Kaori Sakamoto

Kaori Sakamoto
Sakamoto in 2018
Personal information
Native name 坂本花織
Country represented Japan Japan
Born (2000-04-09) April 9, 2000
Kobe, Japan
Height 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
Coach Sonoko Nakano, Mitsuko Graham
Choreographer Benoît Richaud
Former choreographer Masahiro Kawagoe, Massimo Scali, Sonoko Nakano, Yukina Ota, Kenji Miyamoto
Skating club Sysmex Kobe
Training locations Hyōgo Prefecture
Began skating 2004
ISU personal best scores
Combined total 214.21
2018 Four Continents
Short program 73.18
2018 Winter Olympics
Free skate 142.87
2018 Four Continents
Medal record
Representing  Japan
Figure skating: Ladies' singles
Four Continents Championships
2018 TaipeiLadies’ Singles
World Junior Championships
2017 TaipeiLadies' singles
Junior Grand Prix Final
2016–17 MarseilleLadies' singles

Kaori Sakamoto (坂本花織, Sakamoto Kaori, born 9 April 2000) is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2018 Four Continents Champion, the 2017 Skate America silver medalist and 2017 Japanese national silver medalist. Earlier in her career, she won bronze at the 2017 World Junior Championships, bronze at the 2016–17 JGP Final, and gold at the 2016–17 Japan Junior Championships. She represented Japan at the 2018 Winter Olympics, placing 6th.

Career

Early years

Sakamoto began learning to skate in 2004.[1] She won the gold medal at the 2012–13 Japan Novice Championships and placed 9th at the Japan Junior Championships that same year.

2013–2014 season

During the 2013–2014 season, Sakamoto debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) circuit, placing 6th in Ostrava, Czech Republic. She finished 8th at the Japan Junior Championships.

2014–2015 season

Sakamoto started her season by finishing 7th at her JGP event in Aichi, Japan. She went on to win the Japanese national silver medal on the junior level before placing 6th on the senior level at the 2014–15 Japan Championships. Those results gave her a spot to compete at the 2015 World Junior Championships, where she placed 4th in the short program and 6th in the free skate to place 6th overall.

2015–2016 season

Sakamoto began her season by winning the silver medal at her JGP event in Riga, Latvia, and finishing 4th at her JGP event in Toruń, Poland. Due to a stress fracture in her right shinbone, she stayed off the ice in October and resumed skating without jumps in November.[2] At the Japanese Championships, she placed 5th competing in the junior event and 13th on the senior level. Sakamoto was selected to compete at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics. She placed 5th in the short program and 6th in the free skate to finish 6th overall.

2016–2017 season

Bronze medalist Sakamoto (right) with compatriot silver medalist Marin Honda at the 2017 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Sakamoto received medals at both of her 2016–17 JGP assignments – silver in France and gold in Japan[2] – and then won the Japanese junior title. In December, she took the bronze medal at the JGP Final in Marseille, France, and placed 7th competing on the senior level at the Japan Championships. She was assigned to replace the injured Satoko Miyahara at the 2017 Asian Winter Games but withdrew due to the flu.[3] She went on to win bronze at the 2017 World Junior Championships.

2017–2018 season

Sakamoto started her first senior season by competing in the 2017 Asian Figure Skating Trophy. She placed 1st in both the short program and free skate and won the competition. At the 2017 U.S Classic, Sakamoto placed 5th in the short program and 4th in the free skate to place 4th overall, behind compatriot and gold medalist Marin Honda. Making her senior Grand Prix debut, she finished 5th at the 2017 Rostelecom Cup after placing 4th in the short program and 5th in the free skate. At the 2017 Skate America, she scored new personal best scores for both segments of the competition; she placed 2nd in both the short program and free skate and won the silver medal overall behind teammate Satoko Miyahara.

At the 2017-18 Japan Figure Skating Championships, Sakamoto won the short program. In the free skate, she placed 4th and won the silver medal, her first senior national medal. Following the competition, the Japan Skating Federation named Sakamoto in Japan's team to the 2018 Winter Olympics, alongside Satoko Miyahara.[4] Sakamoto was named in Japan's team to the 2018 Four Continents Championships with Miyahara and training-mate Mai Mihara. She was also selected as the first alternate for the 2018 World Championships, behind Miyahara and Wakaba Higuchi.

