Sota Yamamoto

[surimi]

I sent your message to Sota during the chat as it was a chat-only Unlim today, Kirara. Hopefully he's read it! T
There were many questions again so Sota could only address a few, but the one that struck me was that Unlim talkshows end in January I think Sota mentioned he would look for an alternative platform, but it looks like the next online meeting will be the last I hope it will not take place on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day so I can also attend.

 

[KiraraChin]

I sent your message to Sota during the chat as it was a chat-only Unlim today, Kirara. Hopefully he's read it! T
There were many questions again so Sota could only address a few, but the one that struck me was that Unlim talkshows end in January I think Sota mentioned he would look for an alternative platform, but it looks like the next online meeting will be the last I hope it will not take place on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day so I can also attend.

Thank you so much, surimi! That's really sad news about the Unlim talkshows If he's keen to look for an alternative platform, it suggests that it wasn't really his choice I wonder if this is related to his contract with MIXI, I hope not...

 

[surimi]

Thank you so much, surimi! That's really sad news about the Unlim talkshows If he's keen to look for an alternative platform, it suggests that it wasn't really his choice I wonder if this is related to his contract with MIXI, I hope not...

I couldn't understand very well as my level is still too low, but my guess would be that Unlim is trying to save money, and they found athlete talkshows expendable. I also hope Sota can find another platform, preferably one that is also foreigner-friendly. He usually says 'bye bye' at the end of his shows, so he's aware foreigners watch them too.
He also talked about a wide range of topics apart from this one - Finlandia, fan gifts, his cat, his haircut, skates he was using in Finland (I think... he mentioned something about softer boots, so it's possible he'd made a change), flying in business class for the first time, and more. He also discussed Kazuki at one point, and got a bit emotional as he was talking about how they've been good rivals since their childhood days at Rinkai. I don't think he said anything about Kazuki retiring, so maybe that's good news? He also mentioned how he and Sumitada Moriguchi made a sort of promise to each other in Finland to go to the Olympics together... well, I can only wish!

 

[KiraraChin]

I couldn't understand very well as my level is still too low, but my guess would be that Unlim is trying to save money, and they found athlete talkshows expendable. I also hope Sota can find another platform, preferably one that is also foreigner-friendly. He usually says 'bye bye' at the end of his shows, so he's aware foreigners watch them too.
He also talked about a wide range of topics apart from this one - Finlandia, fan gifts, his cat, his haircut, skates he was using in Finland (I think... he mentioned something about softer boots, so it's possible he'd made a change), flying in business class for the first time, and more. He also discussed Kazuki at one point, and got a bit emotional as he was talking about how they've been good rivals since their childhood days at Rinkai. I don't think he said anything about Kazuki retiring, so maybe that's good news? He also mentioned how he and Sumitada Moriguchi made a sort of promise to each other in Finland to go to the Olympics together... well, I can only wish!

Thank you for the explanation, I've seen they stopped Haruya Sasaki's talkshows too, so definitely not a Sota-only issue. Still, such a loss for the fans I hope he finds another platform soon. Thank you as well about telling what he spoke about, I wish I could have seen/understood what he said about Kazuki

 

[surimi]

I wish I could have seen/understood what he said about Kazuki

That makes two of us, I could only understand snippets

Well, not much Sota news at this point.
- The merchandize items that fans ordered a couple of months ago are with their owners now:


- Chukyo University did an interview with Sota on December 4 (and Chukyo don't geoblock their stuff, thank heavens!):


Also, there was a funny GPF promo YT video days ago, but since only two media links are allowed, I'll save it for a later post.

 

[surimi]

Nationals countdown, this time featuring Sota:


He looks tired to me, so I hope his recovery is going well!

Here's the funny GPF promo video from two weeks ago, starring Sota as the boss at a company meeting ^ ^ (also starring: Yuhana, Wakaba, Kaori and Tatsuya) :

He will probably be doing a good job of portraying a no-nonsense boss when he becomes a coach, but here, he's among his peers, and snickers too much

 

[surimi]

Just dropping these excerpts here -
DeepEdge's interview with Hongo sensei (Sota's coach) - it comes in 3 parts, and the first two discuss Sota. They're paywalled of course, so this below is all that's accessible.

