[ICE TIME] Japan's Best Skaters Get Start on New Season at Annual Training Camp

The 2024-25 skating season officially kicked off with the annual training camp for Japan's elite skaters and invited juniors on July 5-7 at the Kansai Airport Ice Arena in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture. A total of 14 athletes (eight women, six men) took part.

Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto said she is not looking to rest on her laurels, but will instead seek to up her game even more.

"This season is an important pre-Olympic season, so I want to be able to carry it over to the Olympic season," Sakamoto told media at the camp. "Last season's results were good, but looking at the content, there were a few negative aspects, so this year I would like to perform a clean performance and achieve better results than last year."

The 24-year-old Sakamoto, who was the bronze medalist at the 2022 Beijing Games, will be looking to add to her impressive resume as she attempts to become the first woman in 66 years to win four consecutive world titles. American Carol Heiss (1956-59) was the last female to accomplish the feat.

Heiss then won the gold medal at the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics, before extending her streak to five straight world crowns the month after the Winter Games.

Instructors Browning, Czisny Provide Helpful Pointers for Sakamoto

The guest instructors at this year's camp were four-time world champion Kurt Browning and his wife, two-time US titlist Alissa Czisny. Sakamoto said her interpretative skills improved working with Browning and Czisny.

"During on-ice practice, I learned the finer points of the program," Sakamoto stated. "In the short program, I was taught how to look at things and use my face during steps, so I want to be able to do that throughout the season."

Sakamoto's short program this season is "Concierto del Angel." She will compete at Skate Canada and the NHK Trophy during the Grand Prix campaign.

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Kagiyama Enjoys Team Atmosphere of Camp

Yuma Kagiyama, the Olympic silver medalist in Beijing, cited the benefits of having Japan's entire squad all together in one place.

"It's not often that we get to practice together as a team of elite athletes," the 21-year-old Kagiyama noted. "We have a mix of men and women, and it's really stimulating. There are athletes with all kinds of personalities, such as athletes who are good at jumping, spinning and expressing themselves, so I think there are many areas where we can grow over these three days by getting a lot of stimulation."

Kagiyama said both his short program and free skate for this season were choreographed by Lori Nichol.

"The short program is titled 'The Sound of Silence' and the free program is named after a flamenco album, and it was really cool," Kagiyama commented. "As the title suggests, the short program started with a quiet melody, and I started with quiet edge work to match it. The vocals came in from the steps, and there were smooth movements. There was some choreography that had a bit of a sense of maturity, so I would like to work hard to express that."

Added Kagiyama, "The free program is my first time doing flamenco. Flamenco is not just about the face, but also about the hands, and there are many different hand shapes and it is difficult to vary the speed."

Yoshida Praises Browning's Instruction

Hana Yoshida, the 2023-24 season's GP Final bronze medalist, enjoyed Browning's approach to instruction during the camp.

"Kurt-sensei came this time, so the atmosphere was really fun and the lessons were fun," Yoshida commented. "I think I learned how to skate as I feel, rather than skating perfectly according to my own feelings, while having fun with the lessons."

Yoshida spoke about her short program for the coming season.

"The song for the short program is 'Dark Clouds,' choreographed by Benoit Richaud," Yoshida remarked. "The theme is a story about a single drop of water that flows into a river and eventually becomes a magnificent ocean."

Chiba Looks to Qualify for Prestigious Competition

Mone Chiba, the Four Continents champion last season, revealed her target for this fall.

"My biggest goal this season is to participate in the GP Final," Chiba declared. "In the first half of last season, I was working towards that goal, giving my all in the two GP races. I want to get to that point right from the start of this season."

Sumiyoshi Grateful for Program Evaluations

Rion Sumiyoshi, who pocketed two GP medals last season, gave her thoughts on the three-day session.

"This season, the level of spins and other small things have changed, so they checked whether I was able to spin properly, according to that," Chiba said. "They (the coaches) also gave me advice on the small details of my steps, such as, 'This part is dangerous' and 'How about showing it a little more like this?' to improve it, so I feel that my program has become very good."