At the 2018 Four Continents Championships, Sakamoto placed second in the short program with a new personal best score, behind teammate Satoko Miyahara. Sakamoto won the free skate with another personal best score, and won the championship, leading a Japanese sweep of the podium.

Sakamoto competed in the ladies' free skating portion of the Team Event at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She placed 5th individually, and 5th overall within Team Japan. In the ladies' singles competition, Sakamoto skated a new personal best short program and was 5th going into the free skate. In the free skate, Sakamoto made minor mistakes, but still was able to post the 6th highest free skating score of the event, and ended in 6th place overall.

Post-Olympics, Sakamoto is scheduled to skate at the 2018 Coupe du Printemps. In the short program, she placed 1st. 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 2nd in the segment. She ended the competition 2nd overall behind compatriot Mai Mihara.

Programs

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2018–2019
  • The Piano
    • The Embrace
    • The Scent of Love
    • Deep Into The Forest

by Michael Nyman

  • Tree of Life Suite: Wild Side

by Roberto Cacciapaglia
choreo. by Benoît Richaud
2017–2018
[5][6][1]

James Bond 007 medley[9]

2016–2017
[10]
2015–2016
[11]
  • The Color Purple
    by Quincy Jones
    choreo. by Massimo Scali
2014–2015
[12]
2013–2014
[13]

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[14]
Event 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19
Olympics6th
Four Continents1st
GP Rostelecom Cup5th
GP Skate America2ndTBD
GP FinlandTBD
CS U.S. Classic4th
CS Lombardia4th
Asian GamesWD
Asian Open3rd1st
Printemps2nd
International: Junior or novice[14][15]
Junior Worlds6th3rd
Youth Olympics6th
JGP Final3rd
JGP Czech Rep.6th
JGP France2nd
JGP Japan7th1st
JGP Latvia2nd
JGP Poland4th
Asian Open1st J
Challenge Cup1st J
Triglav Trophy2nd N
National[15][16]
Japan6th13th7th2nd
Japan Junior9th6th2nd5th1st
Japan Novice1st A
Team events
Olympics5th T
5th P
Japan OpenTBD
Levels: N = Novice; J = Junior; TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew
T = Team result; P = Personal result. Medals awarded for team result only.

Detailed results

Senior level

Sakamoto at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only. ISU Personal bests in bold.

2018–19 season
Date Event SP FS Total
September 12–16, 2018 2018 CS Lombardia Trophy 9
49.91		 2
130.94		 4
180.85
2017–18 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 16–18, 2018 2018 Coupe du Printemps 1
73.27		 2
129.29		 2
202.56
February 15–23, 2018 2018 Winter Olympics (ladies' singles) 5
73.18		 6
136.53		 6
209.71
February 9–12, 2018 2018 Winter Olympics (team event) - 5
131.91		 5P/5T
January 22–28, 2018 2018 Four Continents Championships 2
71.34		 1
142.87		 1
214.21
December 21–24, 2017 2017–18 Japan Championships 1
73.59		 4
139.92		 2
213.51
November 24–26, 2017 2017 Skate America 2
69.40		 2
141.19		 2
210.59
October 20–22, 2017 2017 Rostelecom Cup 4
68.88		 5
125.12		 5
194.00
September 13–17, 2017 2017 U.S. Classic 5
56.82		 4
112.30		 4
169.12
August 2–5, 2017 2017 Asian Trophy 1
63.70		 1
112.41		 1
176.11

Junior level

Sakamoto at the 2017 World Junior Championships.
Sakamoto at the 2015 World Junior Championships.

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships.

