It was speculated to be her final dance – and it might be the free dance of her life. At the Olympic Games, Kaori Sakamoto cried tears of disappointment, however on the World Cup she cried tears of happiness. With world title quantity 4, an incredible lady says goodbye to minutes of applause.
The applause does not cease. With the final notice of the music “Non, je ne regrette rien” and Kaori Sakamoto’s final step on the ice, the viewers within the Prague sports activities enviornment rose from their seats. Minutes later it’s nonetheless standing and applauding. It is applause for a implausible freestyle by the 25-year-old Japanese and in addition a nod to an incredible profession that’s coming to an finish at this second on the World Championships.
She received World Championship gold thrice in a row from 2022 to 2024, that is her fourth title after being denied Olympic triumph. In Prague, nevertheless, she shone with two phenomenal packages, on the finish of which she first cheered after which let tears move. It was one huge get together that befell within the corridor within the minutes after her free skate – as a result of everybody knew: This was victory, a gold exit. And what a! 13,500 spectators celebrated them, many waving Japanese flags or holding up farewell posters, their coaches hugging one another.
When the factors lit up, the temper elevated once more: with 238.28 factors, Sakamoto improved her previous document by greater than two factors within the final competitors of her profession. She received effectively forward of her 20-year-old compatriot Mone Chiba (228.47) and the shock third place Nina Pinzarrone from Belgium (215.20). Olympic champion Alysa Liu canceled her begin in the beginning of the month.
“I’m very, very happy,” Sakamoto stated. “And I’m grateful that I was able to run here again. It’s great to end my career like this.” Bronze medalist Pinzarrone stated somewhat later: “We all almost cried when she was on the ice. It was emotional. And really special to see her one last time. Unbelievable what she can do and what she gave to the sport. We will all miss her.”
“I was struggling with my inner demons”
The Japanese has been shaping determine skating for years and has had a surprisingly lengthy profession on the prime degree for determine skating. She already took half within the 2018 Olympic Games and got here fifth. There have been additionally onerous occasions, as she as soon as reported. “I was struggling with my inner demons and almost gave up,” she as soon as stated. “It was very difficult for me to compete and train, but I did it.”
The solely factor lacking from finishing her profession is Olympic gold. In 2022 in Beijing she received bronze within the particular person and silver with the workforce, and two silver medals in Milan. In Italy she was nearly two factors wanting Liu, the 2025 world champion, who grew to become Olympic champion with 226.79 factors. The triumph with this dream freestyle in Prague is all of the extra emotional.
As was the case on the World Championships final 12 months, no athlete from the German Ice Skating Union (DEU) met the beginning necessities of the world affiliation ISU. Unlike Julia Sauter from Ravensburg, who has been competing for Romania for a few years. After ending nineteenth on the World Cup final 12 months and seventeenth on the Olympic Games in Milan, she now completed twenty second.
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