Sota Yamamoto

[surimi]

There's an article on Sota before Nationals on this website (a Fuji TV source maybe?): https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/284047
I love the image gallery, it has some of Sota's notable moments since he was 16, and they're photos most of which I don't recall having seen before.
He seems happy that he hasn't stopped trying after last season's results, and now he intends to perform with renewed confidence? Ohh, I hope his competition exposures gave him the much needed confidence! It's really the only thing he needs.
All he needs to do to join the 250+ club for good is to skate his SP as well as he did at Finlandia 2019, his FS as well as he did at US Classic 2019, and the result will come. It's all stuff he has done before, so now the task is, how to be confident enough to pull these two programs both off, somehow restore the 4-2 combo when he's ready (without the rush of last season), then figure out how to do that regularly while practicng safely enough not to risk injury unnecessarily, and he's good to go to major comps along with the other top boys.

 

[rRainbow]

There's an article on Sota before Nationals on this website (a Fuji TV source maybe?): https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/284047

It is the same article on Yahoo Japan. Many parts are more or less rehash of old stories.
Translation: 1 of 3

Sota Yamamoto experienced the rock bottom after a serious injury. The road to recovery and the confidence he gained after five years of hardship.

The All-Japan Championships will start on the 23rd of this month.

It is expected to be a fierce battle for the only three spots in both the men's and women's national teams for the Beijing Olympics.

In this second installment, we pick up 21-year-old Sota Yamamoto, who has decided to participate in the championships for the eighth time in five years in a row.

Four years ago, when the PyeongChang Olympics were on the line in All-Japan, due to a devastating injury, he was not in a position to make the team. Yet, he has continued to climb up the stairs one by one and is now back on the world stage.

After the All-Japan Championships in 2020, he was not satisfied with his free skate performance, and he voiced his weakness, saying, "I don't know if I can grow anymore."

Sota Yamamoto's skating career has not been smooth, and his thoughts on this year's All-Japan Championships will be revealed.

Injuries forced him off the ice for almost a year.

In November, Yamamoto competed in the Warsaw Cup in Poland. In the short skate, he scored 91.75, which was close to his personal best, and in the free skate, he made some mistakes, but he won with 247.65 points.

After his performance at the Warsaw Cup which gave him a boost for the All-Japan, he said, "I'm just going to do what I can do at the moment, so that I can have a solid confidence before All-Japan."

He started skating at the age of five, and has been on the rise ever since, winning a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in 2015, and a gold medal at the 2016 Youth Olympics. Since his junior years, Yamamoto has been active on the world stage together with Shoma Uno and others, and became one of the most promising skaters.

However, in March 2016, just before leaving for the World Junior Championships in Hungary, he broke his right ankle when he fell on a jump in practice, forcing him to be off the ice for almost a year.

During the rehabilitation period, skating on the rink, which had been "normal" for Yamamoto, was no longer normal for him.

"Before I got injured, I had been practicing every day since I was five years old, and there were times when I thought, 'It's too much work,' or 'I'm nervous. I don't want to compete.' But once I was away from skating, I started to think 'I want to skate,' 'I want to compete.' It was the first time I felt that way."

After a tough rehabilitation, he returned to the ice in 2017.

At the Chubu Championships, a qualifying event for the All-Japan Championships, he could only jump up to one rotation. Even so, he skated all the way to the end and at the West Japan Championships won the ticket to All-Japan.

"I started to feel happy every minute, and I felt that I was supported by many people. During the performance, I could hear every single clapping, which I'm really grateful for, and I want to live up to it," he savored the joy of being able to skate.

The result of the All-Japan was 9th place. He was still not at his best. But what awaited Yamamoto was a standing ovation from the packed audience.

His skating buddies were also watching his performance from the audience, and some of them were crying. Everyone was waiting for Yamamoto's return.

Moreover, the performance moved one man's heart.

 

[rRainbow]

2 of 3

A legend's heart was also moved!
It was Daisuke Takahashi, who retired from the sport in 2014.

