Here's the Sota article from last week, google-translated. Part 1 - about his post-injury comeback:
In the 2023-2024 season, Sota Yamamoto won Skate Canada. It was his first memorable victory in a Grand Prix series competition.
After the match, he said:
"I was injured, so I didn't think I'd be able to come back this far."
Yamamoto had previously suffered a serious injury and made a comeback after a break.
In March 2016, he broke his right ankle. In July, he appeared in "Dream on Ice" and seemed to be recovering well, but at the end of July, he suffered a stress fracture in the inner ankle of his right foot. At the end of October, he injured the same area again and underwent three surgeries. It was not an easy situation, but he returned to the Chubu Championships in September 2017. All of his jumps were restarted from a single rotation. Yamamoto looks back on that time.
"When I was injured, I thought I would rehabilitate and come back, but it recurred, and after that, it didn't heal easily, and even after taking MRIs for several months, the bone didn't form at all, and I spent my days without any change in the situation. I didn't want to think about it, but at the time I thought about retiring or getting a job."
The first fracture of his right ankle was just before he left for the World Junior Championships. The previous year, he placed third in the same championships, and had been on the podium at the Junior Grand Prix Final for two consecutive years, making him a promising young skater. This happened during that time. It's no wonder he fell into a negative state of mind. Yamamoto also says.
"Of course there were times like that. After my first injury, it recurred two or three times, and I had to have surgery, and it was very painful. There were times when I wanted to be alone again, and there were times when I became a little different from who I was before."
Even so, he didn't give up, and he continued to face skating, and he is where he is now.
There are still three bolts in his right ankle.
"When I practice more, I get more sprains. I land all my jumps on my right foot, and the bolt is in my right ankle, which is the part that takes the most strain. When I land, if I practice more, I get more fatigue and I end up twisting it when I come down. If I make more mistakes, I'll get a sprain first, and if I practice in that loose position, it's going to take a lot of strain. I still feel the impact, so sprains like that are pretty scary. When I got injured, it was because of the twisting movement and the impact. I'm being very careful about that movement, and I'm not just practicing more on the ice, I'm also doing more training to strengthen the muscles around."
On the other hand, I've heard people express surprise at the amount of practice Yamamoto has been doing for the past two seasons.
"It's true for all athletes, and in all sports, but I think it's a world where you really have to be on your toes with every single one. But if you want to get results, the amount of practice is important too. I've had many different seasons since my return, and I'm finally starting to understand what kind of practice and how much I need. So, that means the amount of practice will increase."
Even if you're working to build a body that can withstand it, there are still risks involved.
"Of course, it's scary. When and how will I get injured? But I'm also prepared every day that no matter what happens, I won't have any regrets. I don't know what the future holds, but I think I'm training and practicing in a way that I won't regret no matter what happens."
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I don't know who I'll cheer for in men once they're gone as no other male skater currently active has made me as invested as these two. 
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