- Joined
- May 5, 2018
See the announcement I linked, it just came out. They said they will publish full comments later
Sota Yamamoto
- Thread starter surimi
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Yup, sounds like a done deal 
I was going through articles this morning where he says 'I may have to WD', but there's no point in risking his health. So now we know the reason why he skipped jumps in the official practice... Wishing him a speedy recovery. This is so sad for him, especially in the Olympic season. He really has had such bad luck in the Olympic seasons - broken ankle recovery, then a failed coaching switch when he couldn't practice as much as he needed and almost lost his jumps, and now this back pain 
I hope they diagnose and treat him well, and he gets well enough for the GP
I was going through articles this morning where he says 'I may have to WD', but there's no point in risking his health. So now we know the reason why he skipped jumps in the official practice... Wishing him a speedy recovery. This is so sad for him, especially in the Olympic season. He really has had such bad luck in the Olympic seasons - broken ankle recovery, then a failed coaching switch when he couldn't practice as much as he needed and almost lost his jumps, and now this back pain I hope they diagnose and treat him well, and he gets well enough for the GP
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
I've been out of the loop so I didn't know his injury had gotten worse again. It's so sad, but I can't help but remember that, at Kinoshita Trophy, he was warned that competing injured could affect the rest of the season and decided to proceed anyway.
Although it's hard to know if the situation would have been the same even if he had WD then. I imagine he must have been feeling so frustrated. Ugh! At least this time he had the sense to WD and prioritise the GP series. It's gonna be hard, but hopefully he'll be feeling a bit better by then
Although it's hard to know if the situation would have been the same even if he had WD then. I imagine he must have been feeling so frustrated. Ugh! At least this time he had the sense to WD and prioritise the GP series. It's gonna be hard, but hopefully he'll be feeling a bit better by then
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Yeah. This injury is so unfortunate not only because of the timing, but back injuries are notoriously tricky to heal... Kazuki had a back injury when he was 18, much younger than Sota now, and he had to take a couple of months completely off the ice in order to recover.It's not just you who was taken by surprise, Kirara. In his recent Unlim, Sota was speaking about how his back was healing nicely, and I thought he's on the mend at last. I hope we hear more in news reports.
That's why I was so anxious and upset when Sota decided to compete at Kinoshita Trophy despite the warnings. I felt like with the focus on jump training throughout the whole off-season, including 4F training, plus his decision to compete at Kinoshita, it was like he was taking a gamble with his health. I know that he said he's an adult and ready to take the responsibility, but still, I had a bad feeling about it. I hate that my gut feeling then proved to be right
ETA: article with full comments, but behind a pay wall: "Sota Yamamoto withdraws in disappointment as back pain worsens; vows to "devote all efforts to treatment" ahead of Grand Prix China Cup [CS Triareti Cup]
山本草太、腰痛悪化で失意の棄権 GP中国杯へ「全力で治療に専念」 【CSトリアレティ杯】 - フィギュアスケート専門情報サイトDeep Edge Plus 最新ニュース・充実のコラムをお届け
【トビリシ共同】9日開幕のフィギュアスケートのチャレンジャー・シリーズ（CS）トリアレティ杯に出場を予定していた男子の山本草太（MIXI）が9日、今季抱える腰痛が悪化したために棄権した。ジョージアのトビリシの試合会場で […]
deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp
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- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
A wee bit more information:
https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/news/126280/
Yamamoto made a difficult decision. He had received a painkiller injection before leaving Japan, but the long distance travel had made his back pain worse. With the GP approaching, where the race to represent Italy at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will get into full swing, he said, "I had no choice but to withdraw. It's a very difficult situation, and it's tough."
The rest is paid again. I hope the treatment works better this time, and that Sota can both rest fully and train slowly before his next competition. I know the GP series is important, but Nationals is even more important. I hope he won't hesitate to WD from one or both GP as well, if it meant a chance at having his back healed by December. Yes, it's the Olympic season and WS points would be lost, but you only have one health, Sota, and killing yourself on CS and GP circuit won't get you closer to the Olympic team. Now we can just wait and keep our fingers crossed for a speedy recovery 
If only Sota could upgrade to first class for the return journey to get an actual bed on his flight and avoid more strain on his back...
https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/news/126280/
Yamamoto made a difficult decision. He had received a painkiller injection before leaving Japan, but the long distance travel had made his back pain worse. With the GP approaching, where the race to represent Italy at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will get into full swing, he said, "I had no choice but to withdraw. It's a very difficult situation, and it's tough."