【独自】本郷裕子コーチ、「ここまでなのかな」と漏らした山本草太が満知子先生の言葉で...　ジャンプに執着すると「振りとか上手なのに省いたりするから…」　【単独インタビュー・3回続きの（上）】 - フィギュアスケート専門情報サイトDeep Edge Plus　最新ニュース・充実のコラムをお届け

フィギュアスケートで名伯楽の山田満知子コーチの下、男子の山本草太（MIXI）や女子の松生理乃（中京大）を指導する本郷裕子コーチが共同通信のロングインタビューに応じた。世界選手権3度出場の理華さんを娘に持ち、山本や松生に […]

deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp

Machine translation part 1 -

Coach Hongo Yuko revealed, "I wonder if this is as far as I can go," to Yamamoto Sota, who was told by his teacher Machiko... If you get too hung up on jumps, "even if you're good at choreography, you'll end up skipping it..." ​

(The interview was conducted in Helsinki on November 23, the day after the conclusion of the Finlandia Trophy, the sixth Grand Prix series.)

　- Yamamoto has now completed two Grand Prix competitions, and this time she also worked hard on her free skate. How do you look back on it?

　"In Yamamoto's case, there were just too many mishaps every time (laughs). It started with back pain, and this time too, when I thought during practice, 'Oh, things are going well,' the night before he left (for Finland) he had a severe cough, like a seizure, and couldn't sleep, so he said he was going to the hospital. So he had to go to the hospital instead of practicing. I thought, 'Oh no.' Even without that, I thought he was just barely gaining strength, but then he fell off again. Lack of sleep. He couldn't sleep at night. I knew this was going to be a match where I had to take his physical condition into consideration again. When I took him in, I really wondered if he would be okay at first. But even after the tests, they diagnosed him with asthma, and it wasn't contagious. He seemed like he could do his best, so he came."

[Sota had actual asthma attacks just before leaving for Finlandia. It's gotten better after he got diagnosed and received effective medication, but it still bothers him a bit.]


Machine translation part 2 -
https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/feature/hongo-interview2/

Coach Yuko Hongo says Yamamoto Sota is so dedicated to his research that he's like an iPad teacher (laughs). He does what Machiko tells him to do, but he also complains a lot, saying things like, "I can't do it anymore."​

[the second installment only featured an intro and a big photo of Sota from his junior days, but the title was funny enough for me to list it ^ ^ Based on the reactions on Twitter, Hongo really says that Sota has tendency to grumble when he's required to practice non-jump elements ]

 

[KiraraChin]

"In Yamamoto's case, there were just too many mishaps every time (laughs). It started with back pain, and this time too, when I thought during practice, 'Oh, things are going well,' the night before he left (for Finland) he had a severe cough, like a seizure, and couldn't sleep, so he said he was going to the hospital. So he had to go to the hospital instead of practicing. I thought, 'Oh no.' Even without that, I thought he was just barely gaining strength, but then he fell off again. Lack of sleep. He couldn't sleep at night. I knew this was going to be a match where I had to take his physical condition into consideration again. When I took him in, I really wondered if he would be okay at first. But even after the tests, they diagnosed him with asthma, and it wasn't contagious. He seemed like he could do his best, so he came."

[Sota had actual asthma attacks just before leaving for Finlandia. It's gotten better after he got diagnosed and received effective medication, but it still bothers him a bit.]

I feel for him Asthma is no joke, and it often gets worse at night. Even with medication, the condition can be triggered by environmental factors such as temperature changes, stress and exercising itself, so it's never fully under control. It must be hard as well because some of the most common medication (e.g. steroids) might not be suitable for competitive athletes. So that's another thing to manage in addition to the back injury... Poor Sota

 

[surimi]

One more article by DeepEdge, from the day before yesterday - geoblocked again, so sharing the first part:

オリンピックへ「ラストチャンス」　大けが乗り越えた25歳山本草太【全日本フィギュア直前連載⑤】 - フィギュアスケート専門情報サイトDeep Edge Plus　最新ニュース・充実のコラムをお届け

