Sota Yamamoto

[Silevril Ilumire]

I agree, all the support for Sota at Nationals was really heartwarming. At Finlandia, Mark Hanratty pointed out that Sota was more popular with the crowd than Yuma. At Nationals, I respected him for fighting through the free skate and not surrendering on anything. Some of his jumps looked so good that I had to ask myself, have they always looked so good?? I don't like "Hallelujah" but I thought his free skate was rather beautiful. His movements are more elegant than any of the other top senior men in Japan, and I think that he looks his best when skating to beautiful music (with a hint of tragedy). Sometimes, Sota has an air of nobility of spirit around him, and this was one of those times. Best wishes for 4CCs and maybe an alternate WC slot (you know the Olympic team often withdraws from WC).

 

[KiraraChin]

Guys, is Sota retiring? This headline is a bit weird: Sota Yamamoto, who has performed since Year 7: "It's sad that this will be my last time" Despite an opening mishap where the music failed to play, he delivered "Hallelujah" [Nagoya Figure Skating Festival]

山本草太、中1の頃から出演「最後になるのはさみしい」　冒頭で曲が流れないハプニングも「ハレルヤ」を披露【名古屋フィギュアスケートフェスティバル】 - 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のアイスショー「名古屋フェスティバル」が4日、名古屋市の日本ガイシアリーナで行われ、四大陸選手権代表の山本草太(MIXI)が「ハレルヤ」を披露した。冒頭で曲が流れないハプニングに苦笑いするも、その後は […]

deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp

 

[surimi]

I agree, all the support for Sota at Nationals was really heartwarming. At Finlandia, Mark Hanratty pointed out that Sota was more popular with the crowd than Yuma. At Nationals, I respected him for fighting through the free skate and not surrendering on anything. Some of his jumps looked so good that I had to ask myself, have they always looked so good?? I don't like "Hallelujah" but I thought his free skate was rather beautiful. His movements are more elegant than any of the other top senior men in Japan, and I think that he looks his best when skating to beautiful music (with a hint of tragedy). Sometimes, Sota has an air of nobility of spirit around him, and this was one of those times. Best wishes for 4CCs and maybe an alternate WC slot (you know the Olympic team often withdraws from WC).

Well written, and I second everything you said! Well, I'd love for at least Kazuki to be at WC, him and Sota would be even better, but IDK what lucky constellation would have to occur for both 1st and second alternate to go... I'd be looking into tickets in an instant if it were so!

Guys, is Sota retiring? This headline is a bit weird: Sota Yamamoto, who has performed since Year 7: "It's sad that this will be my last time" Despite an opening mishap where the music failed to play, he delivered "Hallelujah" [Nagoya Figure Skating Festival]

山本草太、中1の頃から出演「最後になるのはさみしい」　冒頭で曲が流れないハプニングも「ハレルヤ」を披露【名古屋フィギュアスケートフェスティバル】 - 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のアイスショー「名古屋フェスティバル」が4日、名古屋市の日本ガイシアリーナで行われ、四大陸選手権代表の山本草太(MIXI)が「ハレルヤ」を披露した。冒頭で曲が流れないハプニングに苦笑いするも、その後は […]

deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp

Nope, not Sota! For some reason, the Nagoya festival will not take place anymore next year, and fans and skaters are sad, saying they hope it can continue in some form. Just like Unlim... why two fun activities in one year?

 

[KiraraChin]

Nope, not Sota! For some reason, the Nagoya festival will not take place anymore next year, and fans and skaters are sad, saying they hope it can continue in some form. Just like Unlim... why two fun activities in one year?

Thank you for explaining! It is indeed sad that the Nagoya Festival will not be held anymore, it seems to be such a fun event for the skaters.

 

[KiraraChin]

Happy birthday to Sota! Hope he's having the most amazing day

 

[surimi]

Back at last. ^ ^ Thanks for remembering Sota's birthday, @KiraraChin ! I wished him on Twitter, albeit a tad belatedly. I hope he has a successful year ahead of him, and I wish him the best of health - back, ankle, shoulder, everything

I've got a lot of catching up to do, so let's start with 4CC because it starts in less than 2 days!
Sota has recently arrived in Beijing, and here we have a photo of him at the airport:

フィギュア4大陸　千葉「良い感覚を確認したい」友野「ノビノビと」 ［写真特集5/13］ | 毎日新聞

北京首都国際空港に到着し、現地の関係者と笑顔で言葉を交わす山本草太＝中国・北京で2026年1月20日、吉田航太撮影

mainichi.jp

He seems to be in a good mood, so hopefully his preparations have gone well!
From Mainichi:
Yamamoto Sota (MIXI), a male skater, said, "I haven't received a medal at the Championships yet, so I want to win one. First of all, I want to concentrate on my own performance."
I hope his dream comes true!