At the time, Takahashi was watching the 2017 All-Japan event from the broadcasting desk as an anchor. He was impressed by the performances of Yamamoto and others.

In fact, in an interview when he decided to return to active competition in 2018, he revealed the reason for his return, saying, "The most decisive factor was the 2017 All-Japan Championships.

Witnessing figure skating that is not about winning or losing, such as Yamamoto's all-out performance who made it to the All-Japan stage despite his injury, Takahashi said, ”I couldn't help but be touched and moved by the fact that they were happy to be able to show what they had worked so hard for, even if they couldn't go to the world stage.”

Inspired by them, Takahashi decided to return to active competition, and announced that he would switch to ice dance in 2019. And in 2021, he will be in a fierce battle for one ice dance spot on the Olympic team for the Beijing Olympics, and now he is back on the competitive stage.

Return, comeback, and "growth"
In March 2019, Yamamoto won the Challenge Cup in the Netherlands. This was the first time he realized that he was "back".

Despite his injury concerns, he set his sights on the big stage of the Beijing Olympics, which he had never been able to say out loud before, and gained the confidence to say it publicly.

In the 2019-20 season, he challenged himself to take a step up, with his first overseas choreography and learning the quadruple salchow and so on. After overcoming his injuries, he began to regain his confidence little by little, and his ambition to improve further grew.

"At the end of the day, it's up to me. I have to make sure that I can grow more. That hasn't changed. Before, I had some anxiety somewhere, and I was like, 'I hope I can enter the competition,' or 'I hope I can enjoy skating.' That has gradually changed, and now I want to be better," he said, showing a big change in his mindset from "comeback" to "growth".

In the All-Japan Championships that year, he placed 7th, his best result since his return from injury.

 

[rRainbow]

3 of 3

He hit rock bottom again, "Can I grow any more"?
In 2020, due to the spread of the new coronavirus, skating rinks were closed, and none of the skaters were able to practice as much as they wanted.

However, Yamamoto was looking forward to the season, amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the confidence he had gained by getting back into shape after the worst of his injuries.

"In the sense that I got back to this level after a year and a half of not being able to skate, not being able to practice for a month or two is nothing. I was confident that I would be okay as long as I was healthy and the environment was right, so I wasn't in too much of a rush."

However, an unexpected result awaited him at the All-Japan in December.

He finished 6th in the short program, and for the first time in the free program, he was in the last group. He jumped a successful quadruple salchow at the beginning, but failed every jump after that.

As a result, he slipped down the rankings from the short program, and ended up in 9th place. In the interview after her performance, he said candidly, "I wonder if I can grow anymore."

I want to be happy and do what I have to do.
A year has passed since then, and what does Yamamoto think about now, before the All-Japan Championships, where he will compete for the Beijing Olympics spot?

"Of course I have a lot of goals and dreams to achieve, but I've started to think about what I can do at the moment, and what I can do to connect to the future, without getting too hung up on the goals. I've been overthinking last season, and I've made many mistakes.

“I think I've been able to control myself in that area. I also felt there was a lot of gap between myself and many foreign skaters in the Grand Prix series, so I'd like to bring that experience back to my training and compete for the top positions in All-Japan.”

This is a critical season for the Olympics, and Yamamoto has changed his team affiliation to train under coaches Michiko Yamada and Mihoko Higuchi.

He has been steadily competing since his first competition, the Chubu Championship in September, and has competed in five events before the All Japan Championships. He won the Warsaw Cup, his last competition before the All-Japan Championships, and his results are on the rise.

Four years ago, it was all he could do just to participate in the national team selection. But this year is different.

"Of course I felt a little frustrated, but I hadn't even gotten to the starting line yet (at that time). I had been practicing and competing, hoping not to get injured. I was so happy to be skating, so purely enjoying competitions and All-Japan. But a lot of things have happened in the past four years since then."

“I think I was able to grow as a person because of these injuries including the whole process. I'd like to savor the happiness and just do what I have to do on the All-Japan stage."