「断然、あの時の方が苦しい」。フィギュアスケート男子で２５歳の山本草太（やまもと・そうた）（ＭＩＸＩ）は、今季ぜんそくのような症状や腰痛に悩まされてもくじけない。支えは右足首骨折と３度の手術を乗り越えた経験だ。約２０年 […]

deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp

25-year-old Sota Yamamoto overcomes serious injury as his "last chance" to compete in the Olympics​

"It was definitely more difficult back then," said 25-year-old male figure skater Sota Yamamoto (MIXI), who is unafraid to give up despite being plagued by asthma-like symptoms and back pain this season. He is fueled by his experience of overcoming a broken right ankle and three surgeries. He dreamed of competing in the Olympics after seeing it on TV about 20 years ago, and this is his "last chance." With an indomitable spirit, he aims to become a representative for the first time.

********
This one worked quite well with Google Translate!
Well, I agree this is Sota's last Olympic chance, but TBH, I'll be glad if he manages to land any big competition. He'd need it for his WS points because his injury has really derailed him this season. If he can somehow win Nationals and go to the Olympics - great, I'm all for that! However, Sota is a skater who is capable of bombing Aymoz-style, so a top 5 placement would still be great, as far as I am concerned. I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to checking up on how he did at Nationals, so I'll just hope he makes the FS first and foremost, and if so, as high up as possible in the FS... Christmas baking/shopping/cooking/cleaning, plus a nameday celebration in the family, are both convenient excuses to avoid browsing the internet, and freak out quietly in my mind. Hopefully he has a good Nationals...

 

[surimi]

An 8-minute Fuji TV interview with Sota: really nice, Sota talks about his Olympic ambition and how he refuses to give up despite the setbacks. It features glimpses of his off-ice training at the gym and his rehabilitation exercises, and his practice at Chukyo rink (he jumps a 4T-3A sequence - I wonder when the video is from, but it looks like it might have been shot recently? ) There are also flashbacks of his ankle injury rehab from when he was 16.

Fuji TV skater profile of Sota - scroll a little bit down to 'favorite photo' to meet Sota's late beautiful grey cat, 'Grey-chan'

山本 草太 ｜ スケート∞リンク ～フジスケ～ - フジテレビ

フィギュアスケートの注目選手紹介。山本 草太選手のプロフィールや記録・戦績などの情報はこちらから。

www.fujitv.co.jp

I hope Sota has good practice and a good mindset heading into Nationals - and good luck of course!

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

82.21, third at the moment, congratulation!

 

[16Olympics]

The crowd response for Sota was enormous. Had to feel good.

 

[KiraraChin]

I know the urge to goof around with Kazuki must be immense, BUT SOTA DON'T STRAIN YOUR BACK

 

[Noxia]

Hello everyone I just wonder who knows how to watch sota's friends α talkshow with shizuka part 2 i found part one and three but two seemed to be blocked by cs tv company due to copyright

 

[Noxia]

I know the urge to goof around with Kazuki must be immense, BUT SOTA DON'T STRAIN YOUR BACK

Sota said he was happy with this during fanmeeting and it's Kazuki's idea because he thought that would be interesting

 

[surimi]

Okay, back from a super busy week off, and so much stuff to take in! Sota getting a major assignment is definitely one of my Christmas wishes! Congratulations! His chance at a new SB is back Please make the most of it, Sota! If Kazuki stops competing internationally, he'll be my only big favorite left in the field.

My only gripe is the score itself. 238 is literally no improvement from Finlandia, which is a shame. He might still be suffering from lingering back/shoulder injury after-effects that he didn't mention in interviews. Or it's on his Nationals headcasing habit, and if so, I hope he does something about that by 4CC, which is too precious an opportunity to miss. AFAIK, he was saying he was able to have quality training up to the full load, so we can leave lack of training out of the possible reasons pool.