The rest is paid again. I hope the treatment works better this time, and that Sota can both rest fully and train slowly before his next competition. I know the GP series is important, but Nationals is even more important. I hope he won't hesitate to WD from one or both GP as well, if it meant a chance at having his back healed by December. Yes, it's the Olympic season and WS points would be lost, but you only have one health, Sota, and killing yourself on CS and GP circuit won't get you closer to the Olympic team. Now we can just wait and keep our fingers crossed for a speedy recovery
If only Sota could upgrade to first class for the return journey to get an actual bed on his flight and avoid more strain on his back...
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
I haven't been able to find any Sota news recently, but JSF published this interview on IG about an hour ago, so hopefully he's alright, and in a competitive shape even, perhaps?
The video doesn't really say anything about his physical shape if I'm not mistaken. And there's no way to tell when it was actually shot - I'd say in late September or later, judging by the absence of permed hair
. (definitely very late September at least - in his Sep 25 Unlim talkshow, he was still wearing super-long hair resembling 1960s hairstyles, but in this video, it's quite a bit shorter!) They ask about food, dealing with pressure, and what Sota does on a plane, but nothing injury-related.
I wish Sota the best, but won't believe fully until I see him practice in China and land some jumps. I'm not picky, it could be any triples. I just want Sota back on track health-wise
And if he happens not to be in a great condition next week, I hope he pulls a Mai and WD's last minute. Because what to do if one is injured and would be required to do sectionals if not China, right?
But I'll keep my that JSF sharing that video means that Sota is on the mend at last. That, and me finally having found a last week, which I hadn't been able to since the beginning of the year. I'll tentatively trust that these are good omens!
The video doesn't really say anything about his physical shape if I'm not mistaken. And there's no way to tell when it was actually shot - I'd say in late September or later, judging by the absence of permed hair
. (definitely very late September at least - in his Sep 25 Unlim talkshow, he was still wearing super-long hair resembling 1960s hairstyles, but in this video, it's quite a bit shorter!) They ask about food, dealing with pressure, and what Sota does on a plane, but nothing injury-related.I wish Sota the best, but won't believe fully until I see him practice in China and land some jumps. I'm not picky, it could be any triples. I just want Sota back on track health-wise
And if he happens not to be in a great condition next week, I hope he pulls a Mai and WD's last minute. Because what to do if one is injured and would be required to do sectionals if not China, right?
But I'll keep my
that JSF sharing that video means that Sota is on the mend at last. That, and me finally having found a last week, which I hadn't been able to since the beginning of the year. I'll tentatively trust that these are good omens!
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- Joined
- May 5, 2018
It seems Sota is in China and was able to resume his (quad) training. Hope he doesn't over do it
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Some good news at last:
www.nikkansports.com
Yamamoto developed back pain in September and withdrew from this month's international tournament, the Challenger Series (CS) Trialeti Cup, after arriving in the area. He spent a frustrating period away from the ice for about a week, but after careful care, "My back is improving. I'm happy that I was able to come here without my back condition worsening." He was pleased to be able to compete with confidence despite the limited amount of practice he had.
During practice that day, he landed a quadruple-triple toe loop combination and a quadruple salchow. He showed that he was doing well, but the composition of his performance is undecided, explaining, "Should I go for a 4-3, or a flip-toe as a single jump, or a 4-3 followed by a salchow? I want to calmly decide on my situation at the time." He said, "I want to enjoy myself and do my best to see how far I can go," and will give it his all while consulting with his body.
The men's short program (SP) will begin at 7 pm on the 24th (8 pm Japan time). The order of the Japanese skaters' runs is as follows:
＜10＞ Sota Yamamoto (MIXI) ※8:11 PM (9:11 PM Japan time)
<11> Shun Sato (Aim Service/Meiji University) *8:17 PM (9:17 PM)
********
I hope Sota doesn't rush his recovery, doesn't worsen the state of his back, and manages to snatch a placement that would give him WS points Good luck tomorrow in the SP!