He also vowed to redeem himself from last year's All-Japan free skate, which he said was "a bit traumatic."

When asked about his "self-doubt" in the interview after his performance, he said, "At that time, I really thought I was going nowhere. But now, I'm glad that I've worked so hard. I want to show that I'm not like this yet, so I'm going to work even harder."

Finally, when I asked him about his eagerness for All-Japan, he said, "I'll be happy if I can skate to the end, to show my skating that only I can do, in front of many spectators in All-Japan."

Yamamoto has been battling with injuries, and with himself. He has overcome various hardships to reach the All-Japan stage. How far will he be able to get into the top group? It will be interesting to see how the 21-year-old, who has experienced the lowest of the low, rises to the occasion.

 

[surimi]

Thanks a lot for these translations!
I am quite content to read Sota's much more level-headed answers than last year. Yes, I think he's made a good deal of progress, especially now that he realizes how important self-confidence is, and is actively working to improve it. He has done very well so far: his FS's have had mistakes in the most difficult elements, but Sota has worked diligently to improve his levels, and to make sure he doesn't make mistakes on his other jump passes. I think he will do better next year, now that this milestone (two GP assignments against tough fields) is past him, and he knows what it feels like.
Nationals is, at this point, still a beast he needs to conquer. This is a competition where he is usually his most nervous self, which leads to mistakes. His big task now is embracing that, and moving past it, so he can skate similarly unfazed as he did in 2017, but this time with a much harder content. It will take a lot of concentration on his side, I imagine, but I hope he can eventually get there. Being healthy is just as important, and I am pleased to read Sota is not rushing, and adding his content slowly. My bet is on no quad combos at Nationals from him this year, which is good. But it will boost his scores a lot if he can land all 3 of his solo quads without SO or falls. I hope he can figure out how he did it at Japan Open, and replicate it. We will see. He's so so close to his non-ISU personal best... Fingers crossed for him. He still has time in the upcoming years to get chosen for the national team, but for now the main thing is doing better than last year, even if by just one spot. I think he hates being kyuui by now...

 

[surimi]

Not much Sota content to share at the moment. I hope he's healthy and preparing for Nats while obeying his coaches' advice... also hoping his boots are 'healthy' although some fans have voiced their worry that the boots are still taped in recent photos so maybe in not a good enough condition to perform quad combos in them. Anyway, good luck to Sota, and just sharing this page from Quadruple magazine where he's featured:

https://twitter.com/AxelQuadruple/status/1473251383969447937/photo/1

The tweet says he and Shota have a nice episode there, so aww. It was quite visible that the two boys have a good relationship, so no wonder. (but how come the tweet says 'okiki'? Was there a video to go with the magazine, or can one use the word for 'hear' when referring to text?)

 

[surimi]

Well, Sota's boots are in no way healthy, just look at how taped they are - https://twitter.com/MsNATARY/status/1473637029523369986/photo/1
Right now, I am just hoping he survives the SP and LP healthy, and manages to place in top 9 again. Anything above 9 would be a nice surprise.
According to a practice report on Twitter, he jumped 4T, 3S, 3A2A and 3A during his FS warmup. That means his layout is the same as Warsaw, which is reasonable.
He looks nervous in photos, but he always is at Nationals. He has a kind team with him now, I hope they manage to calm the boy down enough for him to perform the layout he is used to training. Good luck to Sota!
Some articles from today:
- https://hochi.news/articles/20211222-OHT1T51141.html (says he couldn't train properly before NHK and Warsaw??)
- https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/062aef7b7629d32564efdcd19256e483ab82b4c0 (his strategy is not to think about results but about the job he needs to do on the ice?)

 

[rRainbow]

Some articles from today:
- https://hochi.news/articles/20211222-OHT1T51141.html (says he couldn't train properly before NHK and Warsaw??)
- https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/062aef7b7629d32564efdcd19256e483ab82b4c0 (his strategy is not to think about results but about the job he needs to do on the ice?)

