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- Jun 21, 2003
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Japan's Satoko Miyahara is known as one of the most musical and elegant skaters of her generation, particularly known for her beautiful layback spins. The 25-year-old participated in five World Championships, winning the silver medal in 2015 and the bronze in 2018. She is also the 2016 ISU Four Continents Champion and participated in 16 ISU Grand Prix events, while winning three of them. At the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang she just closely missed a medal finishing forth.
In March 2022, Miyahara announced her retirement from competitive skating. The skater has participated in many shows all over the globe ever since. She was a consistent member of Stars on Ice in North America and Japan during the last two years. Additionally, Miyahara had arrangements with Art on Ice in Switzerland as well as numerous shows at home in Japan. Some of the many exhibition numbers she performed during these shows were choreographed by the skater herself.
We caught up with the skater in Champéry, Switzerland, where she joined Stéphane Lambiel's summer camp as a guest skater. She explains how her deep friendship with Lambiel's team developed and reveals how she got the idea to copy one of the double-world champion's most iconic programs ("Don't Stop the Music") as a homage, which she performed at Fantasy on Ice.
Miyahara explains how she came to choose the moment for herself to retire and how her life has changed since then. She reveals which tour was the "best time of her life" and explains why it is easier for her to build friendships and connections with other skaters after retirement.
Miyahara's long-time future still seems wide open at the moment, but she reveals several thoughts she has for herself moving forward in this interview.
The two-time World medalist is currently in the line-up for Team Japan for the Japan Open that will take place Oct 7, 2023, in Saitama.
"I am super happy to participate in the Japan Open and curious on how it will feel to compete in a competition situation again," said Miyahara shortly after the interview. "I will need to work a lot, but I will do my best to contribute to my team. I want to skate freely, appreciate the moment and enjoy skating in front of a big audience in my home country."
"I will still keep my program a secret, but Stéphane Lambiel choreographed it during my stay in Champéry," she added. "The music is one of our favorite pieces of music we wanted to use for skating, so we agreed on it right away. The choreography went well and now we are working on details. I want to create the sensation of love and dedication inside this program and bring this feeling to the people who watch my skating."
Satoko Miyahara lives out dream in Champéry
Japan's Satoko Miyahara is known as one of the most musical and elegant skaters of her generation, particularly known for her beautiful layback spins. The 25...
youtu.be
I can't wait to see the Lambiel collaboration at the Japan Open.
... but also SO excited to see her new program for Japan Open 
Satoko!
Such a great interview. I miss her skating. All the best to her.
