Sota Yamamoto | Page 80 | Golden Skate

Sota Yamamoto

Haven't seen this posted here yet, but Essen magazine published part of the Sota/Shoma interview: https://esse-online.jp/articles/-/23515
It's in Japanese but works with Google Translate

Kazuki posted a IG story with sleepy Sota... I'm like that every morning so I can relate lol
Sota reposted this story, saying 'thank you for waking me up'


Sota himself posted a cute pic of the 'Habit' group number skaters, whose costume is a school uniform:
 
Thanks for the photos, Kirara!
There hasn't been much new content on Sota recently, and he seems busy with shows, and picking new programs, though he's already picked his choreographers.
Here's a nice photo from World Championships from Kyrylo Marsak's IG-


Also, there's been a TV program about Sota, but Nagoya TV aka MeTele only showed a tiny bit on Youtube , and a very brief summary here . The show itself is geoblocked, no surprise there. They (Nagoya TV) have some nice Sota content on YT, but not this one. I hope they upload it in the future. The summary says Sota's favorite meals are cheesecake and steak in miso sauce, which is about the only piece of info that occasional Sota fans may not know already ^ ^
Here's a great long-ish interview on Nagoya TV's website, though (which I suspect has the same content as the TV program), and it works well with Google Translate:
www.nagoyatv.com

フィギュア山本草太「本気で悔しいと思ったときに成長」グランプリファイナル銀、躍進のシーズン振り返る

　今シーズンも東海地方にゆかりの選手たちが活躍したフィギュアスケート。飛躍を遂げたスケーターの一人が、中京大学の山本草太選手(23)です。グランプリファイナル銀メダル、世界選手権初出場と激動のシーズンを振り返りました。
www.nagoyatv.com
My favorite part: Asked which of Aimyon (his favorite singer), sauna and skating was his #1 passion, Sota said skating. :biggrin: ❤️

Also, the final Onsen Club talkshow with Sota, Kazuki, Mitsuki and Taichiro is this Sunday already. I hope the boys can still meet up as a group in RL on occasion.
 
 
Another moment with Sota and Kazuki from the last meeting of the onsen club:


And all the boys posing:


I'm very happy Sota is going to be in Special funding! :jump:I didn't dare hope. That means JSF still sees top potential in him.

Also, I've heard he's currently looking for SP and FS music - or maybe he's already found it. I hope he picks something Spanish/Latin that's not a wailing tango, and something Japanese (I keep hoping he'll pick the Seven Samurai one day... noone's ever skated to it AFAIK. I don't know if it's skateable but I was impressed by the movie, and Sota did such a fine job with Nobunaga). Or maybe classics that are not violin. Hopefully he won't get a warhorse, too. Though he'd make a fantastic PotO IMO.
 
There is a new article on Sota published by Asahi Digital, but it's behind a paywall 😩
www.asahi.com

悔しくても冷静なたたずまい　世界選手権後、山本草太の姿に見た成長：朝日新聞デジタル

　額に大粒の汗を浮かべて、「今季の最後は悔しい結果になった」と山本草太（中京大）は冷静に振り返った。　23歳で初めて挑んだ3月のフィギュアスケート世界選手権。開幕直前は「すべての経験をシーズン締めくく…
www.asahi.com www.asahi.com
 
^ Sota was quite right. He did use all his experience - and got great scores on GP where he has competed for a few years now. He had no big competition experience prior to WC, and just like he said - it showed. He's one of the older guys now, a former junior prodigy, plus someone who tends to overstress and mess up at Nationals, which invariably eliminated him from the top 5 that get sent to WC and 4CC until this season. That means his position is harder mentally, and I'm not surprised he panicked at his first WC. If he goes one more time, I'm sure he'll handle the tension better. I had to agree with our TV's commentator who felt his WC SP performance looked nervous/frightened.

Speaking of commentators, our high-profile TES specialist was doing the WC FS commentary along with some other female, and both were going on about how, I quote, the choice of Sota was 'controversial', and that other female brought up how even Shoma voiced his displeasure. Not the slightest doubt in their minds whether it was Kazuki or Sota who 'shouldn't' be on the team. They knew. Even judges and TES folk have apparently been considering the choice of Sota doubtful. 😤
I am angry with JSF for creating this mess and indirectly creating this kind of talk. I am angry they didn't explain their new assignment rules in advance, and then allowed journalists near skaters when there's a risk of one or more of them being... not diplomatic. I DO hope they learned their lesson, and this won't happen again.

