- Joined
- May 5, 2018
I read that Sota participated in the official practice today and landed a triple and a quad at the end of session. So it seems that he will compete... Best of luck to him, let's hope it doesn't aggravate the injury 
Sota Yamamoto
- Thread starter surimi
- Start date
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- Nov 12, 2013
That's not the news I was hoping for. 
He has little chance with a serious injury, against Yuma, Tatsuya, Jimmy, and others who all seem to be in good shape. The idea of him attempting to skate the FS with a herniated disc sounds even worse. 
Someone please let him go to Golden Spin to make up for the points, and make him WD from this. I can't imagine his doctor gave him the green light to compete.
ETA, good luck to Sota if he does decide to compete! But I'm really stressed out about his decision, what if he worsens his injury and misses out on the entire half of the season or something... Please let him be safe, an survive the competition without worsening he condition of his back.
He has little chance with a serious injury, against Yuma, Tatsuya, Jimmy, and others who all seem to be in good shape. The idea of him attempting to skate the FS with a herniated disc sounds even worse. Someone please let him go to Golden Spin to make up for the points, and make him WD from this. I can't imagine his doctor gave him the green light to compete.ETA, good luck to Sota if he does decide to compete!
But I'm really stressed out about his decision, what if he worsens his injury and misses out on the entire half of the season or something... Please let him be safe, an survive the competition without worsening he condition of his back.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Sota survived the first part of the competition, and is currently in 3rd place:
To the music of "Yesterday," he began with a quadruple toe loop, followed by a flip-toe loop triple combination. However, he landed a slightly shaky triple axel in the second half.
"I had an injury about a week ago, so it was a bit of a difficult situation, but I was able to get through it thanks to treatment until the very last minute and the support of many people.In terms of my performance and scores, I don't think my composition is perfect yet, and it's not the performance I was aiming for.First of all, I want to complete this competition, heal my injury properly, and then I'll be able to go back and aim for my goals for the season," he said, reflecting on his performance that day.
When asked why he decided to participate, he said, "I was discussing with my coaches and those around me whether I should participate or not until about three or four hours before the actual event. Everyone around me felt that I didn't need to participate, but I had a strong desire to do so. Because I'm injured, it might affect the rest of the season, but I told myself that it was my decision and I would take responsibility for it, and I told them that I wanted to participate. Of course, I didn't want to run away."
Looking ahead to the free program on the 7th, he expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I've been practicing without the (quadruple) flip. I'd like to do my best without overdoing it, while carefully consulting with my body."
***
Well, may all the skating deities protect him on Sunday I hope the injury doesn't flare up tomorrow. 
I'd say amazing job considering how injured he is, but I still wish he hadn't pushed through the pain -_-
Congrats to him and Kazuki for now! My dream podium tandem, though the FS will be a different beast no doubt.
Yamamoto Sota scores 84.98 points, despite injuries to his back and shoulders, "I want to compete" - he volunteered and forced himself to compete
The men's short program (SP) took place, and Sota Yamamoto (MIXI), who competed despite suffering from a subluxation of his right shoulder and back pain, received 84.98 points.To the music of "Yesterday," he began with a quadruple toe loop, followed by a flip-toe loop triple combination. However, he landed a slightly shaky triple axel in the second half.
"I had an injury about a week ago, so it was a bit of a difficult situation, but I was able to get through it thanks to treatment until the very last minute and the support of many people.In terms of my performance and scores, I don't think my composition is perfect yet, and it's not the performance I was aiming for.First of all, I want to complete this competition, heal my injury properly, and then I'll be able to go back and aim for my goals for the season," he said, reflecting on his performance that day.
When asked why he decided to participate, he said, "I was discussing with my coaches and those around me whether I should participate or not until about three or four hours before the actual event. Everyone around me felt that I didn't need to participate, but I had a strong desire to do so. Because I'm injured, it might affect the rest of the season, but I told myself that it was my decision and I would take responsibility for it, and I told them that I wanted to participate. Of course, I didn't want to run away."
Looking ahead to the free program on the 7th, he expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I've been practicing without the (quadruple) flip. I'd like to do my best without overdoing it, while carefully consulting with my body."
***
Well, may all the skating deities protect him on Sunday
I hope the injury doesn't flare up tomorrow. I'd say amazing job considering how injured he is, but I still wish he hadn't pushed through the pain -_-
Congrats to him and Kazuki for now! My dream podium tandem, though the FS will be a different beast no doubt.
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
I have such mixed feelings about Sota's performance and the bits in bold illustrate why. Yes, he did amazing and I'm proud of him, but... is this competition really worth the sacrifice
I understand his desire to skate but his priority should be being in top shape for the GP series and Nationals, which are the competitions that really matter. He's an adult and I know he was advised to WD and decided to go against the advice, so... There's nothing we can do but hope he'll be OK.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
I'm with you Kirara, I'm not sure what he's aiming for in the state he's in. I would think it's WS points, but all the skaters up till 9-10th place are not far behind him. Yet 9th place gets no points and if the injury flares up halfway through the FS, 9th can easily become Sota's score. I still hope he'll WD if he finds himself in pain tomorrow, and won't risk aggravating his injury.
I'm gone this whole weekend, with limited internet access, and I wonder if I should actually be glad because I'm kind of dreading tomorrow's FS. I hope Sota doesn't worsen his condition because of it in the first place.
I'm gone this whole weekend, with limited internet access, and I wonder if I should actually be glad because I'm kind of dreading tomorrow's FS. I hope Sota doesn't worsen his condition because of it in the first place.
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Great job from Sota, finishing in 4th place, but my feelings remain: competing injured by choice at the start of the Olympic season is not a great idea (same feelings re: Kao). I really hope Sota gets to rest now, heal his injury and treat his health SERIOUSLY so he can be in good shape for the key competitions later on. No more 4F, please!!!
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- May 5, 2018
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
I was massively relieved yesterday to learn that Sota a) survived the competition, and hopefully without aggravating his injury (which he'd never admit anyways so I can only hope), and b) scored well enough to get WS points. He was a bit lucky in that others were messing up their programs also, but he did an outstanding job, and I guess he was operating on pure willpower.
I'm not happy he risked his health like that, but he's known to be stubborn, and that's just how Sota is wired
It was interesting to see the protocol - he actually got similar, or better, levels and scores than he did when he was jumping many quads and 3A in Summer Cup and Minato Trophy. The only negative GoE was for the 4T-1T combination, the rest was neutral or positive. Steps and one spin lv3, two spins lv4. He usually gets lower GoE for his jumps and similar or lower levels for his spins. Food for thought for Sota?
Sota's thoughts (per headlines, his feelings are both 'frustrated' and 'glad I competed'):
- Nikkan Sports:
-How do you feel looking back?
I think my performance was a result of a lack of practice, and I think I lacked the confidence to "practice" during the performance. That can't be helped, but, well... I didn't practice enough, and I'm still disappointed. I'll try to heal my injury first and do my best for the next performance.
-What do you think about the quadruple jump?
I think I really lacked confidence throughout this program, and I struggled to get through the free program, so I managed to get by in the short program because there were fewer elements, but I think my lack of practice really showed in the free program.
-Is this far from what Lori Nichol had in mind?
During the performance and in the steps, I was dancing while thinking, "I'm not expressing myself at all," so I still haven't mastered it. There are many parts of the way I move my body that don't feel right, so I'd like to explore those areas and make it my own.
-What did you gain from playing in this match despite your injury?
(the rest is paid)
- Mainichi:
(more or less the same as the questions above, but including: )
Performing with a sore back
I had been thinking about whether or not to do a (quadruple) Salchow. I managed to jump it once in the morning's official practice, and it felt good. I still hadn't been able to practice it through the music for about a week.
I think I will likely find myself in situations like this again in the future, so I think it was my weakness that I wasn't able to perform to my full potential. I hope to first heal my body and then work hard at training again so that I don't have to feel frustrated like this again and can continue practicing properly.
- Does it not seem to be getting worse?
(rats, this answer is paid also!
)
I get that Sota wants the points, but really, practicing the 4S with a herniated disc, which is not one of his most confident jumps, when there are still 5 more jumps to come in the program... I guess this is why I was never meant to be a competitive athlete, I don't understand the point of the risk. The 4T, I get it, you can't hope for 220+ scores without a quad and the 3A, but 4S?
Okay, whatever, I hope Sota gets healthy soon!
***
Thanks for sharing the A-Z, Kirara! I guess I know Sota fairly well because I wasn't surprised by a single answer, and anticipated correctly about a half of them
Isn't it cool that he's wanted to be a skating coach since childhood, for almost 20 years? I hope his dream comes true!
I'm not happy he risked his health like that, but he's known to be stubborn, and that's just how Sota is wired
It was interesting to see the protocol - he actually got similar, or better, levels and scores than he did when he was jumping many quads and 3A in Summer Cup and Minato Trophy. The only negative GoE was for the 4T-1T combination, the rest was neutral or positive. Steps and one spin lv3, two spins lv4. He usually gets lower GoE for his jumps and similar or lower levels for his spins. Food for thought for Sota?
Sota's thoughts (per headlines, his feelings are both 'frustrated' and 'glad I competed'):
- Nikkan Sports:
-How do you feel looking back?
I think my performance was a result of a lack of practice, and I think I lacked the confidence to "practice" during the performance. That can't be helped, but, well... I didn't practice enough, and I'm still disappointed. I'll try to heal my injury first and do my best for the next performance.
-What do you think about the quadruple jump?
I think I really lacked confidence throughout this program, and I struggled to get through the free program, so I managed to get by in the short program because there were fewer elements, but I think my lack of practice really showed in the free program.
-Is this far from what Lori Nichol had in mind?
During the performance and in the steps, I was dancing while thinking, "I'm not expressing myself at all," so I still haven't mastered it. There are many parts of the way I move my body that don't feel right, so I'd like to explore those areas and make it my own.
-What did you gain from playing in this match despite your injury?
(the rest is paid)
- Mainichi:
(more or less the same as the questions above, but including: )
Performing with a sore back
I had been thinking about whether or not to do a (quadruple) Salchow. I managed to jump it once in the morning's official practice, and it felt good. I still hadn't been able to practice it through the music for about a week.
I think I will likely find myself in situations like this again in the future, so I think it was my weakness that I wasn't able to perform to my full potential. I hope to first heal my body and then work hard at training again so that I don't have to feel frustrated like this again and can continue practicing properly.
- Does it not seem to be getting worse?
(rats, this answer is paid also!
)I get that Sota wants the points, but really, practicing the 4S with a herniated disc, which is not one of his most confident jumps, when there are still 5 more jumps to come in the program... I guess this is why I was never meant to be a competitive athlete, I don't understand the point of the risk. The 4T, I get it, you can't hope for 220+ scores without a quad and the 3A, but 4S?
Okay, whatever, I hope Sota gets healthy soon!
***
Thanks for sharing the A-Z, Kirara! I guess I know Sota fairly well because I wasn't surprised by a single answer, and anticipated correctly about a half of them
Isn't it cool that he's wanted to be a skating coach since childhood, for almost 20 years? I hope his dream comes true!
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Chubu regionals are this weekend already! Lots of luck to Sota! 
Seriously, even without the 4F, I hope he doesn't go for the full FS layout he has planned for this season. It's too soon after his hernia scare (okay, so we learn it wasn't a full-fledged herniated disc after all, but it was close). Plus being able to skate clean with an easier layout could be a confidence booster. Fingers crossed... but I'm not too hopeful. Sota is known for being daring and stubborn
Also, here's the Trialeti Trophy entry list: https://isu-skating.com/figure-skating/entries/isu-cs-trialeti-trophy-2025/
Tomoki is also there - will Sota be well enough to have a revenge skate? Among the biggest names: Nika Egazde, Jason Brown, Alexander Selevko, Sihyeong Lee. Surprisingly, no Shaidorov, which is good news for Sota. If he can hold it together, he has a better podium chance in Georgia than in GP.
Seriously, even without the 4F, I hope he doesn't go for the full FS layout he has planned for this season. It's too soon after his hernia scare (okay, so we learn it wasn't a full-fledged herniated disc after all, but it was close). Plus being able to skate clean with an easier layout could be a confidence booster. Fingers crossed... but I'm not too hopeful. Sota is known for being daring and stubborn
Also, here's the Trialeti Trophy entry list: https://isu-skating.com/figure-skating/entries/isu-cs-trialeti-trophy-2025/
Tomoki is also there - will Sota be well enough to have a revenge skate? Among the biggest names: Nika Egazde, Jason Brown, Alexander Selevko, Sihyeong Lee. Surprisingly, no Shaidorov, which is good news for Sota. If he can hold it together, he has a better podium chance in Georgia than in GP.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Good luck to Sota today at Chubu regionals! I would be happy if he still had a 3Lz3T or 3F3T instead of his quad combo, just to be health-mindful, but I have a hunch he'll go for the more difficult layout... Anyways, I hope his back is on the mend, and he skates as clean as possible!
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
I think Sota might still be dealing with the back issues? I was pleased to see he took it easy and only included one 4T, and swapped the 4T3T for 3F3T. But, he fell on the 3A, so now he's on 77.08.
Here's the protocol:
The judges could have been far more generous on SS marks because one thing that Sota is NOT, is a 7-something skating skills athlete. Just ugh. OTOH, I was happy to see lv4 steps and two spins, that is definitely an improvement.
