Sota Yamamoto

[rRainbow]

Another Q&A on Quadruple Axel 2020: There is a section of random relay questions among 13 Japanese male skaters, and Sota was asked by Taichiro Yamakuma this question;

Q: Is there any music you want to skate to someday? Also, when are you going to jump a quintuple?
Sota: I want to do the program that I’ve done before in the past. For example, Poeta, because I’m interested to see how it will turn out if I do it now. About quintuple, if Taichiro does it, I will give it a try! (laughs)

 

[rRainbow]

Sorry, I forgot to post this Q&A, which is the 6th and the last question as follows:

Q: If you had not chosen to be a skater, what would you be doing?
Sota: I started skating because I wanted a gold medal. So I would be doing some sports in which I may have a shot at winning medals. For example, swimming and gymnastics.

 

[surimi]

Thanks a lot for the translations! Sota sounds laid-back and content. I agree with his pick of his most beautiful costunes - Piano Concerto and J&H win with me too. Noone rocks a black cape like Sota does! hehe, I agree he's a feline. A small wild feline, quietly tracking the footsteps of a small antelope - Kazuki. ^ ^ lol.
I have a hard time imagining a swimmer-Sota! ^ ^ The images of these huge bulked up guys come up in my mind. But I bet that when Sota tries swimming one day, he'll enjoy it.
I wonder if Sota still goes to the Nagoya restaurant. The boy has a formidable appetite - no wonder he's good friends with another food lover, Kazuki ^ ^
Great response on Sota's part to Taichiro. Taichiro is Sota's good buddy and I bet Sota doesn't mind a quint joke (maybe it was even meant as admiration over Sota's incredible recovery), but a part of me still cringed at someone joking about Sota getting a quint, given his past injury.

 

[KiraraChin]

A small wild feline, quietly tracking the footsteps of a small antelope - Kazuki. ^ ^ lol.

LMAO

 

[surimi]

Sota will appear in two online talkshows this month.
His conversation partner in the first one is his friend Taichiro Yamakuma. It's taking place this Sunday, and is probably sold out already.
His other talkshow will take place on the 19th, and he'll chat there with his best friend and rival Kazuki. Tickets should still be available AFAIK. More info here: https://twitter.com/JPlanningIntl/status/1279975416875237376
I like that the organizers chose a photo of Sota wearing wafuku!

 

[rRainbow]

KISS&CRY Vol.34 (6/30/20) https://www.amazon.co.jp/TVガイド特別編集-...EWT7DF366EJ&psc=1&refRID=0W512XBJ6EWT7DF366EJ
Excerpted interview with Sota: https://www.tvguide.or.jp/feature/feature-177454/
Translaton:

--What is the most memorable competition in the 2019-20 season?
S: Number one is the Finlandia Cup 2019. I was able to bring three quads in the free and although I made some mistakes I felt my progress. Later at Finlandia, the 6-minute warmup before the short was really rough for me, but I somehow pulled it off in competition and was overjoyed with the score (92.81) as well as the 1st place finish in the short. That competition gave me the confidence that I will get such a high mark if I put up a good performance.

--At the 2019 Japanese Nationals you fell behind finishing 13th place after the short, but you made a turnaround in the free and got the 7th overall.
S: In the free I barely landed the opening quad salchow, but I fell painfully on the second jump, quad toe loop. I panicked for a second because I focused so much on jumps in the free… But rather than give up I managed to hold it together and I could feel my improvement. I realized I would need to keep things together from the short.

--‘20-‘21 season is starting. Please tell us about your new programs.
S: The short is “Dark Eyes.” The free is “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story,” which I used in the ‘11-‘13 season when I was in Noice A, but the music was edited differently and newly choreographed. Both are choreographed by Kenji Miyamoto sensei.

--Did you pick the music?
S: Yes. For the short I wanted to perform the way I’ve never done before, and I also wanted to do a gorgeous program. I think so far I’ve made “Dark Eyes” my own. For the free, rather than recycle the old music I want to skate to the music based on my current interpretation.