 

[surimi]

Until 4CC practice reports arrive, here's a throwback to Sota's birthday - look at all the beautiful flowers waiting for him in Chukyo!


And some photos from the penultimate Unlim meeting (held a few days before Sota's actual birthday):

It was fun, and among other things, Sota confirmed he'll do his best to represent Aichi at Kokutai inter-prefecture competition shortly after 4CC. That's two competitions in a row for him alongside his buddy Kazuki. ^ ^

 

[surimi]

Here's a photo collection of Team Japan men during their official practice:

4大陸フィギュア男子SPは24日　三浦佳生、友野一希、山本草太が練習 ［写真特集1/22］ | 毎日新聞

公式練習を終えた（左から）三浦佳生、山本草太、友野一希＝中国・北京の国家体育館で2026年1月21日、吉田航太撮影

mainichi.jp

And a Nikkan article - it works quite well with Google Translate this time:

Sota Yamamoto is determined to continue competing: "I want to get better" and "I want to continue growing"​

26-year-old Yamamoto Sota (MIXI) has expressed his desire to continue competing from next season onwards.

When asked by the press about his future plans after the official practice, he declared, "I'll probably do it." At the end of last year, he placed fifth at the All Japan Championships, missing out on being selected for the Milan-Cortina Olympic team in February of this year, but he looked back on the competition, saying, "I felt like I had a lot of potential," and spoke optimistically, "I want to get better. I still want to grow."

He said that his club's coach, Machiko Yamada (82), had been asking him about next season's training "as if it was a matter of course" even before he made a clear decision about his future, and he smiled and said, "I guess she sensed that kind of atmosphere."

In this tournament, he aims to win his first medal in the championship. "There have been some disappointing moments in every game this season, so I want to give it my all and not have any regrets," he said enthusiastically.

 

[surimi]

Perhaps some are able to watch this interview video, but it's geoblocked for me, even with Opera:


Nevertheless, I read that Sota was practicing his 4T diligently after it let him down at Nationals. Hopefully he was paying attention to both axels and 4T (and spins... and StSq that he gets lower levels than he'd like, too), and may it let him earn a new SB in the upcoming days
I read somewhere yesterday he was landing his 4T3T combo fairly successfully in 4CC practice, so let's hope it's a good sign!
Good luck to Sota tomorrow!

 

[surimi]

A practice video of Sota's 4T3T to pass the time before men's SP:

Very nice! I just hope he was practicing the axels just as diligently

Okay, so I don't think the judges and ISU will want an all-Japan podium in more than one category, which doesn't bode too well for Sota's and Kazuki's chances unless Cha, Miura and Shaidorov somehow implode (and I guess Sadovsky as well). The cynic in me will be quite content with a repeat of 4th place finish, but a good SB is even more essential for Sota because of next season's GP, so I'll be praying for that first and foremost.


Also, a new isssue of Figure Skating Life will be released in less than 2 weeks, featuring Sota and Kazuki!

Machine translation:
The February 5 release "#FigureSkatingLife Vol.37" features a grand special on the 2025 All Japan Championships. Introducing photos of all participating athletes and their post-performance comments! Though they narrowly missed out on the Olympics, both #TomonoKazuki and #YamamotoSota speak of giving it their all. The passionate feelings these comrades can now share overflow with emotion.

 

[surimi]

Sota's 3rd place is a very pleasant surprise for me! He gained a new SB in the SP with it, and landed all his jumps. Well done! Fingers crossed for the FS - I really really hope it doesn't throw him off because he really really needs that new SB. He got 255 in Chubu in the summer (also with 94 points for SP) , and it would be great if he could replicate that score as it would help him secure two GP.

