Kaori Sakamoto (坂本花織 Sakamoto Kaori, born April 9, 2000) is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2018 Four Continents champion, the 2017 World Junior Championships bronze medalist, the 2017 Skate America silver medalist, the 2018 Japanese national silver medalist, the 2016-17 JGP Final bronze medalist, and the 2017 Japan junior champion.
Personal Life
Kaori's hobbies include swimming and origami. In 2017, she signed an affiliation agreement with Sysmex Corporation, which will help to fund the financial costs of her competitive figure skating career.
Career
2016-17 Season
Kaori's season began at the 2016 JGP France in Saint Gervais. She received second place after performing a near-clean short program and freeskate, behind Alina Zagitova.
Kaori's second Junior Grand Prix event was at 2016 JGP Japan in Yokohama. She led the short program by 0.80 points. In the freeskate, she placed second after under-rotating a jump, behind Marin Honda. She received the highest overall scores, and she won a Junior Grand Prix event for the first time, qualifying her for the 2016-17 JGP Final.
At the 2016-17 JGP Final, Kaori placed second in the short program, with 6.44 points behind Alina Zagitova.
2015-16 Season
Kaori's first major competition of this season was at 2015 JGP Latvia in Riga. She received the third highest score in the short program after only missing an edge on the triple lutz. Despite a fall in the freeskate, she was able to manage second place in the freeskate and overall, behind Maria Sotskova.
Kaori's second Junior Grand Prix event was at 2015 JGP Poland in Torún. She finished the short program in third place after a fall, and finished the freeskate in fourth after falling twice. This put her in fourth place overall, and she was subsequently named as the first alternate for qualifying for the 2015-16 JGP Final.
After placing 5th and 13th at Japanese junior and senior championships respectively, Kaori qualified for the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. At the Youth Olympics, placed fifth in the short program and sixth in the freeskate, after doubling a triple loop. This resulted in an overall sixth place.
2014-15 Season
Kaori's first major competition of this season was at 2014 JGP Japan. She was situated in sixth place after the short program. During the freeskate, she endured three falls and ended up in seventh place overall.
Kaori qualified for her first Junior Worlds after placing 2nd and 6th at Japanese junior and senior championships respectively. At Junior Worlds, she placed 4th in the short program. A fall during the freeskate caused her to drop to sixth place overall.
2013-14 Season
This season was Kaori's first international season. Her first major competition was at 2013 JGP Czech Republic. She was in seventh place after the short program. She placed sixth in the freeskate and overall after receiving deductions for falling and performing for longer than the allotted time as a result of the fall. She failed to qualify for Junior Worlds after placing 15th at Japanese nationals.
Programs
| Season | Short Program | Freeskate |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-2018 | ||
|
Initial SP: | ||
| 2016-2017 | ||
| 2015-2016 | ||
| 2014-2015 | ||
| 2013-2014 |
Exhibitions
| Season | Music |
|---|---|
| 2017-2018 |
|
| 2016-2017 |
|
ISU Results
(Season bests highlighted in bold)
| 2017-2018 Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Competition | SP | FS | Total | |
| March 16 - 18 | 2018 Coupe du Printemps
 |
1 73.27 |
2 129.29 |
2 202.56 | |
| February 9 - 23 | 2018 Winter Olympics (Individual Event) |
5 73.18 |
6 136.53 |
6 209.71 | |
| 2018 Winter Olympics (Team Event) |
N/A | 5 131.91 |
5 | ||
| January 22 - 28 | 2018 Four Continents Championships
 |
2 71.34 |
1 142.87 |
1 214.21 | |
| November 24 - 26 | 2017 Skate America
 |
2 69.40 |
2 141.19 |
2 210.59 | |
