–14, 2014 | 2014 JGP Japan | 6 | 52.70 | 7 | 93.46 | 7 | 146.16 |
| Nov 22–24, 2014 | 2014–15 Japan Junior Championships | 4 | 57.35 | 2 | 111.47 | 2 | 168.82 |
| Dec 26–28, 2014 | 2014–15 Japan Senior Championships | 7 | 57.81 | 6 | 109.65 | 6 | 167.46 |
| Mar 2–8, 2015 |  2015 World Junior Championships | 4 | 58.72 | 6 | 107.53 | 6 | 166.25 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Aug 2–5, 2015 | 2015 Asian Open Trophy (S) | 3 | 39.64 | 3 | 99.36 | 3 | 139.00 |
| Aug 26–30, 2015 |  2015 JGP Latvia | 3 | 58.75 | 2 | 112.20 | 2 | 170.95 |
| Sep 23–27, 2015 |  2015 JGP Poland | 3 | 56.89 | 4 | 101.55 | 4 | 158.44 |
| Nov 21–23, 2015 | 2015–16 Japan Junior Championships | 5 | 58.96 | 6 | 111.76 | 5 | 170.72 |
| Dec 24–27, 2015 | 2015–16 Japan Senior Championships | 17 | 53.90 | 12 | 111.60 | 13 | 165.50 |
| Feb 12–21, 2016 |  2016 Winter Youth Olympics | 5 | 56.25 | 6 | 98.98 | 6 | 155.23 |
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Aug 24–27, 2016 | 2016 JGP France | 2 | 64.12 | 2 | 114.74 | 2 | 178.86 |
| Sep 7–11, 2016 | 2016 JGP Japan | 1 | 65.66 | 2 | 122.15 | 1 | 187.81 |
| Nov 18–20, 2016 | 2016–17 Japan Junior Championships | 1 | 67.45 | 1 | 124.52 | 1 | 191.97 |
| Dec 8–11, 2016 | 2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final | 2 | 64.48 | 4 | 111.85 | 3 | 176.33 |
| Dec 22–25, 2016 | 2016–17 Japan Senior Championships | 6 | 63.36 | 9 | 120.64 | 7 | 184.00 |
| Mar 13–19, 2017 | 2017 World Junior Championships | 3 | 67.78 | 3 | 127.76 | 3 | 195.54 |
Media related toKaori Sakamoto at Wikimedia Commons
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