You understood the articles correctly.
Hochi report:

Sota Yamamoto (Chukyo University) took part in an official practice session to make final preparations for the All Japan Championships which will start on the 23rd, and will also serve as the selection round for the Beijing Olympics next February. In an online interview, he said, "I was able to compete at this venue once at the Japan Open (in October), so I think I have a little more composure than in other games.”

After the practice, he said, "I feel fine with the ice, the boots, and my body. I was able to skate while feeling the atmosphere and the size of the venue," said Yamamoto. He had a series of competitions until the Warsaw Cup in November. "I couldn't practice well in preparation for the NHK Cup and Warsaw Cup. Since I came back, I've been practicing steadily what I should do," he said with a sense of satisfaction.

The first time he competed in All-Japan was when he was in his second year of junior high school at the end of 2013, at the selection round for the Sochi Olympics in 2014. Yamamoto said, "It's a strange feeling for me to be able to come back here again in a different position. First of all, I think I should think about what I should do, not about the result, and just do it," he said with enthusiasm.

Yahoo report:

On the 22nd, the official practice was held at the venue, and Sota Yamamoto (Chukyo University) was interviewed online, "I was doing fine. I was able to feel the atmosphere and the size of the arena,” he reflected on the 30-minute practice.

The first time he competed in All-Japan was in 2013, at the same Saitama Super Arena as a final selection for the Sochi Olympics. Eight years have passed since then. "It's a strange feeling to be able to come back in a different position. If I don't be myself and do what I have to do, nothing will come of it. I'll just think about what I need to do and do it," he said firmly.

The men's short program (SP) will be held on the 24th, and the free program on the 26th.

 

[surimi]

Thanks a lot, Rainbow!
It is good to hear he was not perturbed by his practice, and was feeling good in the arena. Still, the real thing will be a different matter entirely, and the atmosphere will be tense, so I hope he is mentally prepared for that as well, and will just do his thing. The loss of focus on results is a good thing, as results come to those who don't overthink (or have a will of steel, like Yuzuru).
Speaking of Yuzuru, I hope Sota can still enjoy this competition and being able to see his idol compete live. It may be Yuzuru's last Nationals, so I hope Sota can cherish this memory as he's in the same SP group. Sota is less experienced than the others in his group, but for him it is still about gaining experience and catching up. All the best to him tomorrow. I solemnly swear that if he manages to finish higher than last year, I will draw a Christmas cookie of him.

Putting this video link here because Sota's expression cracks me up - https://twitter.com/i/status/1473586684772384770 Yuzuru enters the scene, and at 0:06 Sota gives him the kind of look that a small kid would give when seeing the Christmas tree with presents for the first time He's the only boy in the room to beam at Yuzuru like that, lol. ^ ^

 

[rRainbow]

Sota placed 4th in the SP. Yahoo article:

Sota Yamamoto (21) of Chukyo University, who won the Challenger Series Warsaw Cup in Poland this season, was the sixth skater in the fourth group, and scored 93.79 points.

He started his performance to the melody of this season's SP song "Yesterdays," and succeeded in the opening quadruple salchow, followed by the triple axel (3 1/2 jumps). The third jump pass, a triple flip - triple toe loop combination, was also cleanly executed, and all the steps and spins earned Level 4.

Yamamoto made a small fist pump right after his performance, and was all smiles at the rink side, when Mihoko Higuchi, his coach at Grand Prix Tokai Club, praised him for his SP performance. He kept smiling even after confirming his score at the Kiss and Cry.

 

[DiamondDust]

Sota was wonderful!!!!

 

[rRainbow]

Sota's interview after SP:

“I was mainly practicing my free program. I did what I could."

“In the short program, I had been practicing to make no mistakes, but right before the competition, I was so nervous from the warm-up that my breathing became heavy. When I freaked out and dashed to the rink just in time before the start (of the 6-minute warmup), I felt it was typical of me. That's when I felt like myself again. I think that was the reason why I was able to relax and be myself this time.