--Finally, what is your goal for ’20-’21 season?
S: I want to become someone who radiates light, and want to skate shining from within. At the moment I am getting ready to compete giving my 100 percent at each and every competition.

 

[surimi]

Thank you so much!! One correction, when Sota mentions three quads in the free, he speaks of US Classic. In Finlandia he messed up the free so I checked the original article you linked, and it says US Classic.

I wonder what he means by having made Dark Eyes his own. It makes me curious. I hope he manages to keep the pace.
I am glad Sota has renewed confidence. And he's such a fighter! That fall at nats was painful to even watch, and yet he rebounded and gave the program his all. He's admirable.

 

[rRainbow]

Thanks surimi for the correction. You're right. It was the US Classic free program in which Sota skated with three quads.
This season I hope he will radiate confidence. He will sparkle for sure as he said before that he would add more rhinestones and such, but I have no idea what the "Dragon" costume is going to look like as he will portray a character of martial artist.

 

[KiraraChin]

Came across these screen caps from the Sota/Taichiro talk. It seems it was really fun!
https://twitter.com/yuzuporuko/status/1282244566574182402

 

[surimi]

^ hahaha! If this is what the Onsen Gang's get-togethers look like...

 

[surimi]

It looks like Taichiro and Sota had fun. These two blog entries have quite a few photos featured from the photo session: https://ameblo.jp/kmn-psn/entry-12610646519.html and https://ameblo.jp/shelley39/entry-12610603618.html .

Regarding the recent GP/Challenger decisions, I am so torn. So the ISU is determined to hold all events as planned, if the pandemic situation allows it. OTOH, the Japanese Federation will not be sending its skaters to JGP and Challengers. Their skaters need the WS points - Sota especially, if he wants a better shot at a GP event. Sota has Kolyada right behind him in the world rankings, and one Challenger might give the Russian the edge for GP picks. Of course, the GP/Challenger series might well follow the fate of Coupe du Printemps - first the Japanese skaters withdrew, and then the entire competition was cancelled. And JFed's health concerns are relevant. I cannot fault them for putting the health of their skaters first. But I DO raise my eyebrows at them making the same distinction yet again that they made this spring: between important and 'unimportant' events. They're not forbidding their biggest stars from participating in the GP while skaters who would most benefit from Challengers (among the boys - Sota, Mitsuki, Koshiro) are forbidden from competing in them. I hope their scores this season won't suffer because of this... and that this unequal treatment doesn't reflect the JFed's overall attitude to the boys in question.

 

[KiraraChin]

It is unfair and very confusing at this point... I'm pretty sure JSF will WD skaters from the GP series as well.
I honestly think the fairest would be to cancel the challengers and GPs, and then change the rules so skaters who don't make EC/4CC/WC could get SBs and WS points from the late season challengers, too.

 

[surimi]

Yeah, if they WD skaters from all events, their concerns would sound more credible. Though there are probably some pressures by the federations that organize GPs and want fans to come see Yuzuru, Rika K and others. What do I know. But what I see ATM is Sota's precarious position in the WS while e.g. European skaters may take their chances freely - at EC and Challengers. If they do end up taking place. I wish the JFed had waited with their announcement... it doesn't look likely that the situation will improve, but if it does, then lower ranked Japanese skaters have a problem.

Okay, now that that's off my chest, I was very pleased with the upgrade in Sota's appearance - he's back to black hair and his previous haircut. The moustache is gone too. Well done! This is the Sota I like best Already looking forward to screenshots from his talkshow with Kazuki. I hope he doesn't take the Fed news too badly. He's a little fighter after all.
Btw we're not totally lucked out on the talkshows - I've heard they'll be transcribed in the upcoming issues of FS Life. So, if I ordered the magazine (ouch, the price for it plus shipping...), maybe several Japanese lessons later, I'd learn what they were saying ^ ^

 

[rRainbow]

I don't think European skaters will be accumulating points in the absence of American, Russian and Japanese skaters. I'm guessing US and Russian federations are pressuring ISU to cancel international events in which skaters from these federations cannot participate. Russia remains coronavirus hotspots and USA has 3.7 million cases with 141,700 deaths, and just topped the records with 70,000 cases a day. The cases in Japan have been climbing rapidly after emergency declaration was lifted. IMO these countries are in no position of sending their skaters to international events. The pandemic will not be controlled anytime soon, until a vaccine will be developed which may be around end of this year or early next year, hopefully. Therefore, I think it is just a matter of time that international competitions will be cancelled or postponed.