On a different note, Quadruple Axel magazine will be having some sort of contest for photos signed by the onsen boys:

Lucky winners! :love:
 
Phew... bullshit talk at its best. But I guess that happens everywhere, sadly and it is probably not that much about Sota. It happens in other sports in general and in FS in other countries as well. It would probably have happened to any of the Japanese guys who ended up lowest.
People talk so they talk. It's absolutely unnecessary and I hope Sota and his team either ignore all of this or classify it correctly and move on. :)
 
Sota debuted his new EX 'Teeth' today at PIW! I'm not sure who is the singer/group, but it's a rock song with a black leather costume:


Press report: https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2023/04/29/kiji/20230429s00079000388000c.html
Sota Yamamoto, intense with new exhibition number "Teeth" Prince Ice World

The Yokohama performance of the figure skating ice show "Prince Ice World" was held at the KOSE Shin-Yokohama Skating Center on the 29th.

Sota Yamamoto (Chukyo Univ.), the runner-up in the men's GP Final, performed his new exhibition piece "Teeth" for the first time in a shiny leather jacket costume. He performed triple lutz, flips, spins, and steps to the rock-inspired number, and said "I am happy to be back in a show I want to be in."

Looking back on this season as "a season in which I felt growth," and looking ahead to next season, "I plan to change both the short program and free skate. I have already decided on a choreographer, but I haven't decided on a song yet. I am in the stage of thinking about it while listening to various songs and performing in ice shows. I hope I can absorb something from this ice show," he said enthusiastically.

As for his first exhibition piece, he said, "I have been practicing hard for this number, which is completely different from my previous image. I want to challenge myself in various ways with an eye toward learning new techniques for next season.
 
Sota posted a snipped of his new EX on IG. He says in the captions something along the lines of 'it's hard work, but a lot of fun!'


The song is by the Australian group 5 Seconds of Summer:


I'm really looking forward to seeing the full EX, looks interesting so far!
 
I really like what I see of Sota's gala so far :) I think galas are a great way of experimenting with genres Sota would like to try. Without the jumps to focus on, he can tap into his expression and dancing skills. He was obviously having fun at this show, and although these are his first steps when it comes to this music (not counting group numbers in shows) and his expression still looks a tiny bit insecure, it already looks very promising.
I am hoping for genres Sota is already comfortable with for competitive programs. There's still a nice range of music he could portray, without resorting to music others excel at but which wouldn't suit him. Basically, what Kazuki was born to do (Zigeunerweisen, modern dance, Riverdance, Fledermaus...), and what Koshiro does really well (Chaplin, The Artist...), is the opposite of what Sota should do. My two cents...
 
A tiny piece of Sota's 'Teeth' gala, though without music:
https://youtu.be/YJwB7yn2E2c (at 1:05) Also, there's an interview of KanaDai and Sota, and Sota's interspersed parts start at 8:38. The video ends with Sota and KanaDai posing together ☺️ I don't understand it too well, but I think he says he hasn't decided on the music for SP and FS yet, but he has picked his choreographers.
 
Cross-posting from Kazuki's Fan Fest, a translation of this article: https://nonno.hpplus.jp/article/105198/03/

Figure skater Kazuki Tomono's popular series of articles will be joined by guests for the first time!
The long-awaited guests are Sota Yamamoto, who has made the most appearances in the name section of the series, and Koshiro Shimada, who has been going shopping for clothes together and traveling around Ehime, and they are good friends!
In "Tomono no Mono Gatari. In vol. 3, we took a stroll in Jimbocho, and this time the three of us went to Asakusa to enjoy a brief holiday in Tokyo. While visiting the city's landmarks, they reflected on the current season.

Looking back on this season
It was a season in which everyone was pulled along by Sota-kun."
--The season will soon come to a close. What kind of season was it?

Tomono: It was a season that brought out both the good and the bad in each of us, right?

Shimada: Yes. Up to now, Sota and I have often made mistakes in every game. Just a couple of years ago, we were talking about how we still had to work harder.

Yamamoto: Yes. That's how we finally became able to do our best this season, when we wanted to do our best. I think that was a good thing.

Tomono: Even so, it was a raging "Yamamoto" season. From the first half, Sota's momentum was unstoppable. Everyone was saying, "Oh my God, Sota!

Shimada: It was a season in which everyone was pulled along by Sota-kun. The first time I was shocked was at the NHK Cup selection round. At that time, I was in good condition and returned to Japan full of confidence. ...... But when I came back to Japan to train with Sota, I realized that I wasn't good enough yet.

Tomono: Koshiro was really depressed. He said, "Sota-kun was great. ...... I had already seen him at the training camp, so I said, "Right? (laughs). At the senior training camp before the season started, I saw that one person's performance was so much better than the rest. That's when the switch came on for me, and I started talking about Sota on purpose. Because I felt that if I didn't pay more attention to him than necessary, he would leave me behind.

Shimada: At the beginning of the season, there was one person who was amazing. What scared me the most was that he seemed to be facing himself one-on-one all the time, without any regard for what was going on around him. It was like he was fighting only with himself. For someone like me, who looks around a lot, I thought that was really amazing.

Tomono: I felt like he was not even looked at. He set his own goals and was working hard toward them, and he seemed to be overflowing with confidence. Isn't that right?

Yamamoto: Until last season, I had a string of bad seasons, and since I became a senior, I had almost no results. I felt a big gap between myself and the top players, so it was fun to finally be back in a position to compete this season. Of course, there were times when I won and times when I lost, but I was very happy to be able to compete at the top. It was a season filled with such feelings.

The All-Japan Championships and the Road to the Championships

--The All-Japan Championships was the first time the three of us came together for the season's biggest event, the All-Japan Championships. What was the significance of this event for each of you?
Koshiro Shimada: "For the past year, I have been working so hard that I was willing to quit after the next All-Japan. I put everything I had into this All-Japan."

Shimada: In my case, I had a slightly special way of thinking about the All-Japan Championships.
I decided two years ago, right after the All-Japan, that I would give it my all, even if I had to quit after the following year's All-Japan. So I took some time off, and as soon as the new year started, I got a trainer and started working on my body.

I am not sure if everything went well from that point until the race day. I had to change my condition for each match according to the situation. It was a season in which I managed to adapt to different situations each time.

But only at All-Japan, I felt that my mind, technique, and body were perfectly aligned. Even before that, I had skated without mistakes in both Short and FS, and I was in my best shape for the whole season. I think luck was a factor, but I think it was the strength of my spirit, and the desire I had put into that competition, that helped me.

Sota Yamamoto: "I went into this season aiming for the podium in the GP series. All-Japan from the Finals was difficult, but I was able to accept all the results as due to my adjustments"

Yamamoto: In my case, I wanted to achieve results from the GP Series at the beginning of this season. That is why I had my sights set on the GP Series. Of course, I also placed importance on the All-Japan series.

As a result, I was able to get on the podium in both rounds for the first time, and it was a great thing for me to be able to make it to the finals as well. I had set a goal to get on the podium, but I had not really imagined to be in the Finals.

But it was the first time for me to get a result in the GP Series, and then the Final, and then All-Japan without much interval, it was difficult. It was a totally new experience for me.

I failed in All-Japan, but I could accept it all, because it was my adjustment to get here. I was not disappointed, it was just the result of my efforts. I realized that I still had work to do, and I was able to finish the match with a positive feeling.

Kazuki Tomono: My sights were set on the World Championships. So, the All-Japan podium is not a goal, but a beginning. This is the first time I have faced All-Japan with such a feeling.

Tomono: This may come as a surprise given my performance in the early part of the season, but from the moment last season ended, I already knew that I had no choice but to compete in the World Championships and win a medal next time.
So I had planned this season with my sights set on the World Championships. I worked hard all year for this goal.

Of course, I wanted to take revenge in the GP Series, and since Kusata was also competing, I wanted to take it one round at a time.
But looking at the results, I think I still lacked something. It is not that I was out of tune, but maybe I was not able to change my mind somewhere.

After the GP series, I have been thinking about All-Japan and the World Championships, which is my biggest goal, and I have been practicing hard. I had to use this one month to improve my level, to get a medal at All-Japan, and to definitely go to Worlds, since I couldn't compete in the Finals. I pushed myself very hard in practice.

The result was 3rd place, losing to Koshiro, but I had a great sense of accomplishment. But at the same time, my mind was already on the World Championships. It was not a goal, but a passing point. It was an All-Japan competition that I approached with a different feeling than usual.