I want him to fulfill his dream of winning his first 4CC medal (at least he has a small one now). But, a good score is more important to me, so I'll hope for that first and foremost. Like I said, I don't think ISU or China would be thrilled with two all-Japanese podiums, and rivals aren't that far away, but a good score would help Sota's standings and upcoming season chances a lot.
Hopefully Sota uses the time before his FS for a therapeutic cleanup of his mind as I'm pretty sure that Shaidorov at least will whip out a multitude od quads and axels, and get a high score. May Sota not be rattled by the skaters before him, and their scores. Good luck!

From Chunichi:
Yamamoto appeared next in the 22nd run, and opened with a quadruple-triple toe loop combo, followed by a single quadruple salchow, earning a 2.08 points bonus in the GOE (Grade of Execution). Building on this momentum, he also landed a single triple axel (three and a half rotation jump), earning a bonus of 1.94 points. He also rated his two spins and steps a level four, the highest possible rating, and after the performance, he clenched his fist firmly in his signature pose.

And Online On Ice tweet:


3rd place #Sota YamamotoMaintaining the good form from official practice!
A two-quad layout with no mistakes
"Got revenge for the Japanese Nationals "
After the performance, a fist pump like savoring the moment Small medal win is the first since the 2015 Junior Worlds free skate
He trusted the "yesterday" built by steadily stacking up what he could do, no matter the times and delievered a wonderful performance of Yesterday
Heading to the FS
"Since I got revenge in the short, now it's the free—hoping I can really give it my all!"

 

[lileychristie]

Sota's 3rd place is a very pleasant surprise for me! He gained a new SB in the SP with it, and landed all his jumps. Well done! Fingers crossed for the FS - I really really hope it doesn't throw him off because he really really needs that new SB. He got 255 in Chubu in the summer (also with 94 points for SP) , and it would be great if he could replicate that score as it would help him secure two GP.

I want him to fulfil his dream of winning his first 4CC medal (at least he has a small one now).

And Sota did fulfil his dream, he just got bronze at 4CC And, he scored 270 to boot!!!

Huge congratulations!

 

[KiraraChin]

Huge congrats to Sota on his bronze medal! very well deserved! He's had such a difficult season, so it's wonderful to see him closing this season with a championship medal

 

[surimi]

I'm super happy for Sota! It's almost like Japan Nationals 2023 all over again. Most everyone skated their best, or close to their best, and Sota felt he didn't have a choice but to join in Just read for yourself - from Mainichi Rinkside (purple emphasis mine):

Third place winner Sota Yamamoto: "I want to praise myself" - Growth felt amid frustration​

The final day of the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships was held on the 25th in Beijing, with the men's free skating event, and Sota Yamamoto (MIXI), who placed third in the short program (SP), finished in third place with 175.39 points, for a total of 270.07 points.

Yamamoto said he made a small mistake early on, but saw his own growth in his performance after that. His comments after the performance are as follows:

"Really, just at the beginning..."​

Is this a result that leaves you feeling a little disappointed?

The first (Salchow) (which was supposed to be a quadruple) ended up being a triple...

(The triple axel-Euler-Salchow in the middle of the program) I could only double (the Salchow). I had the option of doing three other consecutive (jumps), but it was a rare mistake.

I hadn't had much time to practice the other three consecutive jumps, so I ended up with an Euler-double Salchow. I ended up losing about 10 points in total, which was a bit disappointing, but I think I've improved in the sense that I don't dwell on mistakes, so I feel like I was just a little bit away.

I think I was able to show what I had practiced one by one. Honestly, just the beginning...yeah, it's frustrating.

Why did the opening Salchow end up being only a triple?

I think there were some parts where I wasn't bold enough... But I think I was able to go all out from then on. I think it was a bit of a waste at the beginning.

The atmosphere at the venue was great thanks to the excellent performance of local athlete Jin Boyang from China

I had heard that Junhwan (Cha Junhwan), who came in second place in this group, had gotten a really good score, so I thought, "I guess I've got to do it now," and with a bit of relief, I went out onto the ice with the mindset of "I'll just do what I have to do."

There were a lot of good parts except for the beginning, so I didn't think I would get a good score, but I think I got one surprisingly.

(Performance composition score) As usual...

[the rest is paywalled]

********
I'm hugely relieved for Sota's next season! He should get two GP now, without having to fight for NHK TBD. What an almost-end to his season, yay! Now he's supposed to compete at Kokutai. I'm not sure if he's going to be assigned to, say, Coupe du Printemps. It could make sense as he's second alternate for WC, but I don't think JSF will send him although it would be nice, with the rankings point gap due to his injury.

