Sota Yamamoto

[surimi]

As someone who has been in various fandoms over the years and has seen both large and smaller stars and their fans interacting, the good and the bad, I have read through your posts and I really don't think you have anything to beat yourself up about (I speak as someone who nearly accidentally headbutted a TV star at a con, promptly avoided him for the rest of the week! - and therefore missed out on chances for autographs/photos/even general talk sessions with the cast). Sounds like you were extremely respectful and a terrific fan, and things just didn't work out the best way on the day, and not though your fault. And letting it out a little here -? That's what fan places are for after all.

I hope you get the chance to see him again and get the precious souvenirs you want.

Thank you. Well, I posted that little-big whine on Twitter as well. I think that should be pretty self-explanatory. There are fan places and fan places, though a kind user here let me know what to expect - not that I was planning to read any of it anyway. As long as it's not Sota who blocks me, they can do whatever they want over there.
But in all honesty, I got carried away in the parts about Sota, and I owned up to that. The rest were my honest feelings, and I don't feel I have anything to feel apologetic for in those other parts.
Thanks again, you all. You made my day.

 

[surimi]

I stumbled upon this today - https://4years.asahi.com/article/14821487 An article about Kazuki Kushida, Sota's friend who had online talkshows with him at times. He was considering retirement at Nationals, but it seems he wants to continue for one more year? Sota should be happy. Some of his friends are now retired - Taichiro Yamakuma, Mitsuki Sumoto, Yuhana Yokoi, or his teammate from Chukyo Uni, Kimichika Wada, but two Kazukis that he's fond of are still competing.

As for Sota himself, he and Taichiro had a talkshow on March 1 which was a big success. It also appears a new activity is planned for the next month, this time with Shoma: https://twitter.com/yuyamamotoSK8/status/1631140400642793472?cxt=HHwWgIDR8avj_KItAAAA It seems to be a magazine interview?

I haven't seen much information about Sota's CC performances, the articles seemed to be Shun-centric. Here's one that speaks of Sota - https://www.sanspo.com/article/20230226-KKZYLTOLDVJO7E3QAFOW76D72Q/ but they are focusing on his mistakes Still, better than last year when Sota lost to Selevko, and that was apparently so unthinkable that there were no articles about him IIRC. The pressure these elite skaters are under, is insane.
Links to Sota's CC programs have now been added to OP.
Fingers crossed that he's healthy, with serviceable boots, and conditioning well for the upcoming WC.

 

[surimi]

Not really new info about Sota, who I suppose is engrossed in training, but at least there's an interview, and this one comes in 3 parts, and is not behind a paywall. It was apparently done after Challenge Cup. Apart from the things that are already known:
- he enjoys practicing
- he was surprised by his GPF silver as he didn't expect he could place so well
- Sota is motivated by the number of competitions he's got this season (already 10, soon 11). He's had some difficulties after GPF, but compared to seasons when competitions were few and results not as good, he feels he's satisfied.
- he chose to compete at Kokutai to be present at Taichiro's last competition, although he was a bit worried initially about the scheduling with regards to his other competitions
- he and Taichiro are great friends in personal life, and he stills intends to learn and include more types of quads. But we already knew that.

 

[surimi]

Article about Sota's preparation before WC: https://more.hpplus.jp/entame/people/100354/2/
He has a good mindset before the competition so I hope it works out for him:
- he enjoys switching into his off-mode when he doesn't think about skating. Skating feels easier to him when he can alternate his focus on it and on unrelated activities like school.
- he drives to Chukyo every day, and often goes to sauna.
- apart from off-ice training, he spends about 3 hours on the ice each day. I'm glad, I don't think his ankle would handle a bigger workload.
- he's been working on fixing his jump mistakes from CC, but he's aware it's normal that not every competition ends in success. He wants to have a stable SP, and be able to recover well in FS if SP doesn't go as planned.
- he feels he can express his personality well in Yesterday.
- he says it's his first WC, but there's no reason to fear as he'll be challenging, not defending.
That's a sound and healthy approach to skating, one that I have wished for Sota for long, so I'm happy for him. I hope he does well.

 

[surimi]

Yet another article about Sota before WC: https://jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/74232
It works well with Google Translate. No new information, but two interesting Sota quotes:
- 次の世界選手権でも思い切っていけたらなと思います。またさらに強くなった自分を見せられるように頑張っていきたいです - 'I want to do my best [at WC] to prove to myself that I have become stronger yet' (go for it, Sota!)
- during his stressful 2020-21 season: スケート年齢で言うと、後半というか折り返しに入ってきている中で、まだこのような演技しかできないんだなと思うと、まだ成長できるかなという気持ちと、この先あるのかな、と - 'My skating age is in its second half, or halfway through. If this kind of performance [9th place at Nationals 2020] is all I can do, I'm wondering if I can grow more, and if there's any future for me.'
I'm certainly happy he's passed that period of doubt, and now that he has achieved a lot and could repeatedly see he's an elite skater, I hope his thoughts never return to that dark place again.