"It's not about winning or losing, I want to fight on the basis of everyone performing well"

Tomono: Both of you were nodding your heads as you listened to me. I was really surprised to see the results because I didn't really see other people's practice. I didn't even know Koshiro was doing well. ......

Shimada: I was the second last skater in both Short and FS, so I didn't watch anyone's performance, I came only for myself, skated only for myself, and went home.

Until now, I had been so worried about others' scores, and every time I heard their scores, I was shaken by the emotions that came to my mind. But this time was different. Even though I could hear their scores, I was able to concentrate on my own performance. It was a new feeling for me.

--So your concentration led to the silver medal result this time, right?

Shimada: Yes. The coaches, trainers, and people around me (......) were very supportive and created an environment that allowed me to concentrate. It was the moment when all those puzzle pieces clicked into place.

Tomono: I wanted to make my 2nd jump absolutely succeed, but it ended in failure, that was so frustrating. After the Free skate, I was stunned, thinking "3rd place is not enough, 2nd place is not enough to qualify for the Worlds," as I was thinking. When I was being interviewed with that feeling, I couldn't hear the cheers of Sota's performance at all, and I was getting more and more anxious. ......

YAMAMOTO (laughs)

Tomono: At that time, I was really impatient, saying, "Oh, wait, wait. I knew that Koshiro was a good performer, but anyway, I was in a daze for a long time. ...... But I always wanted to have a match where I could show what I had worked hard for, and I knew that Koshiro had been struggling. In the end, I lost because of my feelings, and I felt that the ranking was based on the feelings I had put into it. So I was disappointed that Koshiro came in second and I came in third, but I was also happy. But as for Sota, I was frustrated too (laughs).

Shimada: It was frustrating to lose, but I was more motivated by the desire to compete after everyone had performed well.

Yamamoto: Me and Koshiro went to the Warsaw Cup a year and a half ago, during the Olympic season. At that time, he had more stable quad than me, and jumped more easily. He had done well in the short program, and it was just the free skate. It was so close then, so I was happy to see Koshiro's clean and smooth 4T at this All-Japan, finally in the competition. I was so happy, because Koshiro is a talented skater.

SHIMADA (with a big smile)

--It is interesting to note that all three of us had different sights set on this season, but all of us experienced a new feeling at this All-Japan Championships. By the way, did the three of you talk like this in the sauna you went to after the championship?

Yamamoto: No, we did not. We just said, "The sauna feels good, the food tastes good ......" (laughs).

Tomono: We don't get too emotional. We don't say, "Yes, everyone did a great job today! Let's work hard again! That's about it. We don't hear each other's feelings until we have an opportunity like this, don't we?

Shimada: Yes. It is a competition, but in the end it is about whether you did well or not, so it doesn't really matter if you beat your opponent or lost. If you give a good performance and lose, it's just frustrating! That's all.

Yamamoto: We have a relationship where we can casually say this kind of thing. I want to continue to work hard with everyone.
This competition made me feel strongly that I want to continue to work hard with everyone.

The rest of the 2022-23 season review talk will continue in vol. 18!
The love and respect for each other never stops, and the three of us will continue to look back on the season!
Please look forward to the next installment!
 
Thank you for sharing, Kirara!

I returned to Twitter after a nice extended break, and some are rejoicing there that Sota is jumping the 4F again, according to his IG Story -_- I'm going to need my hair dyed regularly this summer as I'm sure there'll be many grey hairs if he keeps that up. Even practicing it is hazardous, still less attempting it in competitions (which I hope he won't do)... Anyone currently competing that's not named Shoma, Malinin, Shun and Grassl is giving 4F and 4Lz a wide berth for now in comps, and for a very good reason. The rest have suffered more than benefited from those jumps, score-wise - Selevko, LeMay and a few others. I'd be much happier to see consistency from Sota throughout next season, rather than attempts at hard quads.

TBH I don't know if there was anything important in my timeline below May 9, as the posts just went on and on, and I gave up :P
But here's Sota having lots of fun at a show in his Teeth costume:

Not loving the half-flat half-ruffled hair, I guess it's some sort of fashion trend. But I live for a happy Sota, so photos like these make me glad. :)
 
Yeah people are forgetting Sota had already landed the 4F last off-season, tried to put it in the programme and it didn't work out... and he also almost got injured practising 4F and 4lz. So, I hope this time he's not taking too seriously and doesn't push it too far :pray:
 
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