Sota Yamamoto | Page 105 | Golden Skate

Sota Yamamoto

surimi said:
Thank you so much for the translation
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You're welcome. Thank you so much for sending me the link to the podcast.

Last part of the translation:

21:40
Q: Some of the listeners may not have read the article on the website, but after observing Coach Tanaka, how do you think he sees Yamamoto Sota senshu?

Y: I think he has high expectations for him. Even with the earlier mention of the "messy jumps", I think the reason why Coach Tanaka is so strict is because he has high expectations. That makes the demands higher. He also mentioned that Yamamoto senshu's skating is beautiful. He said he likes his masculine skating, the epitome of masculinity. It seems like he really believes that Yamamoto senshu has a good chance at the Olympics. So it seems like the focus is on how well he can train in the off-season and how much he can improve his jumps.

Q: What do you think Yamamoto Sota senshu thinks about Coach Tanaka? What kind of presence does he think he has?

Y: Well, Coach Machiko Yamada is also part of the club, so there's a core group of three people - Coach Yamada, Coach Hongo and Coach Tanaka. Well, they are basically a team of three, and the three of them are in the center of the group. The presence of a male coach brings a different perspective, and I think that provides a new kind of stimulation for Yamamoto senshu. The approach to jump training is also different and provides a different perspective, which gives him a good learning experience.

Q: There was also a request from a reader on X asking for something that wasn't mentioned in the article - something interesting, maybe a story involving Coach Tanaka. Do you have any stories?

Y: I have a few. One of them is when I had a chance to talk to Yamamoto senshu after a practice session while Coach Tanaka was standing next to us. I asked Yamamoto senshu, "Isn't Coach Tanaka's coaching really strict?" Yamamoto senshu smiled and grinned, and when Coach Tanaka saw that, he said, "No, I'm actually very gentle, right?" Yamamoto senshu immediately replied, "He's very gentle!" It was funny because they were all laughing and having a good time. It was not really an old-school coach-student dynamic, but there was a little bit of a retro vibe between the two of them. That interaction was fun.
23:49

- End of translation -
 
surimi said:
my friend says Sota is bringing back Yesterday for the *third* freakin' time... yeah, I wish I could hear new program names. At least I can still hope for Kazuki's other program to be a new one, and one that's actually neither a warhorse, nor a slow pop song in English (Sota's got two like that, so my soul's dead today, sorry, and it'll take a while before my positivity index climbs back from sub-zero digits). :shrug:
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Bringing this discussion here. I hope Sota changes his mind re: Yesterday... Not only he repeated it already, but he has already performed it in big stages like GPF and Worlds. I understand wanting to go back to a programme that feels comfortable... But this would be too much :eek2:
 
Yeah, I'm still sulking over the IMO uninspired program choices, when there's so much splendid music out there that would suit Sota's spectacular skating much more. When you consider the perfect choices of his last junior years and first senior years - Poeta (and his senior Poeta gala), Tchaikovsky piano concert, Rachmaninov piano concert, Anthem, Jekyll & Hyde, Nobunaga, even Io Ci Saro and this year's free... so varied, and all of them suited him like a glove. Where have the musicals, Spanish themes and classics go? (boring clarinet Rachmaninov remake doesn't do it for me) Why keep picking slow pop songs in English, jazz, or weird tuneless Benoit stuff, when that music must be so very hard for him to skate to, and is rewarded only when he hits all his jumps? Such a pity.

I can understand Yesterday makes him feel good and he's comfortable with the program. And yet, he didn't have good skates at high-stress events with it - Nationals and WC. He skated it to perfection several times, but I don't know if he can copy the 101 points from Universiade, given his injury limitations, plus the judges current stinginess in giving Sota good marks for spins and steps. He might also be under bigger stress than previously, considering it's his last Olympic season, he's now one of the oldest competitive Japanese male skaters, every competition counts, and he likely won't have a Challenger due to his Nationals placement... can he hold it together at GP? :shrug:

I wish Sota the best anyways. I'm not a fan of these two programs for the new season, but I hope they fulfill their purpose, and Sota gets good results with them.