If I were to guess, then his back has not been healing as fast as Sota had hoped, and the training backlog + new training load due to the mandatory Regionals, it was just more than he could take at the moment. Also, him working enough on StSq and spins to land lv4 after being given lv3 and 2 previously - I would venture a guess he practised the elements he could, and wasn't allowed to jump as much as he usually does. I mean, this is Sota, he's stubborn, and usually aims for difficult content. So him going for 3F3T indicates he's still struggling health-wise. I wish Trialeti Trophy could be a bit later.
Wishing him good luck in the FS!
Here's the protocol:
The judges could have been far more generous on SS marks because one thing that Sota is NOT, is a 7-something skating skills athlete. Just ugh. OTOH, I was happy to see lv4 steps and two spins, that is definitely an improvement.
If I were to guess, then his back has not been healing as fast as Sota had hoped, and the training backlog + new training load due to the mandatory Regionals, it was just more than he could take at the moment. Also, him working enough on StSq and spins to land lv4 after being given lv3 and 2 previously - I would venture a guess he practised the elements he could, and wasn't allowed to jump as much as he usually does. I mean, this is Sota, he's stubborn, and usually aims for difficult content. So him going for 3F3T indicates he's still struggling health-wise. I wish Trialeti Trophy could be a bit later.
Wishing him good luck in the FS!
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Turns out I was pretty close! From Mainichi (red font emphasis just mine):
"People say I'm stubborn, but..."
I wanted to give it my all, but I made a mistake. It's unfortunate, but I was injured in the last competition, and since then I've had to take time off and get treatment, so I haven't been able to skate for quite some time, so I guess it can't be helped.
I think my injury is improving, so I want to first heal properly and then practice in top condition for the next competition. First of all, I want to give it my all in tomorrow's free skate.
<When will you resume practice after the Kinoshita Group Cup?>
It was about three days ago (the 17th), and I had been taking about 10 days off since Kinoshita finished. Personally, I wanted to skate, but I thought now was the time to be patient.
This season is a crucial one for your participation in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Do you feel it will be difficult?
To be honest, I haven't had much of that experience, but with injuries and other things happening this season, it's kind of interesting...
[the rest is behind paywall]
***
So, he's still not fully healed... Ouch. Poor Sota. Wishing him good luck tomorrow, and hopefully he limits the number of hard jumps to the max. One 4T and one 3A should be enough. The 3A combo is not compulsory, is it?
Sota Yamamoto: "It feels so nostalgic..." 8 years ago, now...
The Chubu Championships, a qualifying event for the All Japan Figure Skating Championships, held the men's short program (SP) on the 20th at Kowa Minato Sports & Culture in Nagoya, with Yamamoto Sota (MIXI) coming in first with 77.08 points. His performance was disappointing, as he fell during a jump, but he commented on the back pain he developed about two weeks ago before the Challenger Series (CS) Kinoshita Group Cup, saying, "The pain is almost gone. I'm feeling better.""People say I'm stubborn, but..."
I wanted to give it my all, but I made a mistake. It's unfortunate, but I was injured in the last competition, and since then I've had to take time off and get treatment, so I haven't been able to skate for quite some time, so I guess it can't be helped.
I think my injury is improving, so I want to first heal properly and then practice in top condition for the next competition. First of all, I want to give it my all in tomorrow's free skate.
<When will you resume practice after the Kinoshita Group Cup?>
It was about three days ago (the 17th), and I had been taking about 10 days off since Kinoshita finished. Personally, I wanted to skate, but I thought now was the time to be patient.
This season is a crucial one for your participation in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Do you feel it will be difficult?
To be honest, I haven't had much of that experience, but with injuries and other things happening this season, it's kind of interesting...
[the rest is behind paywall]
***
So, he's still not fully healed... Ouch. Poor Sota. Wishing him good luck tomorrow, and hopefully he limits the number of hard jumps to the max. One 4T and one 3A should be enough. The 3A combo is not compulsory, is it?
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Great job in the FS, Sota! He got his best FS score so far this season, 169.72 points, and won Chubu regionals. I haven't seen the protocols yet, but since the article below says he simplified his layout, he must have scored well on levels and GoE. Well done indeed! I hope he can rest now, and heal fully before his next Challenger comes around. 
After the SP on the 20th, he said that he hadn't been able to make his free routine "Hallelujah" his own.
That's right. I've gotten better at paying attention to expression through image training and practice, but today I still felt physically exhausted in the second half. I think I'm gradually coming to my senses, so I'd like to get the composition back on track and express the hallelujah I feel.
What image do you want to express?
The free image is...
[the rest is paywalled]
*********
I'll be back with more eventually.