 

[gsk8]

Japan's Sota Yamamoto eyes World podium

Sota Yamamoto At the beginning of the 2022-23 season, Sota Yamamoto made the highly-competitive Japanese men’s team for the World Championships, which takes place next week in his home country. […]

www.goldenskate.com

"There will be very good athletes from all over the world and they will all want to do their best, too. So I don't want to think only about the score, but to implement what I have acquired in training."

 

[surimi]

Part 3 of non-paywalled article about Sota:

話題のフィギュアスケーター山本草太選手の素顔って？ 部屋のテイストは○○系！ | MORE

山本草太選手の素顔を紐解くQ＆Aをお届け！

more.hpplus.jp

It works fairly well with Google translate, but I've decided to expand my Japanese horizons a bit, and I've started to translate it in my classes with my sensei. Here's the little bit I have so far, and I'll add more as I go through the rest of the questions:

Q: Aromatherapy is a hobby of yours, now which scent is currently your favorite?
Sota: In the winter season, air moisturizers into which aromatic oils can be added are popular. They prevent colds and I enjoy fragrances, so they help me relax. They will help one feel refreshed and optimistic. The main reason I started aromatherapy was that I wasn't able to fall asleep because I was nervous or overthinking. I started thinking it would be good to relieve the tension.

Q: Do you like perfumes?
Sota: Well, I don't use it when I exercise, but I use it in my private time when I hang out with my friends. Luckily, various fans have given it to me on many occasions, and since they have quickly accumulated in my room, I'm able to enjoy varous fragrances. I like all kinds of fragrances.

Q: Do you have a favorite good-luck pre-competition meal?
Sota: Well, let me see... I definitely eat bananas. You can get them in Japan of couse, and in overseas competitions, and I like them so much that on my competition travels, I keep them for lunch when they're available in the breakfast lounge at my hotel. It can be easily obtained, it can be easily eaten, and one doesn't feel guilty afterwards. It will boost your energy. Even the skaters around me tell me 'Sota-kun, you always eat bananas.' (laughter)

 

[rRainbow]

Thanks, surimi, for your translations. They are great.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

Part 3 of non-paywalled article about Sota:

話題のフィギュアスケーター山本草太選手の素顔って？ 部屋のテイストは○○系！ | MORE

山本草太選手の素顔を紐解くQ＆Aをお届け！

more.hpplus.jp

It works fairly well with Google translate, but I've decided to expand my Japanese horizons a bit, and I've started to translate it in my classes with my sensei. Here's the little bit I have so far, and I'll add more as I go through the rest of the questions:

Q: Aromatherapy is a hobby of yours, now which scent is currently your favorite?
Sota: In the winter season, air moisturizers into which aromatic oils can be added are popular. They prevent colds and I enjoy fragrances, so they help me relax. They will help one feel refreshed and optimistic. The main reason I started aromatherapy was that I wasn't able to fall asleep because I was nervous or overthinking. I started thinking it would be good to relieve the tension.

Q: Do you like perfumes?
Sota: Well, I don't use it when I exercise, but I use it in my private time when I hang out with my friends. Luckily, various fans have given it to me on many occasions, and since they have quickly accumulated in my room, I'm able to enjoy varous fragrances. I like all kinds of fragrances.

Q: Do you have a favorite good-luck pre-competition meal?
Sota: Well, let me see... I definitely eat bananas. You can get them in Japan of couse, and in overseas competitions, and I like them so much that on my competition travels, I keep them for lunch when they're available in the breakfast lounge at my hotel. It can be easily obtained, it can be easily eaten, and one doesn't feel guilty afterwards. It will boost your energy. Even the skaters around me tell me 'Sota-kun, you always eat bananas.' (laughter)

I see that he was quite politic in avoiding the sensitive, divisive question : still greenish bananas, or ripe bananas (some even like them black)?

 

[surimi]

Sota's short video on Fuji TV: https://twitter.com/online_on_ice/status/1635972180868739072 He speaks about his motivation for the upcoming WC, he's aware all skaters will aim to perform their best skates there, and he'll also strive to skate his best. I think he adds he's been practising a lot, and wants to improve further next season. Not sure though - listening exercises are not my forte x_x

 

[surimi]

A new brief video about Sota and his coach Machiko Yamada (preparing for WC?) :

I have no idea what they're saying though...
And an article to go with it:

山本草太、世界選手権は「攻める」。出るはずだった“世界一を決める舞台”を自らでつかんだ7年間の思い｜FNNプライムオンライン

世界フィギュアスケート選手権が、3月22日からさいたまスーパーアリーナで開催される。初出場の山本草太は「元に戻る、それ以上に成長できるというのは、想像もつかなかった」と振り返る。彼にとって、この初舞台までの道のりには壮絶なスケート人生があった。2015年、15歳で出場したジュニアの世界選手権で3位となり、山本は表彰台にのぼった。その隣には17歳の宇野昌磨の姿があった。このときから山本は将来のエース候補として注目される。しかし、2016年3月に右足を骨折。世界ジュニア選手権出発の日だった。半年間…

www.fnn.jp

Sota speaks about his mindset, his coach, his satisfaction with the season so far, and training with Shoma.