On a different note, check this out!
mem.unlim.team

山本草太オフィシャルメンバーシップ

応援を力に夢に向かってメンバーシップでは、僕のスケートの活動を支え応援してくださる皆様と、生配信を中心に 交流をしていきたいと考えています。日常生活やスケートに関する事、また何よりも、応援 してくださる皆様に直接感謝の気持ちを伝えたいです。
mem.unlim.team mem.unlim.team

[Premium Members Only] Information on Sota Yamamoto's Offline Meet-Up​

Thank you very much for your continued support of the Sota Yamamoto Official Membership.
It has been decided that the first Yamamoto Sota offline meet-up will be held on Saturday, May 24th!
We are offering a special opportunity for you to interact directly with Yamamoto.
We are currently preparing content that everyone will enjoy, so please look forward to it!
[Event Summary]

■ Date and Time

Saturday, May 24, 2025

Part 1: 12:00-14:00 (50 people)

Part 2: 16:00-18:00 (50 people)

*The event will be held in two parts.

■Participation Fee

8,500 yen (tax included)

*Drinks and snacks included

■ Location

MIXI, Inc.

〒150-6136

2-24-12 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Inside Scramble Square

*Details about the venue will be announced at a later date.

■ Application conditions

・Souta Yamamoto Official Membership Premium Members Only

・Applications are limited to one ticket (one person) per member.

***********

*cries in overseas* :cry: Oh, I wish I could be a fly on the wall at that meeting! It's touching he'd organize a meetup with his fans. My bet is on a lottery taking place as he's so popular.
 
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I can't believe it's been two months since the last update, and no Sota news in the meantime, if one doesn't count the Colantotte event in which Sota took part about two weeks ago, and his Unlim talkshows.
I guess this is what happens when you're 25, not exactly known as a great entertainer, and dare not bring any medals from GP or place in the top 8 at Nationals. Not even newspaper articles, aside from this one, which, unfortunately, is geo-blocked. Kudos to them for acknowledging Sota's popularity, and praising him for his interactions with fans! ... Sadly, for shows and the majority of the media, Sota ceased to exist for the time being - until he wins something again, I guess. Disappointing, ridiculous and very short-sighted, if you ask me. Too bad that when Daisuke's Kassouya show was going on, which he was invited to, Sota was getting choreography done in Canada.

Sota isn't expecting to get any Challengers next season, so I guess I'll save a lot of money, unless Kazuki goes somewhere close to where I am.
His popularity with fans remains high, though - just check out how many green Sota flags there are in this Colantotte event photo:


Those who support Sota on Unlim through Premium Membership and want to see him in person, will have an opportunity to meet him this Saturday. I hope it will be a smashing success and the show organisers will see what they're missing out on. If I'm not mistaken, the offline meeting team (Mixi) added one more day - I suppose because the first day was sold out quickly? (y)

Those who cannot attend the offline meeting will need to wait for the first local competitions. Sota plans to compete at Minato Cup in July, and I'm guessing it will be our first opportunity to learn what he's been up to, skating-wise.
I'd be lying if I said I'm looking forward to a 3-time repeat of Yesterday SP plus a warhorse FS, but any opportunity to see Sota, or even reports of Sota, is welcome, and I hope the music he picked will help him result-wise 🤞And it's not like the Olympic season in general is known for original music from the majority of skaters.