********
In the meantime, here's Sota at the airport with the other team members:
*********
And one determined-looking Sota with a goal I really like ('He aims to recover from his injury'):
【フィギュア】山本草太「どこまでやれるか」腰痛に苦しむも、公式練習で４回転着氷／中国杯 - フィギュア : 日刊スポーツ
【重慶＝勝部晃多】23年世界選手権代表の山本草太（25＝MIXI）が、けがからの復調を示す。9月に腰痛を発症し、今月行われた国際大会、チャレンジャー・シリーズ… - 日刊スポーツ新聞社のニュースサイト、ニッカンスポーツ・コム（nikkansports.com）
www.nikkansports.com
Yamamoto Sota: "How far can I go?" Despite suffering from back pain, he lands a quadruple jump in official practice
Yamamoto Sota (25 = MIXI), who represented Japan at the 2023 World Championships, is showing signs of recovery from injury.Yamamoto developed back pain in September and withdrew from this month's international tournament, the Challenger Series (CS) Trialeti Cup, after arriving in the area. He spent a frustrating period away from the ice for about a week, but after careful care, "My back is improving. I'm happy that I was able to come here without my back condition worsening." He was pleased to be able to compete with confidence despite the limited amount of practice he had.
During practice that day, he landed a quadruple-triple toe loop combination and a quadruple salchow. He showed that he was doing well, but the composition of his performance is undecided, explaining, "Should I go for a 4-3, or a flip-toe as a single jump, or a 4-3 followed by a salchow? I want to calmly decide on my situation at the time." He said, "I want to enjoy myself and do my best to see how far I can go," and will give it his all while consulting with his body.
The men's short program (SP) will begin at 7 pm on the 24th (8 pm Japan time). The order of the Japanese skaters' runs is as follows:
＜10＞ Sota Yamamoto (MIXI) ※8:11 PM (9:11 PM Japan time)
<11> Shun Sato (Aim Service/Meiji University) *8:17 PM (9:17 PM)
********
I hope Sota doesn't rush his recovery, doesn't worsen the state of his back, and manages to snatch a placement that would give him WS points
Good luck tomorrow in the SP! ********
In the meantime, here's Sota at the airport with the other team members:
*********
And one determined-looking Sota with a goal I really like ('He aims to recover from his injury'):
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- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
wow, 4th place after the SP - way way better than I expected! 
Not gonna lie, I'm still way too anxious. His back as been more or less behaving so far, but how will it like the SP quads, and what shape will it be in tmorrow? I am worried that during the FS, Sota might come to regret giving it his all today - but what to do? He doesn't have a choice if he wants scores and competitions So sad, I wish he had competition opportunities like European skaters, and didn't have to rely on the GP for international assignments (though Europeans also have their share of issues, especially with certain federations, just look at the Latvian or Hungarian one...).
Fingers crossed for the back issues not to get worse, and for Sota to be well tomorrow!
From Nikkan:
Yamamoto Sota withdrew from the previous competition due to back pain, but is pleased with his fourth-place finish: "I think I did well."
Yamamoto Sota (25 = MIXI), who was suffering from back pain, started in 4th place with a convincing performance.
He included two quadruple jumps, a toe loop and a salchow, and scored 87.57 points. He placed second at the World Championships in March and was 0.76 points behind Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan), who placed third in the SP. After landing his final triple axel (three and a half rotations), he pumped his fist in celebration and commented, "It's the result of attacking to the max. I think I gave it 100% of what I could give, so I have no regrets about today and I think to myself, 'I did well.'"
In the previous Challenger Series (CS) Trialeti Cup, he withdrew after arriving at the venue. Despite the pain in his lower back, he has been working hard to prepare for the first GP of the season. Looking ahead to the free skate on the 25th, he vowed, "I want to make a full recovery and stay focused tomorrow."
*****
Knowing how Sota is, always downplaying his injuries, this translates into him being happy to have survived... His back must be killing him so fingers crossed for a full recovery before Nationals, or maybe even before Finlandia! I'm not expecting much tomorrow because the FS must be exhausting for him in this state. I would be happy with a 6th place TBH. We'll see how it goes. Good job so far, Sota!