Still, 5th is a very very good result, one of the best in his career. It's also better than last year, when he was healthy. And definitely better than in 2021. He's also the second alternate for the OG, which is also impressive in itself. He's also 2nd alternate for WC. (anyone else here who would gladly attend an alternate WC with Kazuki, Sota and Nozomu competing? I definitely would!)
A return to 240+, 250+, 260+ scores would be great in the near future. I hope that Sota is hungry for more, and can finish his season on a high note


I wonder if he might get sent to a minor event, too, so that his world ranking might get some more boost since he missed so much with his injury? There's only Coupe du Printemps that's doable for him. The only other event in JSF's calendar is Challenge Cup, which overlaps with 4CC. There might be fewer competitors for those potential spots, with Kazuki potentially retiring, and Tatsuya retiring for good (that was a shocker for me and no mistake), so fingers crossed for Sota

*******

A bunch of autotranslations:

1) https://deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp/comment/146666/
- How do you honestly feel now that the free program is over?

　"This season was really tough, but I think I gave it my all at each stage. I'm really filled with regret, but for now, I've been able to practice well without any injuries up until the All Japan Championships, so even though things didn't go as planned, I'm filled with gratitude for the many people who supported me until the end."

2) https://mainichi.jp/articles/20251220/k00/00m/050/270000c

This is my current ability."​

Please tell us your honest feelings now that you have finished your free performance.
It was a really tough season, but I think it was a season in which I did everything I could at each stage and gave it my all. I'm filled with regret, but I was able to practice well without any injuries up until the All Japan Championships. Things didn't go as planned, but I'm very grateful to all the people who supported me until the very end.

I think you said you wanted to give it your all in today's free skate. What thoughts did you have in mind when you performed?

It was a result of giving it my all, but I believe this represents my current ability. It was a very disappointing performance, but I believe that coming all the way to the All Japan Championships was the right thing to do, and it was a truly disappointing season.

There was a lot of cheering from the audience. How did you feel about it?

That's right. Even after it was over, I wasn't completely satisfied with my performance, but...

3) https://hochi.news/articles/20251220-OHT1T51232.html?page=1
The men's free skating took place, and Sota Yamamoto (MIXI), who placed 6th in the short program (SP), received 156.73 points, for a total of 238.94 points.

To the music of "Hallelujah," he landed the opening quadruple salchow, but fell on the following quadruple toe loop.

"It was a season in which I gave it my all. It was a result of giving it my all, but this is my current ability. It was a disappointing performance, but there's nothing wrong with having made it to the All Japan Championships," he reflected.

This season she competed with the aim of being selected for the Milan-Cortina Olympic team. "I tried my best, but my skills weren't up to the task. It was a frustrating season and a frustrating match. I still can't process my feelings. I haven't thought about it much, but I don't want it to end like this," he said.

*****

I've also edited this FS link into the OP: https://youtu.be/Z5kjsNoG5ic?si=C1zrgXw0IKdU2VoM
Thank heavens for these generous posters, I hope their videos stay up as long as possible.

**********

I'll be back tomorrow with more content from social media and about MOI.

 

[surimi]

Okay, just IG and MOI today to keep it brief as there's a lot out there on Twitter.

- this cute backstage IG video of Sota, Kazuki and Koshiro:

They all look quite tired!

- MOI: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZWGa_K7AABzWD5jh78vCdtchTJzfeQtt/view (from 42:40)
His New Cinema Paradiso is so gorgeous, just like his Poeta gala. It would make an amazing SP for Sota, I wish he'd skated to it competitively

@Noxia , apart from venturing into the depths of Chinese videos, the other alternatives to watch Shizuka show part 3 are either asking the Japanese Twitter Sota fanbase for help as I'm sure some of them have downloaded it (over the years, I don't think I've seen any of them post here, so I doubt they'd be able to see your question in this thread), or messaging the knowledgeable person whose name I gave you a while ago. She might still have it saved somewhere.

 

[KiraraChin]

Cross-posting from Kazuki's fan fest:

 

[surimi]

Some December content, as far as the upload limit allows:

- check out all these amazing flowers that were sent to Sota's training rink at Chukyo after Nationals!


- from Sota's merry chat Unlim talkshow:


There are to be two more talkshows before the Unlim service ends. I hope another platform is found soon
Happy New Year to you all tomorrow!

 

[surimi]

Some more Sota stuff:
- Sota thanking everyone for their support in 2025:


- and this moment from the Nationals gala, where Sota was meet by a lot of cheering and banners: