Japan took silver in the figure skating team event at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, but Kaori Sakamoto said the squad skated like champions as they piled up segment wins and kept the title fight alive to the end.
"Everybody has done a gold-medal performance,” said Sakamoto, a three-time world champion. “So it really doesn’t matter what color medal we get.”
It was Japan’s second silver in an Olympic team event. In Beijing four years ago, the team were initially awarded bronze before the medal ceremony was delayed after Russian Kamila Valieva tested positive for a banned substance. Japan were later moved up to silver when the final standings were confirmed in 2024.
Yuma Kagiyama ignited Japan’s title push when he topped the men’s short program with 108.67 points, outscoring Olympic favorite Ilia Malinin.
In the pairs, two-time world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara added another first-place finish, delighting fans waving Japanese flags around the arena.
Miura said their 155.55 points were far above what they had expected. “When we saw [the score]... we were overwhelmed with emotions,” she said. “We just wanted to really do well and do the best we can.”
Sakamoto then topped the women’s segment. “Seeing that I scored number one in the women’s category was a big deal, I felt really emotional,” the 25-year-old said.
The US started yesterday with a five-point lead over Japan but that quickly narrowed after the pairs and women’s programs, leaving the two teams level heading into the men’s free skate.
Shun Sato got the arena excited with the skate of his career, racking up 194.86 and keeping the crowd holding its breath – only to fall short of Malinin’s 200.03.
The US eventually won with 69 points, ahead of Japan’s 68 and Italy’s 60.
"Seeing Ilia perform really well, and seeing the whole mood of the crowd, I felt I just tugged on that positive mood and was able to do a really good performance after him,” Sato said.
REUTERS