I got three jump passes together, and was able to be focused on the level of steps and spins, which led to my score. I've been practicing mainly for the free skate, so I'm looking forward to how it will come out. Even if I make mistakes, I've done what I could do, so I'll wait for that time, and work hard for the free skate.”

 

[surimi]

Thank you, Rainbow!
There is a lot I would like to say, but I am still in the middle of Christmas celebrations with my family, so I'll just put a big congrats to Sota here. He did a fantastic job. I hope he can put up a valiant fight tomorrow, and manages to keep his boots and feet intact Man, if he really manages to end up higher than last year, I will really have to bring my cookie icing kit, and draw a cookie of him as I promised! But it would be effort well spent. Well done in the SP indeed, Sota!

 

[surimi]

Well. Poor Sota may not have words to describe his feelings after placing 12th in the FS and 8th overall, but as usual, I do.

First off, Sota should rest, enjoy the onsen with his friends (he should! I think this is Taichiro's last season, and maybe Mitsuki's too!) and take a while to process this mishap of a FS. He should make no rash decisions, and definitely *not* change his coaching base again. This team is good for him, and he should stay with them.

He lost a first class chance for 4CC and getting into the daihyou which he longs for. That is true. But, as crushing as this disappointment is, after these 4 years of trying to get into the top 6 at Nats, it is not his last stop, and doesn't mean he can't improve further and get higher next year. He can, and hopefully, sooner or later, he will. He shouldn't let this FS mar his joy of the upcoming Nagoya show, and his birthday. I hope a spring event is lurking out there in the near future too, covid situation permitting. It's not the stage he's dreaming of, but it's a good stage for practice to see what he IS CAPABLE OF if his head isn't in the way. And we have seen what he's capable of: scoring over 250. With his current layout, it could be over 260 - finally. I hope he gets this chance, and takes it to unlock his current potential. Which is not even his FULL potential.

Now, why did Sota mess up so badly in the FS? I have no info about his health state, boot state, or the practices at Tokai/Chukyo. BUT, I see a pattern forming up. Sota scores over 90 -> Sota messes up the FS. Finlandia 2019. Warsaw 2021. Nationals 2021. He needs to get used to scoring over 90. His level has improved enough for high 80s and low 90s to be his new normal, so there's nothing to freak out about. When Sota was a junior prodigy, scoring high seemed to come normally to him, and his FS was usually unaffected. He managed to climb back after his struggles, so maybe it's time to accept he's an established skater by now, and scoring over 90 isn't such an intimidating novelty?
In this particular case of Nationals 2021, he was skating right after Kazuki, Kao and Sena, all of whom skated lights out. That certainly didn't help. Maybe he also wanted to skate clean too much? Who knows. Anyways, it is a bitter lesson learned, and maybe some consultations are necessary with his friends Kazuki and Ryuju (yeah, I know he's retired, but he wanted to help Sota when he was struggling, so if a word of advice was dropped now, I'd be overjoyed) who seem to have a good idea of what mental shape is ideal to have?

I hope these are lessons learned for Tokai in general, too: the highest placement was Rino (7th), if I'm not mistaken?

Also: maybe next year it would be good for Sota to have a different motto for Nationals? Something akin to Wakaba's 'overcoming myself'? Because to be honest, his motto this year... was sort of 'be careful what you wish for because your wish may come true' thing. He wrote he wanted to skate like himself / his usual self till the end, and well... he did. He's one of the rare Japanese boys who struggle at big competitions held in Japan, and do much better abroad. He usually messes up JNats, and it IS typical of him (-rashii) at the moment to make many costly mistakes when the weight of a 90-point score is consuming him. Not a fortunate slogan, Sota, please select some harmless lucky words next time?

Lastly: I hope Sota knows that the only person he has let down is himself. Not his coaches who support him and will try to find ways to help him overcome this mental barrier for the future. Not his family who have supported him all these years, and want to see him succeed one day, instead of losing faith. And not his fans, who support him on good and bad days alike. No difference there, at least for me.

