Kaori Sakamoto Aims for Gold in Final Olympic Skate

After three world championships and two Olympic silver medals, 25-year-old Kaori Sakamoto is skating for the one prize that has eluded her: individual Olympic gold.

The Kobe native delivered an emotional performance to Edith Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien" (No Regrets) in Milan's team competition, outscoring all women skaters despite a few jump errors. Japan earned silver while Team USA took gold, but Sakamoto's focus remains fixed on the individual competition starting February 17.

"Seeing that I scored No. 1 in the women's category was a big deal, and I felt really emotional," Sakamoto told reporters after Sunday's performance. She helped push Japan to the top of the standings before the final results, calling every teammate's effort a gold medal performance regardless of the medal color.

The women's short program begins February 17, with the free skate finale two days later. Sakamoto will face world champion Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn of Team USA, both of whom she outperformed in Milan's team event.

This Olympics marks Sakamoto's final competition before retirement. Her career includes three world titles, an Olympic bronze from Beijing 2022, and now two team silvers, but individual Olympic gold remains the missing piece.

Why This Inspires

Teammate Masaya Morita captured what makes Sakamoto special beyond her medal count. "She's great when it comes to building up the atmosphere of Team Japan," the ice dancer said. "She's always at the center of the team, encouraging everyone."

Her choice to skate to "No Regrets" carries deep meaning as she closes this chapter. Even with small mistakes in Milan, Sakamoto topped the women's field, showing she's peaking at exactly the right moment.

"I don't want her to retire, but this is a decision that she made, so all we can do is to celebrate her final performance with her," Morita added.

Whether Sakamoto claims gold or not, her impact on figure skating and Team Japan will resonate long after she takes her final bow.