Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto delivered a commanding performance in this morning's figure skating team event, scoring 78.88 points to lift Japan to second place at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.
The 25-year-old finished first in the women's short program at Milano Ice Skating Arena, edging out reigning world champion Alysa Liu of Team USA by nearly four points.
Sakamoto skated near-flawlessly despite an edge error on her opening triple Lutz, going on to earn top levels on all her spins and footwork sequences. The two-time Olympic medalist expressed relief after Friday's performance, acknowledging her nerves while maintaining composure.
The Milano-Cortina Games mark Kaori Sakamoto's final Olympic appearance. After narrowly missing a fourth consecutive world championship win in June, she announced plans to retire from competitive figure skating following this season. With three world titles, she's currently tied with Japanese legend Asada Mao for the winningest Japanese women's figure skater.
Sakamoto won bronze in the individual event and silver in the team competition at Beijing 2022, after finisheing sixth at her 2018 Olympic debut in PyeongChang. This year, she aims to complete her medal collection by capturing Olympic gold.
After retirement, Kaori Sakamoto discussed plans to pursue coaching in her hometown of Kobe, hoping to develop the next generation of world-class Japanese figure skaters.
What's next for figure skater Kaori Sakamoto at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Japan currently sits two points behind Team USA heading into the second day of team competition. Five nations remain in contention to advance to the final round, with Italy, Georgia, and Canada also in the running.
Sakamoto will likely return to the ice on Sunday, when the figure skating team event concludes with women's free skate at 2:45 PM ET, live across NBC and Peacock.