********
Here's a beaming Sota:

 

[surimi]

Deep Edge interview from today:

来季は現役続行を明言の山本草太、引退後のプランも決定済み？　「ずっと、もう小さい頃から、そこは変わらずで」 【四大陸選手権男子一夜明け】 - 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の四大陸選手権男子で銅メダルを獲得した山本草太（ＭＩＸＩ）が大会終了後、開催地の北京で取材に応じた。 　コメント全文は以下の通り。 　―大会を終えて。 　「すごくチャンピオンシップのメダルは、もう、め […]

deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp

Yamamoto Sota has stated that he will continue competing next season, and has he decided on his post-retirement plans? "That has never changed, ever since I was little." [The day after the men's Four Continents Championships]​

Yamamoto Sota (MIXI), who won the bronze medal at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in men's competition , spoke to an interviewer in Beijing after the tournament.
The full comment is below.

After the tournament.

"Winning a medal at the championships was my absolute goal. To be honest, somewhere in my mind I thought it would be quite difficult because the level is so high. Or rather, I did think it would be a tough goal because the level is so high. But even so, I really believed in it and had a strong desire to win, so I think it was good that I was able to truly, truly, truly feel that way."

"So, with practice, throughout this season, there have been ups and downs, and to be honest, there weren't many times when I felt like it was fun. There are many times when I think practice is really tough, and honestly there are times when I almost hate skating. But even so, I'm really happy that at the end of it all, this kind of result is waiting for me, and I'm glad that I've worked so hard."

Will you continue skating next season?
[Paywalled from here]

*********
Okay, who remembers what Sota wants to be when he stops competing?

********

Interview after the FS:


(this basically says what's in the article from yesterday - Sota debates the mistakes in the first half and how his score dropped because of them, but he's glad he was able to reset his mind)
GS also has Sota's comment translated in their tweet, I see.

And here's Sota receiving his medal:

 

[surimi]

More good news from Sota-land! He and Yuna Aoki are going to appear in the Kassouya shows in Fukuoka (March 19-22)

青木祐奈と山本草太、「滑走屋～第二巻～」に出演決定　高橋大輔プロデュースアイスショー、第3弾発表 - 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の元世界王者、高橋大輔さんがフルプロデュースするアイスショー「滑走屋」の主催者は26日、3月19日～22日にオーヴィジョンアイスアリーナ福岡で開催する「滑走屋～第二巻～」に、先日北京で開催された四大陸 […]

deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp

That pretty much confirms that Sota won't be sent to Coupe du Printemps because that competition ends on March 15. I would have liked for him to go to get some easy points (because others currently below him in the world rankings will yet be able to grab points at WC, OG, and B events). But, one cannot be too greedy, I guess! Sota's bronze and SB is more than I dared to hope for, and will make his off-season much more comfortable than the previous one. No B support, only A from the get-go, and hopefully more show invitations await him yet (he didn't get any last year).

********
Fun facts:
- pointed out by a fan on Twitter: Sota is the only skater at this 4CC who collected a small medal for both programs!
- at 4CC, Sota was just 4 points away from his PB, and exactly 17 points from his unofficial PB.

********
From the medal ceremony - a mischievous JunHwan lurking behind Sota and Kao during the photoshoot - naturally, Sota enjoys all forms of fun, and is quite amused:


And an almost-mishap with a carpet during the victory lap:

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

More good news from Sota-land! He and Yuna Aoki are going to appear in the Kassouya shows in Fukuoka (March 19-22)

青木祐奈と山本草太、「滑走屋～第二巻～」に出演決定　高橋大輔プロデュースアイスショー、第3弾発表 - 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の元世界王者、高橋大輔さんがフルプロデュースするアイスショー「滑走屋」の主催者は26日、3月19日～22日にオーヴィジョンアイスアリーナ福岡で開催する「滑走屋～第二巻～」に、先日北京で開催された四大陸 […]

deepedgeplus.kyodonews.jp

That pretty much confirms that Sota won't be sent to Coupe du Printemps because that competition ends on March 15. I would have liked for him to go to get some easy points (because others currently below him in the world rankings will yet be able to grab points at WC, OG, and B events). But, one cannot be too greedy, I guess! Sota's bronze and SB is more than I dared to hope for, and will make his off-season much more comfortable than the previous one. No B support, only A from the get-go, and hopefully more show invitations await him yet (he didn't get any last year).

