Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto, a three-time world champion, delivered an exceptional free skate performance to secure victory at the NHK Trophy, stating that this would be her final appearance at the event. Sakamoto, who previously announced her retirement plans after the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, aimed for a memorable showing at her hometown Grand Prix in Osaka, Japan.
Performing to music by Edith Piaf, Sakamoto flawlessly executed seven triple jumps, earning a remarkable score of 227.18, the highest among all competitors in the Grand Prix season. Expressing her gratitude for the local support, Sakamoto described the experience as fulfilling and was pleased with her strong performance. With a second-place finish at the Grand Prix de France, Sakamoto secured a spot in the Grand Prix Final scheduled for December 4-7 in Nagoya, Japan.
Teenager Sofia Samodelkina from Kazakhstan, making her Grand Prix debut, claimed the second spot with 200 points, followed by Loena Hendrickx from Belgium. Ottawa’s Katherine Medland Spence, the sole Canadian participant, finished 11th among 12 skaters in her Grand Prix debut with 146.63 points.
Hendrickx, the 2024 European Champion, landed six clean triple jumps, accumulating a total score of 198.97. After undergoing ankle surgery and sitting out the previous season, Hendrickx made a successful comeback to the Grand Prix series. She secured her Olympic qualification by finishing third at the ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating qualifier in September.
Sakamoto, who had previously won three consecutive world championships until 2024, settled for second place at this year’s worlds in Boston in March. Additionally, the 25-year-old clinched the women’s singles bronze medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
Looking ahead, Japan’s best Olympic medal hopeful, Sakamoto, will face stiff competition from Russian figure skater Adeliia Petrosian in Italy. Petrosian, aged 18, has claimed two consecutive national titles and remained undefeated over the past two seasons, showcasing her prowess with triple axels and quads, unmatched by any other female skater this year.