Sakamoto’s 2025 Grand Prix Final Revenge

She has three world titles, an Olympic bronze, and a résumé most skaters only dream of. Yet when Kaori Sakamoto talks about the Grand Prix Final, there’s still a sting in her voice.

“Every single Final I’ve done, something went wrong,” the 25-year-old Japanese star said after Thursday’s practice at IG Arena. “I’ve never left that event completely satisfied. This time I’m changing that story.”

This week’s ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya is Sakamoto’s fifth, and final, appearance. After announcing that the 2025-26 season will be her last, only three competitions remain on her calendar, and the first is the one she’s circled in red. Born in Kobe on April 9, 2000, Sakamoto burst onto the scene as a junior with a 2017 World Junior bronze, but her senior dominance truly ignited in 2022: Olympic team silver and individual bronze in Beijing, followed by three straight World golds (2022-2024). She added 2025 Worlds silver and her fourth NHK Trophy crown last month, where she posted a season-best 227.18 total—edging out rising stars like 17-year-old Ami Nakai, who stunned her with gold at Grand Prix de France.

Last year she took bronze and walked away angry. The year before she won gold. Now, with Japan sending four women to a six-skater final (Sakamoto, Chiba Mone, Watanabe Rinka, Nakai Ami) alongside Americans Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn, the pressure is brutal: Japan’s Olympic selection committee heavily favors the top two finishers here for the two guaranteed spots to Milano-Cortina 2026.

“I looked at the criteria,” Sakamoto said quietly. “Top two at the Final is basically a golden ticket. Four Japanese girls, two spots. Simple math.”

Unlike last season, when injuries and inconsistency haunted her—dropping her to fourth in the short program at Worlds despite a heroic free skate climb—Sakamoto says she’s healthy, sharp, and practicing better than ever. Her NHK free skate to Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” (a nod to mentor Akiko Suzuki’s Olympic farewell) earned 150.13 points, a world lead that lit a fire. “I don’t want to lose,” she joked post-NHK. “I’d like the next generation to wait just a few more months before taking over.”

“My body feels completely different from a year ago. Every day on the ice has been rewarding. I’m not fighting myself anymore,” she added in Nagoya, where official practices wrapped Wednesday. Her short program, a season-best 77.05 at NHK, features a triple Lutz-triple toe opener; the free demands precision across triples and spins she’s honed under coach Sōko Nakano.

2025 Grand Prix Final Schedule (JST)

• Thu 4 Dec: Official Practices (closed)
• Fri 5 Dec: Men SP 13:00 | Women SP 15:30 | Pairs SP 18:00 | Ice Dance RD 19:30
• Sat 6 Dec: Pairs FS 13:00 | Men FS 15:00 | Women FS 18:00
• Sun 7 Dec: Ice Dance FD 13:00 | Exhibition 16:00

Livestream on ISU channels, NBC/Peacock (U.S.), and local broadcasters worldwide.

Short program drops Friday. Free skate Saturday. For Japan’s reigning queen, it’s not just another medal—it’s the last chance to silence every “what if.” With rivals like Nakai (78.00 SP at France) and Glenn (defending champ) lurking, Sakamoto’s payback could echo into Olympic history.

“Last year left a bad taste,” she smiled. “This time I’m getting payback.”

Nagoya’s ice has never seen a more motivated Kaori Sakamoto.

Source: article on olympics.com, published December 3, 2025.

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By Vitalina Andrushchenko, Staff Writer