********
Fun facts:
- pointed out by a fan on Twitter: Sota is the only skater at this 4CC who collected a small medal for both programs!
- at 4CC, Sota was just 4 points away from his PB, and exactly 17 points from his unofficial PB.

********
From the medal ceremony - a mischievous JunHwan lurking behind Sota and Kao during the photoshoot - naturally, Sota enjoys all forms of fun, and is quite amused:


And an almost-mishap with a carpet during the victory lap:

Coupe du Printemps has been chosen by JSF, maybe because it used to have a Gala. But this year it doesn't. Maybe JSF has chosen another competition, or they won't give late season assignments?

 

[surimi]

Coupe du Printemps has been chosen by JSF, maybe because it used to have a Gala. But this year it doesn't. Maybe JSF has chosen another competition, or they won't give late season assignments?

It's possible, but if so, it's a pity, and not nice at all towards the top 10 Nationals finishers who are too low in the world rankings because they're not allowed to compete outside Japan - namely Nozomu, Kataise, and pairs' Kagotani/LT Honda. AFAIK, only Challenge Cup and CdP were in JSF's calendar for early 2026, and I don't understand why they didn't assign anyone (okay, I think there was an ID couple at Challenge Cup? But what about the others?) Perhaps there'll be assignments for CdP yet. But who knows...

Anyways, back to Sota. The last Unlim show was today; from now on, there will be no more monthly live video chats, and fans won't be able to sponsor Sota's activities anymore

Here are some fan screenshots by the participants:
- Sota showing his three medals -


- and a tag sticking out of a new shirt that he'd forgotten about... typical forgetful Sota


He also posed for the screenshots, making old program poses requested by fans ^ ^ He is planning to practice tomorrow, leave for Kokutai the day after, and start looking for a choreographer after Kokutai. He doesn't have any particular music in mind for his new programs.

 

[formersk8ter]

He doesn't have any particular music in mind for his new programs.

Love Sota but I REALLY hope he goes for a different genre of music than the slowish-ballads. His SP and FS were very similar types of music and I felt they didn't help him this season.

Personally, I would like to see him skate to more fun/upbeat music for one program and powerful classical music for the other.

 

[surimi]

Love Sota but I REALLY hope he goes for a different genre of music than the slowish-ballads. His SP and FS were very similar types of music and I felt they didn't help him this season.

Personally, I would like to see him skate to more fun/upbeat music for one program and powerful classical music for the other.

I agree with powerful classics, which is exactly Sota's style - something like the Tchaikovsky piano concerto from his junior years would be great. It's not monotonous, not somber, not too fast, but at the same time it's dynamic, it has a buildup, and it shows of Sota's spectacular manly skating.
Fun/upbeat would be great to see, but it could be tricky as Sota admits he tends to focus on jumps in competitions because they're better rewarded than when he tries honing his expression. IMO expression is one of the key requirements for selling fun music. It also often calls for speed, flexibility and musicality, and as much as I love Sota's skating, the latter two are not his forte. I mean, Chameleon and Dark Eyes are not his most impressive/well scoring programs, and they were supposed to be more fun than his usual music picks.
He can sell upbeat in the gala, when he's not focused on the result, just like most skaters. His Teeth was a universally popular masterpiece
J-pop could be great, but I doubt he'll go for it. I'd like to see him skate to a storyline again, like he did way back to Jekyll&Hyde. Perhaps something like the Godfather, although that one is a warhorse... or Latin/Spanish music. He hasn't done it in a long time, and his senior Poeta gala won praise.
I just hope he picks his music himself because I feel that waiting for the choreographer to provide a suitable piece is a hot or miss tactic. He admitted that even Hallelujah is challenging for him. Only he knows what music he feels best in. Not Lori, not Benoit, not Kenji, and certainly not Wilson... only Sota himself knows best. Usually... because Dark Eyes was his idea.

********

Here's Sota's IG post, thanking everyone for their support at 4CC:


And some more 4CC fun here - hair stylist Sota adjusting Kao's bangs: ^ ^