Olympic Skater Kaori Sakamoto Eyes One Last Gold in Italy

Olympic figure skating champion Kaori Sakamoto is trading her competitive edge for excitement about the simple pleasures waiting after one final shot at gold.

At a send-off event in her home arena in Kobe last week, the Japanese skating star showed two sides of her journey. She joked about her heavy Omega watch and shared genuine excitement about leaving her skates at home once she retires. But just an hour earlier, she had pushed through an intense practice session that showed why she's a world champion.

Coaches Sonoko Nakano and Mitsuko Graham put Sakamoto through a rigorous hourlong training session, keeping things strictly business despite the crowd of reporters and cameras. The contrast between the relaxed athlete at the podium and the focused competitor on the ice revealed the dedication required at this level.

With the Milano Cortina Olympics just weeks away, Sakamoto is preparing for what she's calling her final competitive chapter. Her journey represents years of early mornings, countless hours on the ice, and the discipline to keep pushing when retirement's comforts are so close.

Why This Inspires

Sakamoto's story captures something special about Olympic athletes. She's not pretending the grind is easy or that she doesn't dream about life after competition. Her honesty about looking forward to simple freedoms makes her pursuit of one last gold medal even more meaningful.

The support from her longtime coaches shows the power of relationships built over years of shared goals. They're pushing her hardest right when the finish line is in sight, because they know she has one more peak performance in her.

Sakamoto's ability to stay motivated while openly planning her next chapter proves that endings can fuel beginnings. She's chasing excellence while already celebrating the freedom that awaits, showing that you can honor both the journey and the destination.

Japan will be watching as their champion takes the ice in Italy, knowing she's giving everything for one final performance before trading competition pressure for the joy of leaving her skates behind.