Sota Yamamoto | Page 36 | Golden Skate

Sota Yamamoto

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
It is already January 10 in Japan, whih means Sota has turned 20. Happy Birthday to Sota! :yay: I wish him a fruitful and happiness-filled year. May he have his 'kanpekina engi' - the flawlessly skated programs he dreams of, and good scores to go with them, to establish himself firmly among the world's elite skaters where he belongs.
The blogger/youtuber Shenlong has created a short video to celebrate Sota's birthday, so I'll share it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG447YpqQm4
 

KiraraChin

Medalist
Joined
May 5, 2018
It is already January 10 in Japan, whih means Sota has turned 20. Happy Birthday to Sota! :yay: I wish him a fruitful and happiness-filled year. May he have his 'kanpekina engi' - the flawlessly skated programs he dreams of, and good scores to go with them, to establish himself firmly among the world's elite skaters where he belongs.
The blogger/youtuber Shenlong has created a short video to celebrate Sota's birthday, so I'll share it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG447YpqQm4

Happy Birthday, Sota! :cheer:
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
is it my sleep deprived brain, or did I just see a tweet saying So-chan and Kzuki would be going to Coupe du Printemps? Maybe it's just wishful thinking but I'd love for it to be true. I've longed to see both Kazuki and Sota at the same comp for quite a while...
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
A rumour reached me tonight that Sota may not be on the Howa team anymore and might have switched coaches. I loved watching his interactions with his coaches so I would be gutted if it was true. Not to mention it would put a question mark on his participation at Coupe du Printemps. I'm very anxious now. :[
 

KiraraChin

Medalist
Joined
May 5, 2018
A rumour reached me tonight that Sota may not be on the Howa team anymore and might have switched coaches. I loved watching his interactions with his coaches so I would be gutted if it was true. Not to mention it would put a question mark on his participation at Coupe du Printemps. I'm very anxious now. :[

WHAT :eeking:
Who would be the new coach(es)?
Aaaahhh I also hope this is not true :drama:
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
WHAT :eeking:
Who would be the new coach(es)?
Aaaahhh I also hope this is not true :drama:

No idea. One blogger says she wants him to go to Cricket Club, but I can't see that happening. He doesn't speak English much and TCC must be very expensive. Stephane must be swamped now, and I cannot imagine Kazuki's or Mitsuki's coaches would want him, as he's a direct rival to their own top skaters. I don't want Sota anywhere near Hamada either, I am very distrustful of that coaching duo and their methods although I really like Rika K. I don't much care for most programs Keiji has been getting, and for what I've seen of him practicing at midnight in a video once... I don't want that environment for Sota either, no matter how much prestige they have. Shoma's old coach Machiko maybe? But really, I don't want that rumour to be true, I like the Howa team so much :((
 

cornception

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
No idea. One blogger says she wants him to go to Cricket Club, but I can't see that happening. He doesn't speak English much and TCC must be very expensive. Stephane must be swamped now, and I cannot imagine Kazuki's or Mitsuki's coaches would want him, as he's a direct rival to their own top skaters. I don't want Sota anywhere near Hamada either, I am very distrustful of that coaching duo and their methods although I really like Rika K. I don't much care for most programs Keiji has been getting, and for what I've seen of him practicing at midnight in a video once... I don't want that environment for Sota either, no matter how much prestige they have. Shoma's old coach Machiko maybe? But really, I don't want that rumour to be true, I like the Howa team so much :((

I'm sorry to be rude but here's the thing :):

1. TCC is probably the best place for him to train if overseas, especially because they have Ghislain. They can help him fix his ugly axel and improve other jumps, there's no better jump coach he can go to if he wants to stabilize his jumps and up his BV. Yes, language can be a barrier but Yuzu went there when he wasn't even fluent in English.
2. Stephane - NOPE. Stephane CAN'T COACH.
3. Kazuki's coach - NOPE, don't want Sota to have even worse jump.
4. Mitsuki's coach - His old coach, but I don't think he can help much.
5. Hamada - The best for him to train in Japan, she has access to Ghislain(Jumps) and Tom Dickson(Pcs wise). She is doing great work with many of her students and they're growing to be some of the most complete skaters in this field capable of handling complex programs. Plus point, Sota has the mentality to improve, which goes well with how her team works.
6. Yamada - Are you serious? Many of her skaters are injured this season(Rino, Mako, Rin) and Mako still skates the same way as she did as a Novice, they don't even try to improve her PCS department. Shoma had pretty much been stagnant with them for a long time up till he changed coach. That's not to say few of her skaters have good technique. (The only thing he can benefit from this team is INFLATION)
7. Howa - Howa has nice interaction with their skaters but they CAN'T coach. The only reason why Sota is improving is because of himself. Sota switching from his old coach to Howa was a good call back then, because for all Nagakubo's being sometimes too strict he was still a good coach. But after he retired? Yuhana lost her 3A and never got it back, she has so much potential to be a top lady but she isn't because they can't bother to work on her consistency or components. Compared to other Japanese ladies, even Tomoe, she is far behind in PCS. Same goes for Yuhana's sister Kinayu who despite still having a 3A can barely earn herself a JGP spot. Tatsuya has struggled to get a quad for over a season now. Meanwhile Mana, who couldn't even qualify for Junior Nats the last 2 seasons when she was with Howa, is now Junior Nats champion with a 3A. This is how much difference you can make when a talented skater out of Howa leaves them for a better coaching team and it's time for Sota to do that too.

So in conclusion, the best place for him to move is Hamada(Japan) or TCC(Overseas) for improvement. As a fan I really, really want to see him with a team that can polish his potential.. he is talented.
:)
 

Giu

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 13, 2019
Country
Italy
2. Stephane - NOPE. Stephane CAN'T COACH.

That is perhaps putting it in rather too simple terms, and provocative ones at that.
Furthermore, it is also inconsistent with what you state shortly thereafter: you claim that Shoma had been stagnant with Yamada team till he changed coach, well, I think you forgot that that coach you're referring to is actually Lambiel.
 

cornception

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
That is perhaps putting it in rather too simple terms, and provocative ones at that.
Furthermore, it is also inconsistent with what you state shortly thereafter: you claim that Shoma had been stagnant with Yamada team till he changed coach, well, I think you forgot that that coach you're referring to is actually Lambiel.

I respect him as a skater and choreographer, I can also agree that he works well with spins, but Deniss and Koshiro can do so much more than what they are doing now. Instead we see them struggling with jumps.

As for Shoma, I said he was stagnant until he left Yamada because after that he's basically had a very unfortunate first half of the season while coachless. Would you say he has made improvements with his jumps or has better elements or added transitions? What Stephane gave him was someone to rely on after flying blind for half a year, there is barely anything from Shoma you can credit Stephane as of now.
 

Giu

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 13, 2019
Country
Italy
Would you say he has made improvements with his jumps or has better elements or added transitions?

Of course, not :) As for Shoma I still give credit to Fluffy and to Shoma's talent, but simply because it's too early now to evaluate what he is doing with Lambiel from the technical point of view; as you said yourself he only offered a safe nest until now.
Still, this doesn't mean that Stephane can't coach beacause coaching is not only about fixing jumps, we have jumping specialists for that, coaching is also teaching spins, step sequence, transitions, interpretation and, by no means least, coaching is also being someone your students can rely on when everything is falling apart. In this Stephane is second to none.

Moreover, Lambiel has not yet been able to show his full potential as a coach because, before Shoma, he never had top athletes unlike Orser or Aratunian... Yes, Koshiro and Deniss are struggling with jumps but I'm afraid they will struggle with jumps forever, they're both lovely and Deniss at the Euros was a real charmer but they're not really jumpers. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and I will be very very glad to be called wrong.

As for Sota, he's not only struggling with jumps but also with confidence, I feel for him because he is such a talent... This news, if true, is a bit of a shock for me even if I never followed him much. I'm sorry but I like coach dramas...and I think there are two skating teams that no one has mentioned yet:

1- Okajima and Sato: their are Wakaba's coaches and they have been doing a great job both with jumps and with recovery from a bad injury. This solution could be fine

2- Nakano and Graham: their training base should be Nishinomiya but I don't believe they have something to do with Keiji's coach
 

cornception

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
As for Sota, he's not only struggling with jumps but also with confidence, I feel for him because he is such a talent... This news, if true, is a bit of a shock for me even if I never followed him much. I'm sorry but I like coach dramas...and I think there are two skating teams that no one has mentioned yet:

1- Okajima and Sato: their are Wakaba's coaches and they have been doing a great job both with jumps and with recovery from a bad injury. This solution could be fine

2- Nakano and Graham: their training base should be Nishinomiya but I don't believe they have something to do with Keiji's coach

1. Okajima : I wouldn't say I agree 100% with their decision to let Wakaba compete with her stress fracture last year, nor do I agree with how they let their skaters attempt jumps they're far not ready for yet. Their team let a 13 years old Novice girl attempted 3A which she wasnt even ready and that shocked her when she failed to it and she couldn't focus the program and cry before she even finished her program.

2. Sonoko : A main problem with Nakano is that they don't have a rink where they can get the best ice time. Also, same problem as Okajima- I can't agree with how she lets her student go for a jump that's far from ready in an actual competition. Coaches should be there for counsel, it shouldn't simply be something up to the skater's decision when it concerns health and performance.

That being said, I stand with my point that Hamada is the best option for him in Japan, Hamada has private rink (Kandai) she can help him with jumps, most hamada students has good upper body movements, transition(which Sota doesnt have), multidirectional skating and complex program which I truly appreciate.
 

KiraraChin

Medalist
Joined
May 5, 2018
I'm really curious to see if this rumour is true and what Sota's going to do next.
I don't think he'd be going to TCC because they seem full, and they already have Yuzuru and they tend to avoid taking rival skaters from the same fed.
If Sota wants to go abroad, a good option would be Lee Barkell, who used to coach at TCC and now coaches at the Granite Club in Toronto. He coaches Gabby Daleman, Satoko Miyahara and, more recently, took on Vincent Zhou.

I'm not knowledgeable enough about the Japanese coaches, but rest assured - Sota is definitely NOT going to train with Kazuki's coach Taijin Hiraike, because Hiraike-sensei is effectively not even coaching Kazuki any more. He's still part of Kazuki's coaching team and gives lots of emotional support (especially at competitions), but on a day-to-day basis Kazuki manages his own training and his own career, with remote guidance from Misha Ge. Unless Kazuki would be managing his own career and Sota's, which is an amusing thought, but very unlikely :laugh2:

Anyway, I can imagine Sota is frustrated with how the season has panned out for him, and maybe that's driving a desire for change. I do think his main issue this season was a management one - he upgraded his tech content too much, too soon and ended up burning out early in the season. We don't know if this was his own decision or his team's, but in any case I hope he thinks about it calmly and rationally, rather than being driven by emotion :pray:
 

Gabby30

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 8, 2019
Of course, not :) As for Shoma I still give credit to Fluffy and to Shoma's talent, but simply because it's too early now to evaluate what he is doing with Lambiel from the technical point of view; as you said yourself he only offered a safe nest until now.
Still, this doesn't mean that Stephane can't coach beacause coaching is not only about fixing jumps, we have jumping specialists for that, coaching is also teaching spins, step sequence, transitions, interpretation and, by no means least, coaching is also being someone your students can rely on when everything is falling apart. In this Stephane is second to none.

Moreover, Lambiel has not yet been able to show his full potential as a coach because, before Shoma, he never had top athletes unlike Orser or Aratunian... Yes, Koshiro and Deniss are struggling with jumps but I'm afraid they will struggle with jumps forever, they're both lovely and Deniss at the Euros was a real charmer but they're not really jumpers. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and I will be very very glad to be called wrong.

As for Sota, he's not only struggling with jumps but also with confidence, I feel for him because he is such a talent... This news, if true, is a bit of a shock for me even if I never followed him much. I'm sorry but I like coach dramas...and I think there are two skating teams that no one has mentioned yet:

1- Okajima and Sato: their are Wakaba's coaches and they have been doing a great job both with jumps and with recovery from a bad injury. This solution could be fine

2- Nakano and Graham: their training base should be Nishinomiya but I don't believe they have something to do with Keiji's coach

Wrong. He is struggling with jumps BECAUSE of confidence. At the beginning of the season he was in grear form, his jumps were fine. At US classic, he landed his new jump 4S in combination and all 3 3A's like nothing. For some reason, things got worse when the season progressed. There's nothing wrong with his technique, even his 3A is, on a good day, one of the best scored in a competiton (look at the protocols).
I'm glad to hear about the possible coaching change, because his current coaching team can't do anything for him anymore. He won two medals this season because he is (still) a genius, not because of the coaches. He just need to figure out how to use his potentials.
 

cornception

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Wrong. He is struggling with jumps BECAUSE of confidence. At the beginning of the season he was in grear form, his jumps were fine. At US classic, he landed his new jump 4S in combination and all 3 3A's like nothing. For some reason, things got worse when the season progressed. There's nothing wrong with his technique, even his 3A is, on a good day, one of the best scored in a competiton (look at the protocols).
I'm glad to hear about the possible coaching change, because his current coaching team can't do anything for him anymore. He won two medals this season because he is (still) a genius, not because of the coaches. He just need to figure out how to use his potentials.


Uh.. his 3A is bad, while 3A looked slightly more consistent this season, the chances of him landing it and landing it well are still as good as throwing a dart and hoping it gets somewhere near the centre. He's been lucky to get decent GOE on it on some occasions, but if he doesn't fix it somewhat, there will always be GOE bullets he can never hit and that jump will always be a ticking bomb. There IS something wrong with his technique. You can't pretend his axel is amazing or that his lutz has a deep outside edge. https://www.isu.org/media-centre/press-releases/2018-8/18119-new-grade-of-execution-2018-final/file

Yup he is talented, I just want him to find a team that can help him use his potential.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
At least two Japanese bloggers now mention that Sota possibly left Howa, so the rumour is taking a more real shape now I'm afraid (saying so purely for myself as there are folks here who would prefer to see him in a different training environment)

1. TCC is probably the best place for him to train if overseas, especially because they have Ghislain. They can help him fix his ugly axel and improve other jumps, there's no better jump coach he can go to if he wants to stabilize his jumps and up his BV. Yes, language can be a barrier but Yuzu went there when he wasn't even fluent in English.

6. Yamada - Are you serious? Many of her skaters are injured this season(Rino, Mako, Rin) [...]

7. Howa - Howa has nice interaction with their skaters but they CAN'T coach. The only reason why Sota is improving is because of himself. Sota switching from his old coach to Howa was a good call back then, because for all Nagakubo's being sometimes too strict he was still a good coach. But after he retired? Yuhana lost her 3A and never got it back, she has so much potential to be a top lady but she isn't because they can't bother to work on her consistency or components. Compared to other Japanese ladies, even Tomoe, she is far behind in PCS. Same goes for Yuhana's sister Kinayu who despite still having a 3A can barely earn herself a JGP spot. Tatsuya has struggled to get a quad for over a season now. Meanwhile Mana, who couldn't even qualify for Junior Nats the last 2 seasons when she was with Howa, is now Junior Nats champion with a 3A. This is how much difference you can make when a talented skater out of Howa leaves them for a better coaching team and it's time for Sota to do that too.

re. 1 - I don't agree that Brian is the answer to any random skater's problems. Has he stabilized Jason's 3A and does Jason have a reliable quad? NHK 2019 is a telling answer. He relies on PCS and easier jump content, because he can afford to. Sota cannot. Yuzuru and Javi are/were all-time wonders. What magic has Brian's center worked for the ladies? Tursynbaeva is/was getting her best results under Eteri, Helgesson kept finishing low, Daleman only shone for about two seasons before illnesses and mental issues got to her. Medvedeva is doing well, but she was already an accomplished skater when she came to TCC. Wasn't Nam at TCC for some time? I think I vaguely recall he was, and it didn't work out. What about that Canadian guy, I forgot his name (Orzel? Nadeau?), who went for quads this season and still finished low, despite being Brian's student?
English-wise, Sota and Yuzuru aren't comparable. Sota is a shy and quiet guy, he would have issues actively coming out of his shell and speaking to people and learning that way. Yuzuru is extroverted and well-spoken, so English would come more easily to him.

re. 6 - of course not :) I am a European fan who can't read Japanese much and doesn't have much access or insight into the details of Japanese skating. I work with what I can glean from skating forums, and often even keeping up with those is a time-consuming task. I am simply idly wondering where Sota might turn to for guidance.
Re. Rin, I believe she had her best performance in a long while at Nats, under Yamada. Last year she WD due to injury, now she skated really well and then retired. Performance-wise, she was one of the most striking Nats ladies for me this season.

re. 7 - I don't see Sota's lady coaches in such dark light. We don't know what caused Yuhana to lose her 3A, do we? It could have been injury, or it could have been puberty/growth. Anyway, while I disagree that Sota's 3A is 'ugly', there's something off about this jump for the entire Team Howa. But is it really the fault of the lady coaches? Nagakubo sensei was a good coach, but it was under his tutelage that Sota got his double injury, and his quads were much less stable than they are today. Whatever you think of the Naruse/Kawaume tandem, they managed to keep Sota injury free for three seasons now (or at least with no major injury that would prevent him from competing) Ryuju has issues with quads and 3A and often splats on them, but he's had those even back then under Nagakubo. Rika Hongo started getting UR calls while still with him, and only lasted in top form during her 'Carmen' season. We can hardly speak of Tatsuya's season when he wasn't able to compete for a part of it due to an injury. All in all, Howa seems to be a center with a great and nurturing environment, I just wish they find a jump coach soon. And even that would not be a guarantee when it comes to Sota and 3A because of his long-time apprehension of the jump, doubled by the fact that it caused his injury.

As for Sota, he's not only struggling with jumps but also with confidence, I feel for him because he is such a talent...

Thank you, it's reassuring to know there are people who appreciate Sota and care for his wellbeing beyond his small fanbase. :thanks:

Anyway, I can imagine Sota is frustrated with how the season has panned out for him, and maybe that's driving a desire for change. I do think his main issue this season was a management one - he upgraded his tech content too much, too soon and ended up burning out early in the season. We don't know if this was his own decision or his team's, but in any case I hope he thinks about it calmly and rationally, rather than being driven by emotion :pray:

I think he would have discussed this with many people, he's cautious like that from what I've heard of him. Now is a good time to make a change because it would otherwise be too close to the Olympics, and he probably feels this is his best shot at them. With Kazuki and Keiji and the two prodigies, Kagiyama and Sato, all ahead of him, plus Koshiro at his heels, he's probably feeling a bit desperate. OTOH, he's always been a nervous type of skater so I am not sure to what extent his issues can be fixed. Fingers crossed.

But how about Nobunari Oda as a coach? Or Nanami Abe, Yuzuru's former coach?

Supposing Oda makes a good jump coach and is a mastermind at getting levels, I'd love for him to come to Howa and create a great coaching trio again. Then Sota could have the comfort of a warm environment with the lady coaches who have known him ever since he was little and who obviously love him, and yet he could have a stricter male supervision and tech expertise. But, we don't know where Nobunari stands in the eyes of the Federation now, after he's announced his plan to sue Hamada. There's been silence since that announcement in December, and that is not a good sign for Nobu I'm afraid. It looks like he's been silenced or intimidated, and that doesn't bode well for his coaching future and the PCS of his students as that's a subjective category. Word has it that Hamada's arm is long, and much is determined by domestic Japanese competitions, Nationals especially.