Not gonna lie, I'm still way too anxious. His back as been more or less behaving so far, but how will it like the SP quads, and what shape will it be in tmorrow? I am worried that during the FS, Sota might come to regret giving it his all today - but what to do? He doesn't have a choice if he wants scores and competitions
So sad, I wish he had competition opportunities like European skaters, and didn't have to rely on the GP for international assignments (though Europeans also have their share of issues, especially with certain federations, just look at the Latvian or Hungarian one...).Fingers crossed for the back issues not to get worse, and for Sota to be well tomorrow!
From Nikkan:
Yamamoto Sota withdrew from the previous competition due to back pain, but is pleased with his fourth-place finish: "I think I did well."
Yamamoto Sota (25 = MIXI), who was suffering from back pain, started in 4th place with a convincing performance.
He included two quadruple jumps, a toe loop and a salchow, and scored 87.57 points. He placed second at the World Championships in March and was 0.76 points behind Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan), who placed third in the SP. After landing his final triple axel (three and a half rotations), he pumped his fist in celebration and commented, "It's the result of attacking to the max. I think I gave it 100% of what I could give, so I have no regrets about today and I think to myself, 'I did well.'"
In the previous Challenger Series (CS) Trialeti Cup, he withdrew after arriving at the venue. Despite the pain in his lower back, he has been working hard to prepare for the first GP of the season. Looking ahead to the free skate on the 25th, he vowed, "I want to make a full recovery and stay focused tomorrow."
*****
Knowing how Sota is, always downplaying his injuries, this translates into him being happy to have survived... His back must be killing him so fingers crossed for a full recovery before Nationals, or maybe even before Finlandia!
I'm not expecting much tomorrow because the FS must be exhausting for him in this state. I would be happy with a 6th place TBH. We'll see how it goes. Good job so far, Sota!
Thank you @surimi. I don't want to nitpick, but I'd like to clarify the above. It means:
He finished 0.76 points behind Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan), who placed second at the World Championships in March and third in the short program.
I'm sure everyone here knows that Sota did not take second at this year's WC. It's just a quirk of the machine translation. Just my two cents.
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- May 5, 2018
I was absolutely amazed at Sota's mental strength yesterday, skating a clean SP despite the injury and lack of training in the weeks prior. Whatever happens, he's already a winner in my books!
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Just gutted that Sota missed WS points by just one spot. 
Hopefully he can regain some strength before Finlandia. I'm sure he fought with all strength he had, but couldn't hold on, with the state he was in. Most likely, his placement also lost him a chance to earn some 
in the gala. Get well soon, Sota, and good luck next time!
How I wish he'd never tried to keep up with the quadsters at his age, and had left that 4F alone ... but hard not to try to up his TES, when quads now equals PCS, and Sota's PCS kept dropping as he got older.
Hopefully he can regain some strength before Finlandia. I'm sure he fought with all strength he had, but couldn't hold on, with the state he was in. Most likely, his placement also lost him a chance to earn some in the gala. Get well soon, Sota, and good luck next time! How I wish he'd never tried to keep up with the quadsters at his age, and had left that 4F alone ... but hard not to try to up his TES, when quads now equals PCS, and Sota's PCS kept dropping as he got older.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
From Mainichi (blue bold mine):
9th place finisher Sota Yamamoto: "I can't keep saying 'injury, injury' anymore" at the GP Cup of China
The men's free skating event of the second event of the figure skating Grand Prix (GP) series, the Cup of China, was held in Chongqing on the 25th, and Sota Yamamoto (MIXI), who placed 4th in the short program (SP), finished in 9th place with 124.10 points, for a total of 211.67 points.
Yamamoto has been suffering from back pain since the beginning of this season. Despite his disappointment, he spoke openly after his performance.
"Thank you for supporting me even when I was at rock bottom and in a difficult situation..."
Looking back on the performanceI really hadn't been able to practice for the free program... I think the effects of my lack of preparation just showed. I think I was meant to perform it, and I really have nothing to say. It was a pathetic performance, and there were parts halfway through that made me think, "Maybe this is it."
First of all, I want to practice until I can go into the match with confidence and certainty and think, "I can do it."