Winner Yamamoto Sota: "I hope you'll look forward to it" Chubu Championship
The Chubu Championships, a qualifying event for the All Japan Figure Skating Championships, held the men's free skating event on the 21st at Kowa Minato Sports & Culture in Nagoya, with Yamamoto Sota (MIXI), who placed first in the short program (SP), winning with 169.72 points for a total of 246.80 points. Although the performance was less difficult than the original composition, he landed a quadruple toe loop and was smiling. Yamamoto's comments are as follows:The expression I aim for when translating "Hallelujah" into Japanese is...
I think I did everything I could within my capabilities. It's still not the planned composition, so I hope to continue practicing properly with the original composition.After the SP on the 20th, he said that he hadn't been able to make his free routine "Hallelujah" his own.
That's right. I've gotten better at paying attention to expression through image training and practice, but today I still felt physically exhausted in the second half. I think I'm gradually coming to my senses, so I'd like to get the composition back on track and express the hallelujah I feel.
What image do you want to express?
The free image is...
[the rest is paywalled]
*********
I'll be back with more eventually.
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Congrats to Sota for the victory at Chubu 
I was really pleased to know he actually took time to heal after Kinoshita, and made the right decision to compete with lower difficult content here. It really seems like things are moving in the right direction, so hopefully he'll be back with his full content for Trialeti Trophy
Here are his Chubu performances for those who haven't seen it yet:
I was really pleased to know he actually took time to heal after Kinoshita, and made the right decision to compete with lower difficult content here. It really seems like things are moving in the right direction, so hopefully he'll be back with his full content for Trialeti Trophy
Here are his Chubu performances for those who haven't seen it yet:
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Sota gave an interview today in Chukyo, I suppose it was for Asahi TV, who are tagged:
I hope to see some of that online, not geoblocked!
Good to see his hair back to its original straight shape, BTW. Sota said there were two opinion camps among his fans and those around him regarding his perm, and I would definitely be in the 'no perm' camp.
Also, a new batch of Sota merch is on sale.
The thermos flask looks very appealing to me as I don't have one at home, and it would be super practical to have in Finland... but they don't ship abroad :/
Also, I've just realized Sota's Chubu score would have been enough for silver at Nebelhorn!
I hope his back is alright for the upcoming Challenger.
I hope to see some of that online, not geoblocked!
Good to see his hair back to its original straight shape, BTW. Sota said there were two opinion camps among his fans and those around him regarding his perm, and I would definitely be in the 'no perm' camp.
Also, a new batch of Sota merch is on sale.
The thermos flask looks very appealing to me as I don't have one at home, and it would be super practical to have in Finland... but they don't ship abroad :/
Also, I've just realized Sota's Chubu score would have been enough for silver at Nebelhorn!
I hope his back is alright for the upcoming Challenger.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Sota's Chubu programs are now on Youtube! Thank you, MeTere TV!
SP:
FS:
No Kiss and Cry, but includes post-skate interviews instead. Sota looks quite pleased with himself, though it's obvious from his expression immediately after the ending pose that skating the FS especially cost him a lot of strength, and he was in some pain.
Fortunately, he says in his most recent Unlim that his back pain has been healing nicely.
SP:
FS:
No Kiss and Cry, but includes post-skate interviews instead.
Sota looks quite pleased with himself, though it's obvious from his expression immediately after the ending pose that skating the FS especially cost him a lot of strength, and he was in some pain. Fortunately, he says in his most recent Unlim that his back pain has been healing nicely.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2013
Sota's comment from the GP participants' press conference (they were asked to share their theme for this season):
There's also a joint interview of Sota and Kazuki for Figure Skating Life magazine, about costumes and more. I wish I could read it!
Trialeti Trophy starts in just 2-3 days for Sota, so fingers crossed for him! I'll be happy if he's healthy and manages to podium. He'll have some hard rivals, especially Jason and Egadze (who will no doubt get a home push). But there'll also be Sihyeong Lee who got a very good score at Denis Ten memorial a few days ago, and Litvintsev, and Hiwatashi who got a bronze at Kinoshita.
Good luck, Sota!
There's also a joint interview of Sota and Kazuki for Figure Skating Life magazine, about costumes and more. I wish I could read it!
Trialeti Trophy starts in just 2-3 days for Sota, so fingers crossed for him! I'll be happy if he's healthy and manages to podium. He'll have some hard rivals, especially Jason and Egadze (who will no doubt get a home push). But there'll also be Sihyeong Lee who got a very good score at Denis Ten memorial a few days ago, and Litvintsev, and Hiwatashi who got a bronze at Kinoshita.
Good luck, Sota!
- Joined
- May 5, 2018
Just opened Twitter to see that Sota WD from Trialeti Trophy due to back pain
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2024
I haven't seen anything on him withdrawing...YET. As I understand it, he is considering it since his back is bothering him.