And for that reason precisely, I don't want Sota anywhere near Hamada, no matter her clout and overall prowess of her students. I don't trust her and her sidekick, and am inclined to believe Nobunari's story. I don't like the rumors about Hamada's bullying methods either, and if there's a grain of truth in them, I think her and Sota's proud personality would be a bad bad match. He wouldn't stay there for long no matter how much he wants results.
 

cornception

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
re. 1 - I don't agree that Brian is the answer to any random skater's problems. Has he stabilized Jason's 3A and does Jason have a reliable quad? NHK 2019 is a telling answer. He relies on PCS and easier jump content, because he can afford to. Sota cannot. Yuzuru and Javi are/were all-time wonders. What magic has Brian's center worked for the ladies? Tursynbaeva is/was getting her best results under Eteri, Helgesson kept finishing low, Daleman only shone for about two seasons before illnesses and mental issues got to her. Medvedeva is doing well, but she was already an accomplished skater when she came to TCC. Wasn't Nam at TCC for some time? I think I vaguely recall he was, and it didn't work out. What about that Canadian guy, I forgot his name (Orzel? Nadeau?), who went for quads this season and still finished low, despite being Brian's student?

1. I said Ghislain? Ghislain is undeniably the best jump coach out there. I don't think TCC is just about Brian Orser, they do good work because they have a complete and competent team including Ghislain, Tracy and choreographers like Jeff. TCC has its flaws and isn't a magical fix for anyone, but neither is any other coach.

On their work with men: Jason's 3A is far more stable and has far better air position than Sota's. He is not a jumper type, so I don't think he would rotate the quad, but he is good with other aspects I would say, and I certainly wouldn't call him unstable under TCC coaching considering NHK was the only competition he was off podium this season and he just took the 4CC silver. Junhwan has also been steadily progressing and had a brilliant season last year. He had been struggling earlier this season due to boot problems, but his SS, TR and PE are quickly becoming some of the best in the field. As for Nam, his problems were more growth spurt than anything, and did he not win Nats at age 16 and JWC when he was still with TCC?

With ladies: Tursynbaeva may have gotten some of her best results under Eteri, but just one season later she has a serious back injury from training and no one knows if she will ever skate again. Gabby Daleman, for the most part, was coached by Lee Barkell instead of the other coaches. I think you also forget THE YUNA KIM, who TCC coached to World and Olympic titles, and more recently Ekaterina Kurakova, who is already 2x Polish Nationals champion. Admittedly TCC does better work with men, but as Sota is not a lady I don't see the problem here.

I personally wouldn't judge how likely Sota is going to do well by the skaters you mentioned. They have their own strengths in various areas, but not Sota's all-rounded TALENT.

P/S: This is Sota and Jason's 3A air position. https://ibb.co/2sn6g67 If you don't think Sota's is ugly then I don't know what to say, also note that Jason did it with transitions and Sota telegraphed half of the rink.
 

cornception

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
re. 6 - of course not :) I am a European fan who can't read Japanese much and doesn't have much access or insight into the details of Japanese skating. I work with what I can glean from skating forums, and often even keeping up with those is a time-consuming task. I am simply idly wondering where Sota might turn to for guidance.
Re. Rin, I believe she had her best performance in a long while at Nats, under Yamada. Last year she WD due to injury, now she skated really well and then retired. Performance-wise, she was one of the most striking Nats ladies for me this season.

2. re:Rin, Yes she skated "clean", but it was not a happy retirement. She did not intend to retire immediately and still had competitions planned this season if not for a foot fracture in practice she announced right after Nats. https://twitter.com/rinrinrin0808/status/1213366818254901248?s=21
 
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