Sorry not to be able to offer any real updates - hopefully that means he's healthy and busy training. Here's at least a photo from the Hanami festivities for the time being:
 
surimi said:
Those who support Sota on Unlim through Premium Membership and want to see him in person, will have an opportunity to meet him this Saturday. I hope it will be a smashing success and the show organisers will see what they're missing out on. If I'm not mistaken, the offline meeting team (Mixi) added one more day - I suppose because the first day was sold out quickly? (y)
Click to expand...
This right here is the most important thing - it doesn't matter what the media say or don't say, the fans will always be there for him 🥹
 
surimi said:
I can't believe it's been two months since the last update, and no Sota news in the meantime, if one doesn't count the Colantotte event in which Sota took part about two weeks ago, and his Unlim talkshows.
I guess this is what happens when you're 25, not exactly known as a great entertainer, and dare not bring any medals from GP or place in the top 8 at Nationals. Not even newspaper articles, aside from this one, which, unfortunately, is geo-blocked. Kudos to them for acknowledging Sota's popularity, and praising him for his interactions with fans! ... Sadly, for shows and the majority of the media, Sota ceased to exist for the time being - until he wins something again, I guess. Disappointing, ridiculous and very short-sighted, if you ask me. Too bad that when Daisuke's Kassouya show was going on, which he was invited to, Sota was getting choreography done in Canada.
Click to expand...
How old is he now? Seems a lot mature than my memories before.
 
From a fan who attended Sota's fan event:

Apparently he and Koshiro went out to eat (Sota called it a "date") after the Colantotte event, and since Tomono had other plans and couldn't go, it was really cute of Sota to say that "I'm missing Kazuki."

Japanese men team:
 
Sota's offline meetup was a huge success on both days, I'm happy to report. There were many excited posts from Sota fans on Twitter. Maybe they'll repeat the event in a few months? :)
Here's his post, thanking his fans for coming (as you can see, there was a small costume exhibition, too!):


I'll be back tomorrow with more images to share. (Twitter picked today of all days to log me out, and I can't recall the password ATM, lol.)
 
Soo... finally remembered my Twitter password. There's a lot of fun content to choose from. :) Like this :


I like the type of merch they were selling! (y)Just imagining the faces of people on my bus if I pulled out a key fob like that and started fumbling with it ^ ^ Although they'd probably think he's an actor or JPop star 😁

The archived Unlim offline meeting footage is out (only available for paying members, so it's probably pointless to share the post), but I haven't seen it yet.

And this fan doesn't want to wash their towel that Sota was posing with:


It's really like he's a movie star! But my own banner-washing times are also over since September, when Sota signed it ^ ^
More interesting photos soon!
 
This account has a lot of beautiful Sota moments from the offline meeting. In this twoshot, he's performing a pose from Melting (topmost... waah, I want that FS back!) , his new FS, and from Yesterday:


Since some fans now appear to be sharing Yesterday as his three-peat SP for the new season, at least don't need to worry anymore about not mentioning it.

Sota's next Unlim meeting is on Tuesday:


Aww, I hoped it would be Monday as usual :cry: It overlaps with my dentist appointment, sadly, so I'll need to wait 24 hours for the archive.
 
Sota was interviewed by Chunichi Shinbun on May 29, and the interview should be available in a couple of months:


This is a really nice 1-minute compilation of Sota's offline meetup! I recommend checking it out to wonder at Sota's soccer skills, jumping skills and flexibility skills in video format ☺️
 
Sota is going to GP Finland, and to GP China. I'm glad he has two GP! It's going to be hard to even place below the podium in China. There are Shaidorov, Cha, Shun and Grassl, all of whom are loved by judges. I'm expecting him to end up 6th like two years ago, TBH; but at the same time, that was when Sota was a medal favorite, with a GPF chance. This will not be the case this year. Perhaps he'll do a better job as an underdog, and will surprise everyone, just like in 2022. 🤞 He has a much better podium chance in Finland, with Yuma and Fa as the main favorites, but the rest of the field could be beaten if Sota goes mostly clean. Ma does have a 4CC bronze, though, which makes him a strong rival. Sota will have to work very hard for a GP medal this year, especially if he doesn't get a Challenger to boost his reputation before the GP series.
 
Here's one interview I haven't shared yet: a short Deep Edge article about Sota and Mako from the end of May.