End of .

P.S. Looks like I will be decorating that Sota cookie soon, then. He did end up higher than last year, by one spot, so my word holds.

 

[KiraraChin]

Thanks, Surimi, for your analysis!
I agree with everything, just wanted to add that coaching changes are often complicated and full results take about a season and a half to appear. So the fact that Sota switched this summer and already managed to deliver some really good skates and win Warsaw Cup with a nice SB is actually quite impressive! I hope he has a nice rest now before the resume his training - he's an alternate for 4CC and hopefully there will be some late winter/spring events for him too

 

[surimi]

Thanks, Surimi, for your analysis!
I agree with everything, just wanted to add that coaching changes are often complicated and full results take about a season and a half to appear. So the fact that Sota switched this summer and already managed to deliver some really good skates and win Warsaw Cup with a nice SB is actually quite impressive! I hope he has a nice rest now before the resume his training - he's an alternate for 4CC and hopefully there will be some late winter/spring events for him too

Thanks for your sympathy. I think Sota really needs the support of his fans these days, when his self-confidence issues are showing again. I believe that's really the only problem that's plagueing him, providing he's healthy. It is fortunate that his confidence problem lately manifests itself in the FS only, as a bad FS can push you down the result list, but a bad SP can get you eliminated from the competition. Anyhow, lots of work to be done yet... but mainly on Sota's mindset. He really really needs to get over that hesitation and doubts if he wants to succeed. He has all the skills.

 

[rRainbow]

Articles on Sotat after FS:

Sponichi:
Sota Yamamoto (Free skate 146.39 points, Total 240.18 points) "When I made a mistake on the first Axel, I didn't have the power to recover. It was a shame that I made so many mistakes, but I've been able to improve my ranking a little (this year), which is good for next year's Grand Prix series. I think I managed to hang in there in that respect."

Yahoo Japan:
Sota Yamamoto (Chukyo Univ.), who started well with 4th place in SP, made a series of mistakes in jumps and finished 8th. I'm always disappointed at the end of every year. I thought I had improved a little this season, but I was disappointed not to finish with a good feeling." This season, he has changed his training base and has competed in two GP series, which has boosted his confidence, so he could not hide his shock. "I can't really say what I feel right now," he said.

Sota tweeted:
"The All Japan Championships have come to an end.
I felt from the bottom of my heart that I want to become stronger.
I believe that the time will come when I will be rewarded for my efforts, and I will continue to work hard and not get disheartened.
Thank you so much for all your support!"

 

[surimi]

I wish Sota and his family, friends and fans a happy and eventful new year. I hope he'll get an opportunity soon to prove himself again.
I also hope for a sponsor to be found for him, as he cannot get a Yamaha grant for a third time.

Sota's upcoming events are the Nagoya show, and also Intercollegiate between January 4-7. Here's a starting order for the latter - https://ameblo.jp/shelley39/image-12718935788-15055187899.html . He's there with Taichiro, Mitsuki, Sena, Tatsuya, Yuto, LT Honda, and Kazuki Kushida. I hope he has fun skating there with several of his friends!

Also, this 'Next Prince of Figure Skating' calendar has been trending on Twitter : https://twitter.com/ssw_zumazuma/status/1477287341241036804/photo/1
Sota got on the front page, along with his friends Kazuki and Koshiro (I think).

 

[KiraraChin]

Sota will be competing at Incare? Sweet!
Happy New Year to Sota and fellow Sota fans! Check out this cute illustration I saw on Twitter:

 

[surimi]

What lovely fan art The artist is talented!

Sota tweeted this two hours ago: https://twitter.com/so_ta0110/status/1477550564720652293
I don't really know what it's about, but I understand from google translate that there's a video of him and Kazuki, and he started to listen to the music from the video, and joked with Kazuki about them being cool? Hopefully someone *cough maybe our saviour @rRainbow ? cough* can help us understand?