BTW I'm wondering whether Osaka skaters such as Sota, Kazuki, Mitsuki, Taichi will enter this Osaka competition to be held on Aug. 29 at Rinkai Sports Center.
https://www.jsfresults.com/local/2020-2021/fs/27/index.htm
This is a small event with free program only and junior and senior skaters belonging to Osaka federation and JSF can participate.

 

[surimi]

I hope they can participate. I would love to see their programs, whether through photos, or a steam (ISU please make that happen for worldwide fans for any remaining events, even if they're domestic).
Anyhow, Sota's and Kazuki's interview is tomorrow! ^ ^ I am already looking forward to the photos.

 

[surimi]

Sota's in a training camp these days. The tweets say there are 13 senior men there.
- this tweet- https://twitter.com/yumikikuha/status/1285461412928557062 - says something about a 4Lz - I hope it's just a distant dream for Sota That he doesn't actually go for it (we need those ankles of his to remain intact for some years yet!). Or if he does, if it doesn't look promising I hope he concentrates all his efforts on his 4F.

- an official article/interview: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2360b58bc4b91c377bcc76af036e3723daf6e191 He mostly talks about his move and the usual stuff about wanting to improve and tackle every competition as important, I think. It seems his 4Lz and 4F are in the consideration stage for now, and he wants to work on his stamina. He also says he now trains in Kansai (rink unspecified?), Nishinomiya and Rinkai? Just guessing going by google translate as I am in a hurry right now.

 

[KiraraChin]

Sooooo, I saw on Twitter that Sota is being coached by his childhood coach Onishi, rather than Hayashi?
https://twitter.com/kokomadekokomo/status/1285779143821455360
I follow this user and she's not one to spread fake info - I wonder what the source is? Does anyone know more about this?

 

[surimi]

Eh, wow? But maybe he's the interim coach until Hayashi returns? After all Sota expressed in no uncertain terms a few months ago that he liked Hayashi very much and wanted to compete under his tutelage. It would be funny to have Mitsuki leave Onishi and Sota switch to him. I want to read more info about this.
I am hoping that we get to know more soon. Maybe Keiji will give an interview that sheds light on the current coaching situation of the Nishinomiya boys.

ETA, the rumor seems to come from a Chunichi interview which (I suppose) was done during the training camp. It hinges on this one sentence - この日は幼少時のコーチだった大西勝敬コーチからアドバイスをもらった。I am stumped as to whether his opening words are 'this day' or 'these days', and if it refers to that one day at the camp, or his current classes, or if he implies a permanent switch. Maybe one of the local native speakers could shed a light on it? But then, he says 'I received' in the past tense. That doesn't sound like this is an ongoing arrangement.

 

[surimi]

Looks like the Onsen Gang aka Sota, Kazuki, Mitsuki and Taichiro will be doing an online talkshow on August 10, in full ensemble! https://twitter.com/AxelQuadruple/status/1287635832858243074
I'm torn between being excited because it's another opportunity for the boys to get some much needed money for their trainings (and an online talkshow debut for Mitsuki if I'm not mistaken?), and between bawling my eyes out because we foreigners are out of luck as usual. So - and !

 

[surimi]

Interview with Sota, Kazuki and Mitsuki from the training camp:
https://www.tvguide.or.jp/feature/feature-246722/
Lots of nice pictures, which are sadly undownloadable for me ^ ^

Isn't Sota fully back to his old skates and blades? The boots in the pics don't look like Edeas to me.