I think I haven't been practicing enough, and although I can get by in the SP because there are fewer elements, I think the effects of a lack of preparation will show in the free skate. Up until now I've been concentrating on treatment (for my back pain), so I'd like to practice a little more seriously.
When did I think, "Is this the limit?"
When I was looking up at the sky during the choreography (sequence), I had a moment of reflection thinking, "Is this really the end?"
But I have no right to think that way. I think the effects of not practicing have really shown, so first of all I want to do is practice to the best of my ability in preparation for the next tournament in Finland.
He also missed the triple Lutz and double Axel (two and a half rotation jump) combination.
The timing was off too... I don't think I would make such a mistake if I was doing it normally, but...
[the rest is paywalled]
********
I think he'd now benefit from getting together with his friends for words of support/advice, and getting his spirits up in the first place while continuing the back treatments. It's really unfortunate he cannot afford to take half a season off, given his age and this being the OG season.
He's been through some really dark times also in the previous Olympic season, so based on how that went, I'd say that as long as he's healthy, he's still fully capable of presenting some fabulous programs. The sad thing is, at his age and with his reputation, I don't think GoE and PCS will follow accordingly. That's a difference from 4 years ago. I do hope he doesn't let that prevent him from enjoying his upcoming seasons. But now the main thing is for him to be okay health-wise for Nationals.
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Oh, Sota... Seeing him bowing down his head in the K&C was heartbreaking
Watching his skate, I wonder if the ice condition was a factor too... The two 'missed' take-offs were in almost exactly the same spot. I also noticed during the ladies free skate, several ladies popped the loop in the same spot. So I think the combination of injury, lack of training and potentially patchy ice was too much for him.
In any case, as I said before, just turning up for this competition and delivering a clean short in these conditions was already a victory IMO. He now has three weeks to rest, continue his treatment and resume practice. I really hope he goes back to the lower difficult layout in order not to aggravate the injury and hopefully get some standings points in Finland
Watching his skate, I wonder if the ice condition was a factor too... The two 'missed' take-offs were in almost exactly the same spot. I also noticed during the ladies free skate, several ladies popped the loop in the same spot. So I think the combination of injury, lack of training and potentially patchy ice was too much for him.
In any case, as I said before, just turning up for this competition and delivering a clean short in these conditions was already a victory IMO. He now has three weeks to rest, continue his treatment and resume practice. I really hope he goes back to the lower difficult layout in order not to aggravate the injury and hopefully get some standings points in Finland
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
More Sota articles... they're not an easy read for me 
mainichi.jp
In bed I prayed, "I hope it's just a dream"
How are you feeling right now?
I was told that the night would be today, but when I woke up in the morning I was in despair, like I'd had a nightmare, and I spent the whole time in bed thinking, "I hope it's just a dream." To be honest, I didn't want to appear in front of people, and I thought this is what it means to want to crawl into a hole, but I think it was a performance that was meant to happen, and I really hadn't been able to practice, so I've just let it go and thought, "That was terrible, do your best next time," and I hope everyone will laugh.
How did you spend last night?
Hmm, I wonder how it was last night. So many people sent me encouraging messages and messages asking, "Is your back okay?" Of course, I also received a lot of messages from fans, and I spent the whole day in the same state of mind I mentioned earlier.
How many messages did you receive in total?
I only had a few dozen people on LINE. Well, actually, a lot more people than usual sent me LINE messages. I'm also on X (Twitter), so there's nothing to praise about my performance, which isn't what I had envisioned...
[the rest is paywalled]
********
topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp
He started the short program (SP) in 4th place, but in the free program on the previous day, the 25th, he placed 11th out of 12 skaters with 124.10 points. A lack of practice due to back pain affected him, and he only managed a total of 211.67 points. When he appeared at the venue this day, she revealed, "When I woke up this morning, I felt despair, like I'd had a nightmare, and I was lying in bed wishing it was just a dream."
There are three tickets available for the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February 2026. The selection races will continue until December. It's hopeless for the top six riders to advance to the finals (December, Nagoya), but the next race is the sixth round in Finland (November 21-23, Helsinki). Fortunately, he says there's no sign of the injury getting worse, and he encouraged himself by saying, "It's been about 80% treatment and 20% practice, but I'd like to gradually increase that to about 50/50. It's not a question of whether I try hard or not, but whether I can do it or not. I want to tell myself to 'enjoy it more.'"