 

[surimi]

Sota has had quite nice training sessions so far, skating clean both the SP and the FS layout, with just minor mistakes.
Here is a backstage video of him-


And newspaper articles:
- Nikkan Sports - I really like this quote by Sota:
結果は念頭にはない。それは今まで通り。1つの結果に一喜一憂をしていたら、復活の道は開けなかっただろう。注力するものは、外部の評価ではなく、自分の中にある
Google translate: I don't have the results in mind. It's the same as ever. If I had been happy and sad about one result, I would not have been able to open the way to revival. Focus on yourself, not external evaluation.
Pretty self-explanatory, but I'm really glad he's using the strategy that Adam Siao successfully used at European Championships! Focusing on himself, being in his own world. That's the attitude
- Mainichi Shinbun ... is mostly paywalled, and noone is surprised. x_x But it also has some nice photos from the practices. Sota says he has enjoyed the practice.

My hopes as a fan are modest as usual, I'll simply be happy if Sota is in the top 12.

 

[gsk8]

 

[yesterday]

 

[surimi]

Sota and Shoma having fun backstage, though I have no idea what they're doing ^ ^ :

 

[yesterday]

Gosh, why do all the twitter news around worlds vanish recently? In a lot of FFs there's now "This tweet is unavailable" whereas instagram seems to be "stable".
Sorry for OT, it just bugs me for days

 

[surimi]

Gosh, why do all the twitter news around worlds vanish recently? In a lot of FFs there's now "This tweet is unavailable" whereas instagram seems to be "stable".
Sorry for OT, it just bugs me for days

Maybe that's a Twitter issue rather than a copyright issue? Twitter was acting strangely for me yesterday, I couldn't click on perfectly innocent tweets but I was able to see them when I refreshed my timeline, plus I could suddenly see tweets I was not supposed to see... Weird. I heard they've been having some staffing issues recently, which apparently translated into tech issues.

Oh well, nevermind. Sota must be in considerable tension right now, as he always is at a big event. Good luck, Sota, you can do this! Just try to skate like in GPF, okay? Shoma and Kazuki are experienced, they'll handle this, and you can focus on yourself and doing your best to make it into the prestigious top 12.

 

[gsk8]

 

[KiraraChin]

Just popping by to say I'll be rooting for Sota to have a strong comeback FS

 

[surimi]

I for one am not surprised that Sota has not done too well so far. I like Sota a lot, but he has a tendency to mess up big competitions held in Japan. NHK Trophy 2022 was an exception, but all previous NHKs and Nationals show that Sota apparently has a mental block when it comes to these competitions. All skaters are different, and Sota has many loveable qualities, but mental strength in high stress domestic events is not his forte. I think it's partly caused by him being so intense, and caring about skating so much. His practices went well, he is in a good shape and lands quads and 3A routinely, per practice reports, so it's all in his head.
That's exactly why I wished for Sota to get 4CC, where he might have medaled. Precisely because I know of this tendency of his to underperform in Japan when stakes are high. This WC comes with 1) the added stress of the necessity to retain 3 spots (Shoma is perfectly capable of that, but there were some injury news, which could have affected Sota), 2) Sota being hyped by media and fans (as he always is when he does well), 3) and Sota's strong desire not to be the worst achiever among all the Japanese skaters at WC. The last can sometimes be counter productive...
Nevertheless, Sota can rebound. He's been in lower places, and prevailed.
This SP result is certainly disappointing for a skater of his level, and it's unfortunate it happened at an event which is so closely monitored by the media and the fandom. But it can happen to many elite skaters. It will be a useful experience for Sota in the future, especially since his dream is the Olympics, which is an even more prestigious, more stressful event. Now Sota knows what emotions to expect, and hopefully he'll learn how to battle them. If he wants to remain a top skater, he will have to learn it, like the other boys. He still has about 3 years to adjust. But the sooner he stabilizes himself at the major events (he already did a very nice job in the GP), the better. JSF is going to be distrustful now, and Sota will need to show them he can be consistent throughout the season. No better stage to show that than Nationals, his usual habitat for messups; but that's easier said than done.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Sota to rebound in the FS. It's my dream for him to make the top 12, which would grant him some WS points, and two GP. He's now truly a challenger. He knows what he can do, GPF and Universiade have shown him that. Let's hope he puts it together for the FS.

An article about Sota's SP: https://hochi.news/articles/20230323-OHT1T51242.html?page=1
According to Googe translate, he says "It was my first world championship, so I was in a position to go boldly, but I think the short program was somewhat tense and difficult. It's not that easy after all. I want to switch and work hard on free again."

Go, Sota, good luck! You can do it.