2016–17 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
March 13–19, 2017 2017 World Junior Championships Junior 3
67.78		 3
127.76		 3
195.54
December 22–25, 2016 2016–17 Japan Championships Senior 6
63.36		 9
120.64		 7
184.00
November 18–20, 2016 2016–17 Japan Junior Championships Junior 1
67.45		 1
124.52		 1
191.97
December 8–11, 2016 2016–17 JGP Final Junior 2
64.48		 4
111.85		 3
176.33
September 7–11, 2016 2016 JGP Japan Junior 1
65.66		 2
122.15		 1
187.81
August 24–27, 2016 2016 JGP France Junior 2
64.12		 2
114.74		 2
178.86
2015–16 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
February 12–21, 2016 2016 Youth Olympics Junior 5
56.25		 6
98.98		 6
155.23
December 24–27, 2015 2015–16 Japan Championships Senior 17
53.90		 12
111.60		 13
165.50
November 21–23, 2015 2015–16 Japan Junior Championships Junior 5
58.96		 6
111.76		 5
170.72
September 23–27, 2015 2015 JGP Poland Junior 3
56.89		 4
101.55		 4
158.44
August 26–30, 2015 2015 JGP Latvia Junior 3
58.75		 2
112.20		 2
170.95
August 2–5, 2015 2015 Asian Open Trophy Senior 3
39.64		 3
99.36		 3
139.00
2014–15 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
March 2–8, 2015 2015 World Junior Championships Junior 4
58.72		 6
107.53		 6
166.25
December 26–28, 2014 2014–15 Japan Championships Senior 7
57.81		 6
109.65		 6
167.46
November 22–24, 2014 2014–15 Japan Junior Championships Junior 4
57.35		 2
111.47		 2
168.82
September 11–14, 2014 2014 JGP Japan Junior 6
52.70		 7
93.46		 7
146.16
2013–14 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
March 14–16, 2014 2014 International Challenge Cup Junior 1
54.98		 2
98.89		 1
153.87
December 20–23, 2013 2013–14 Japan Championships Senior 9
56.29		 16
95.56		 15
151.85
November 22–24, 2013 2013–14 Japan Junior Championships Junior 8
47.14		 4
101.64		 6
148.78
October 2–5, 2013 2013 JGP Czech Republic Junior 7
52.80		 6
93.69		 6
146.49
August 8–11, 2013 2013 Asian Open Trophy Junior 1
53.20		 1
102.28		 1
155.48
2012–13 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
March 27–31, 2013 2013 Triglav Trophy Novice 2
37.64		 2
77.51		 2
115.15
November 17–28, 2012 2012–13 Japan Junior Championships Junior 13
46.56		 7
92.96		 9
139.52

References

  1. 1 2 "Kaori SAKAMOTO: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Xiong, Wei (October 18, 2016). "Kaori Sakamoto: "I need to work harder"". Golden Skate.
  3. ↑ "Sakamoto out of figure skating competition at Asian Winter Games with flu". Kyodo News. The Japan Times. February 22, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Kaori Sakamoto looking for further improvement ahead of Pyeongchang Games". Kyodo News. The Japan Times. December 25, 2017.
  5. ↑ 大橋, 護良 (June 27, 2017). "「トリプルアクセルを絶対に跳びたい」シニアデビュー控える１７歳・坂本花織". Yahoo Japan. スポーツナビ.
  6. ↑ "坂本花織、ＳＰ曲を変更　ジャンプ全て後半にするも、ミスが相次ぐ". Daily Sports, 神戸新聞. August 12, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "木下グループ presents スターズ・オン・アイス 2018 (Special)". TBS 2. 21 April 2018.
  8. ↑ THE Legends - Medal Winners Gala (Television production). TBS 1. March 30, 2018.
  9. ↑ ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Rostelecom Cup 2017 Exhibition (Television production). Match! Arena. October 22, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Kaori SAKAMOTO: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 24, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Kaori SAKAMOTO: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 28, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Kaori SAKAMOTO: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 21, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Kaori SAKAMOTO: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 22, 2014.
  14. 1 2 "Competition Results: Kaori SAKAMOTO". International Skating Union.
  15. 1 2 "Kaori Sakamoto". Tracings.net.
  16. ↑ "坂本 花織 / SAKAMOTO Kaori" (in Japanese). Japan Skating Federation. Archived from the original on March 7, 2015.

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