*********
This is such a heartbreaking situation for him. He wants to practise more, but can't (and shouldn't), due to restrictions imposed by his doctors. That's how I read his words. But there are just 3 weeks until Finlandia, so my heart goes out to Sota.
If he rushes the training load increase, he risks having to WD like he did in Trialeti. And by Nationals, which is earlier this year than usual, he wouldn't be able to practice perhaps even up to the 20% he does now, and his season would be over for good. That risk is too high IMO, and I hope he doesn't pick this way.
OTOH, if he does what I think he should - follows the doctors' orders, and increases practice load very slowly - he risks having a similar result at Finlandia as he did in China, because the field is not great for skaters returning from injury. I'm not at all sure a mere half of his usual training load is enough to take down Fa, Rizzo, Gogolev, Yuma, Jason, Selevko, Sadovsky, Deniss... Okay, I *do* think that Sota's 'normal' training load equals overtraining, so I guess 3/4 of his usual load is enough to be highly competitive. But a half, well, I hope it's enough for a 8th place still, or that his doctors' recovery plan allows him to go past 50% training by Finlandia.
There is no easy way out of this, so hopefully Sota decides his health is paramount, and at least competes calmer in Finland, and may the skating gods finally relieve him of the bad luck he's had so far this season...
リンクサイド：9位の山本草太 競技と治療で葛藤 出した答えは… GP一夜明け | 毎日新聞
フィギュアスケートのグランプリ（GP）シリーズ第2戦中国杯で9位の山本草太選手（MIXI）は一夜明けた26日、現地で心境を語った。山本選手の談話は次の通り。【重慶・玉井滉大】
mainichi.jp
9th place finisher Sota Yamamoto struggles with competition and treatment. The answer he came up with is... the day after the GP
Sota Yamamoto (MIXI), who placed 9th in the Cup of China, the second event of the figure skating Grand Prix (GP) series, spoke about his feelings on the 26th, the day after the race. Yamamoto's comments are as follows: [Chongqing, Tamai Kodai]In bed I prayed, "I hope it's just a dream"
How are you feeling right now?
I was told that the night would be today, but when I woke up in the morning I was in despair, like I'd had a nightmare, and I spent the whole time in bed thinking, "I hope it's just a dream." To be honest, I didn't want to appear in front of people, and I thought this is what it means to want to crawl into a hole, but I think it was a performance that was meant to happen, and I really hadn't been able to practice, so I've just let it go and thought, "That was terrible, do your best next time," and I hope everyone will laugh.
How did you spend last night?
Hmm, I wonder how it was last night. So many people sent me encouraging messages and messages asking, "Is your back okay?" Of course, I also received a lot of messages from fans, and I spent the whole day in the same state of mind I mentioned earlier.
How many messages did you receive in total?
I only had a few dozen people on LINE. Well, actually, a lot more people than usual sent me LINE messages. I'm also on X (Twitter), so there's nothing to praise about my performance, which isn't what I had envisioned...
[the rest is paywalled]
********
【フィギュア】山本草太 失意９位に「夢であってくれ」GP初戦フリーから一夜明けて思い吐露（日刊スポーツ）｜ｄメニューニュース
＜フィギュアスケート：グランプリ（GP）シリーズ第2戦中国杯＞◇26日◇華西文化体育センター【重慶（中国）＝…
topics.smt.docomo.ne.jp
Sota Yamamoto's disappointment at 9th place: "I hope it's just a dream" - thoughts emerge one day after his first Grand Prix free skate
Sota Yamamoto (25 = MIXI), who finished his first Grand Prix of the season in 9th place in the men's competition, revealed his frustrating feelings the day after the free skate.He started the short program (SP) in 4th place, but in the free program on the previous day, the 25th, he placed 11th out of 12 skaters with 124.10 points. A lack of practice due to back pain affected him, and he only managed a total of 211.67 points. When he appeared at the venue this day, she revealed, "When I woke up this morning, I felt despair, like I'd had a nightmare, and I was lying in bed wishing it was just a dream."