| October 20 - 22 | 2017 Rostelecom Cup
 |
4 68.88 |
5 125.12 |
5 194.00 | |
| September 14 - 16 | 2017 US Classic
|
5 56.82 |
4 112.30 |
4 169.12 | |
| August 2 - 5 | 2017 Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy
 |
1 63.70 |
1 112.41 |
1 176.11 | |
| 2016-2017 Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Competition | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| March 13 - 19 | 2017 World Junior Championships
|
Junior | 3 67.78 |
3 127.76 |
3 195.54 |
| December 8 - 11 | 2016-17 JGP Final
 |
Junior | 2 64.48 |
4 111.86 |
3 176.33 |
| September 7 - 11 | 2016 JGP Japan
 |
Junior | 1 65.66 |
2 122.15 |
1 187.81 |
| August 24 - 27 | 2016 JGP France
|
Junior | 2 64.12 |
2 114.74 |
2 178.86 |
| 2015-2016 Season | |||||
| Date | Competition | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| February 12 - 21 | 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games
 |
Junior | 5 56.25 |
6 98.98 |
6 155.23 |
| September 23 - 27 | 2015 JGP Poland
 |
Junior | 3 56.89 |
4 101.55 |
4 158.44 |
| August 26 - 30 | 2015 JGP Latvia
 |
Junior | 3 58.75 |
2 112.20 |
2 170.95 |
| August 2 - 5 | 2015 Asian Open Trophy
 |
Senior | 3 39.64 |
3 99.36 |
3 139.00 |
| 2014-2015 Season | |||||
| Date | Competition | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| March 2 - 8 | 2015 World Junior Championships
 |
Junior | 4 58.72 |
6 107.53 |
6 166.25 |
| September 11 - 14 | 2014 JGP Japan
|
Junior | 6 52.70 |
7 93.46 |
7 146.16 |
| 2013-2014 Season | |||||
| Date | Competition | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| March 14 - 16 | 2014 International Challenge Cup
 |
Junior | 1 54.98 |
2 98.89 |
1 153.87 |
| October 2 - 5 | 2013 JGP Czech Republic
 |
Junior | 7 52.80 |
6 93.69 |
6 146.49 |
| August 8 - 11 | 2013 Asian Open Figure Trophy
|
Junior | 1 53.20 |
1 102.28 |
1 155.48 |
| 2012-2013 Season | |||||
| Date | Competition | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| March 27 - 32 | 2013 Triglav Trophy
 |
Novice | 2 37.64 |
2 77.51 |
2 115.15 |
Medal Record (In Chronological Order)
| Type | Competition | Season | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | 2018 Coupe du Printemps | 2017-18 | Senior |
| Gold | 2018 Four Continents Championships | 2017-18 | Senior |
| Silver | 2018 Japan Championships | 2017-18 | Senior |
| Silver | 2017 Skate America | 2017-18 | Senior |
| Bronze | 2017 World Junior Championships | 2016-17 | Junior |
| Bronze | 2016-17 JGP Final | 2016-17 | Junior |
| Gold | 2017 Japan Junior Championships | 2016-17 | Junior |
| Gold | 2016 JGP Japan | 2016-17 | Junior |
| Bronze | 2016 JGP France | 2016-17 | Junior |
| Silver | 2015 JGP Latvia | 2015-16 | Junior |
| Bronze | 2015 Asian Open Trophy | 2015-16 | Senior |
| Silver | 2015 Japan Junior Championships | 2014-15 | Junior |
| Gold | 2015 Kinki Regional | 2014-15 | Junior |
| Gold | 2014 International Challenge Cup | 2013-14 | Junior |
| Gold | 2014 Japan Western Section | 2013-14 | Junior |
| Gold | 2014 Kinki Regional | 2013-14 | Junior |
| Gold | 2013 Asian Open Trophy | 2013-14 | Junior |
| Silver | 2013 Triglav Trophy | 2012-13 | Novice |
| Gold | 2013 Japan Novice Championships | 2012-13 | Novice |
| Gold | 2013 Kinki Regional | 2012-13 | Novice |
| Gold | 2012 Kinki Regional | 2011-12 | Novice |
Small Medal Record (Awarded at ISU Championships Only)
| Type | Competition | Season | Program | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 2018 Four Continents Championships | 2017-18 | Freeskate | Senior |
| Silver | 2018 Four Continents Championships | 2017-18 | Short Program | Senior |
| Bronze | 2017 World Junior Championships | 2016-17 | Freeskate | Junior |
| Bronze | 2017 World Junior Championships | 2016-17 | Short Program | Junior |
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaori_Sakamoto
https://www.statsonice.com/skater/Kaori/Sakamoto/
http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00014151.htm