Sota Yamamoto finishes choreography, "A good start" - to debut Olympic season routine at July competition​

On the 29th, figure skaters Sota Yamamoto and Mako Yamashita (both from Chukyo University) were interviewed by Kyodo News at Chukyo University in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. Yamamoto revealed that he will be doing a total of four quadruple jumps, including a flip, in his free program for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. He has already completed the choreography for both the short program and the free program, and intends to debut them at the Nagoya City Skating Competition Minato Akursu Cup, scheduled for July as the first competition of the season. "I think I've made a great start," he said, expressing his satisfaction.
Regarding the quadruple flip, which he struggled with during the preseason, he said with a bright expression, "I'm getting a grip on it. I feel like I'm gradually improving my level." "I want to fight this season with all my might, with the joy of competing for the Olympics (where I'll be selected for the national team for the first time) in my heart. Right now, I'm really looking forward to this challenge," he said with a fulfilled expression.

As one can imagine, I am not too happy about his decision to go for 4 quads in the FS. I think it's huge strain, and Sota is 25, and with a lingering injury. I wish he'd kept his layout simple and less prone to mistakes/deductions with just 3 quads. But he's decided to take the risk with this layout, so all I can do is keep my fingers crossed for him. 🤞

Minato Cup is confirmed as his first competition, and it's in less than a month, if I'm not mistaken. It's in Howa, and if photos and videos leak online, it'll make me sentimental to see him at his old rink, with his old coaches possibly around.
 
surimi said:
Here's one interview I haven't shared yet: a short Deep Edge article about Sota and Mako from the end of May.

Sota Yamamoto finishes choreography, "A good start" - to debut Olympic season routine at July competition​

On the 29th, figure skaters Sota Yamamoto and Mako Yamashita (both from Chukyo University) were interviewed by Kyodo News at Chukyo University in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. Yamamoto revealed that he will be doing a total of four quadruple jumps, including a flip, in his free program for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. He has already completed the choreography for both the short program and the free program, and intends to debut them at the Nagoya City Skating Competition Minato Akursu Cup, scheduled for July as the first competition of the season. "I think I've made a great start," he said, expressing his satisfaction.
Regarding the quadruple flip, which he struggled with during the preseason, he said with a bright expression, "I'm getting a grip on it. I feel like I'm gradually improving my level." "I want to fight this season with all my might, with the joy of competing for the Olympics (where I'll be selected for the national team for the first time) in my heart. Right now, I'm really looking forward to this challenge," he said with a fulfilled expression.

As one can imagine, I am not too happy about his decision to go for 4 quads in the FS. I think it's huge strain, and Sota is 25, and with a lingering injury. I wish he'd kept his layout simple and less prone to mistakes/deductions with just 3 quads. But he's decided to take the risk with this layout, so all I can do is keep my fingers crossed for him. 🤞

Minato Cup is confirmed as his first competition, and it's in less than a month, if I'm not mistaken. It's in Howa, and if photos and videos leak online, it'll make me sentimental to see him at his old rink, with his old coaches possibly around.
Click to expand...
Will he also jump two Triple Axels in his Free Skating? It's nearly (or more, depending on the skaters) as difficult as a Quadruple jump, and gets less publicised alas, at least with Men.
 
Well, last season he also said he would do 4 quads, and ended up reverting back to his old layout (which is already pretty difficult!). So, I hope he will be sensible and adjust his layout depending on his condition.

On a different note, I saw on his IG that he attended Shoma's ice show! Glad to know he's taking time to have some fun and support his friend.
 
KiraraChin said:
Well, last season he also said he would do 4 quads, and ended up reverting back to his old layout (which is already pretty difficult!). So, I hope he will be sensible and adjust his layout depending on his condition.

On a different note, I saw on his IG that he attended Shoma's ice show! Glad to know he's taking time to have some fun and support his friend.
Click to expand...
In general, skaters tend to have a simpler layout for less important competitions, it may help to establish better Component marks too, and they skate to the most "jumpy" layout only at European/Four Continents and World (potentially Olympic) championships. Alas, last season Sota Yamamoto could compete only at the University Games in the second half of the season, which isn't considered a "big championship".
 
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