There are three tickets available for the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February 2026. The selection races will continue until December. It's hopeless for the top six riders to advance to the finals (December, Nagoya), but the next race is the sixth round in Finland (November 21-23, Helsinki). Fortunately, he says there's no sign of the injury getting worse, and he encouraged himself by saying, "It's been about 80% treatment and 20% practice, but I'd like to gradually increase that to about 50/50. It's not a question of whether I try hard or not, but whether I can do it or not. I want to tell myself to 'enjoy it more.'"
*********
This is such a heartbreaking situation for him. He wants to practise more, but can't (and shouldn't), due to restrictions imposed by his doctors. That's how I read his words. But there are just 3 weeks until Finlandia, so my heart goes out to Sota.
If he rushes the training load increase, he risks having to WD like he did in Trialeti. And by Nationals, which is earlier this year than usual, he wouldn't be able to practice perhaps even up to the 20% he does now, and his season would be over for good. That risk is too high IMO, and I hope he doesn't pick this way.
OTOH, if he does what I think he should - follows the doctors' orders, and increases practice load very slowly - he risks having a similar result at Finlandia as he did in China, because the field is not great for skaters returning from injury. I'm not at all sure a mere half of his usual training load is enough to take down Fa, Rizzo, Gogolev, Yuma, Jason, Selevko, Sadovsky, Deniss... Okay, I *do* think that Sota's 'normal' training load equals overtraining, so I guess 3/4 of his usual load is enough to be highly competitive. But a half, well, I hope it's enough for a 8th place still, or that his doctors' recovery plan allows him to go past 50% training by Finlandia.
There is no easy way out of this, so hopefully Sota decides his health is paramount, and at least competes calmer in Finland, and may the skating gods finally relieve him of the bad luck he's had so far this season...
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
I've been checking the news every day, but nothing Sota-related so far. There was a brief Chukyo University article about him and Rino a couple of days ago, but it featured just one Sota quote thanking his fans for their support.
At least he seems to be preparing for Finland, and not languishing in hospitals or anything similarly bad. Some were getting really worried as there was no monthly Unlim meeting in October, which in Sota's case can either signify very bad news (like back in 2016), or maximum concentration on treatments and trainings.
I'm relieved it was the latter. However, it's unfortunate his reassurance was only posted on LINE, the Japanese social network, so foreigners who don't have it -like me- knew nothing, and learnt they didn't have to be anxious only through a couple of fan posts on Twitter. At least we know he's okay, and hopefully in a competitive shape. But personally, the news came out too late for me. I have hesitated about Sota's status for far too long, and had to cancel my Finland trip as a result as there are no convenient plane tickets anymore. Hoping for a spring assignment now.
At least he seems to be preparing for Finland, and not languishing in hospitals or anything similarly bad. Some were getting really worried as there was no monthly Unlim meeting in October, which in Sota's case can either signify very bad news (like back in 2016), or maximum concentration on treatments and trainings.
I'm relieved it was the latter. However, it's unfortunate his reassurance was only posted on LINE, the Japanese social network, so foreigners who don't have it -like me- knew nothing, and learnt they didn't have to be anxious only through a couple of fan posts on Twitter. At least we know he's okay, and hopefully in a competitive shape. But personally, the news came out too late for me. I have hesitated about Sota's status for far too long, and had to cancel my Finland trip as a result as there are no convenient plane tickets anymore. Hoping for a spring assignment now.
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
I'm sorry you had to cancel your trip @surimi but totally understandable. For me, Sota is a big 
at the moment, and the radio silence is not helping.
Is he healthy? Has he been able to train? God only knows - it could go either way. We know he's prepared to fight from the way he skated in the Cup of China SP, and if the injury is somewhat better, he might be able to do it IMO. But it's a long flight to Finland and we might have a re-run of Trialet Trophy... That's why I don't count him out, but at the same time I totally understand and feel the anxiety. Sorry I know this doesn't help
at the moment, and the radio silence is not helping.Is he healthy? Has he been able to train? God only knows - it could go either way. We know he's prepared to fight from the way he skated in the Cup of China SP, and if the injury is somewhat better, he might be able to do it IMO. But it's a long flight to Finland and we might have a re-run of Trialet Trophy... That's why I don't count him out, but at the same time I totally understand and feel the anxiety. Sorry I know this doesn't help