Added Sumiyoshi, "In addition, Kurt-san watched the whole program on the ice, and he looked at a wide range of things, from drawing the detailed shapes unique to figure skating that I can't usually do in my own practice to the expressive aspect. So I think it was a very enjoyable training camp."

Insights from Mihara, Watanabe

Mai Mihara, the 2022 GP Final winner who dealt with a foot injury last season, is hoping to bounce back this time around.

"I am very happy to be able to participate in the senior training camp again this year, and I was able to have my short program and free program for next season checked and given feedback," Mihara stated. "The camp gave me a chance to learn so much, and I was inspired by other talented skaters, so I think it was a very fulfilling three days."

Rinka Watanabe, who finished second at the Cup of China last season, said she has been working on her strength the past few months.

"The theme for this season is 'The beauty of solitude,' Watanabe commented. "My muscle mass has increased and my base is improving. I had a really good offseason."

Miura Talks About New Short Program

Kao Miura, who qualified for the GP Final in December 2023, also appreciated Browning's lighthearted style of teaching.

"I'm approaching this training camp with the same feelings as every year," Miura remarked. "This time, Kurt Browning is the instructor, and he's very humorous and interesting. I feel like I'm enjoying skating while moving, so I think it's a great period."

Miura spoke about his short program for this season.

"The short program is space-like music ('Conquest of Spaces'), and the choreography is by Benoit Richaud, who said, 'The theme is a person who is tired of the Earth and goes on an adventure in space.' It took me a while to interpret the program, but I would like to make the mysterious movements, storytelling and wonderful movements that Benoit created my own."

Sato Glad to Have Judges on Hand at Camp

Shun Sato, who earned two GP medals last fall, appreciated the chance to have judges watch his programs.

"First of all, the program is checked in the short and free programs, so it's rare to have the judges check your program," Sato noted. "I think it was a good opportunity to point out my shortcomings and use them in future practices."

Sato also talked about his new short program, "In a Lavender Garden."

"The choreographer is the same as last year, Guillaume Cizeron," Sato said. "I think many skaters use this song, but I want to focus on being able to express my own personality and what sets me apart from other skaters."

Veterans Yamamoto, Tomono Give Views

Sota Yamamoto, who won Skate Canada in October 2023, also cited the presence of all the team members as being a source of motivation.

"First of all, by practicing with everyone on the Japanese team, I was able to feel a lot of stimulation and challenges at this training camp," Yamamoto stated. "And I think I was able to get inspiration and gains to work hard this season."

At 26, Kazuki Tomono entered the camp as the elder statesman of those participating but said he still feels young.

"This training camp also flipped a switch in me that said, 'The season is starting again,' " Tomono remarked. "We don't usually get to practice together, so it was a great stimulus. I'm the oldest this time, and last year I felt pretty tired. But this year I'm very energetic and can jump a lot."

Junior Stars Speak About Training with Seniors

Two-time world junior champion Mao Shimada said she felt the camp was beneficial for her.

"This time, I had on-ice practice with Kurt Browning, and the skating content was different from last year," Shimada said. "I had a particularly fun time practicing, and I was able to practice with very good skaters, so I watched carefully and tried to jump from there. So I think I learned a lot with my eyes this time."

Rio Nakata, the Junior Grand Prix Final winner last season, confirmed he is aiming high in the coming campaign.

"I want to win all the junior competitions," Nakata stated. "There are many very talented skaters here, and I practice every day while being inspired by them."

Rena Uezono, the 14-year-old rising star who made a splash in her international debut season with bronze medals at both the JGP Final and the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, said the camp was educational for her.

"This is my first senior training camp, so it's very stimulating and I've learned a lot," Uezono commented. "I would like to continue learning about skating and how to move my body and make it my own."

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Author: Jack Gallagher

The author is a veteran sports journalist and one of the world's foremost figure skating experts. Find articles and podcasts by Jack on his author page, and find him on X (formerly Twitter) @sportsjapan.