Sota Yamamoto | Page 33 | Golden Skate

Sota Yamamoto

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Sota currently sits in first after West Japan sectionals SP, but he didn't have a very good skate. Score: 75.05, performed 4S2T but the quad was UR and possibly hand down, 4T okay (right, how is it possible that two judges give him 4 GOE for it, and other two 1 GOE?! get your act together judges, this is a farce), and IDK what happened to his 3A, not a fall (no fall deduction) but very negative GOE. Two spins lv2, aww...
Protocol here (in Japanese but it's the first option from the right in the Short Program line): https://www.jsfresults.com/National/2019-2020/fs_j/west/index.htm

Overall though, congrats Sota, good luck in the free!
Other results: Nakamura 2nd, Honda 3rd, Hino 4th, Sumoto 5th, Tomono 6th but only 1point differences between 2nd and 5th. Kazuki is 10 points from Sota. Good luck to both boys in the free!
 

Gabby30

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Aug 8, 2019
Not perfect, but he doesn't have to be right now. Good job for fighting through the issues, and good luck in the free 👏🏻
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Here to say congrats to Sota on his West Japan sectionals silver! Not perfect, but he went for all of his quads and fought, managed to get two lv4 and one lv3 spins, and most importantly, got lv4 for his steps for the first time this season! I'm impressed, I hope someone leaks a video!
 

Gabby30

On the Ice
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Aug 8, 2019
I'm a little bit sad. I hope he can figure out what the problem is. He had a 10 points lead over Kazuki after the SP, just saying... I hope he can shine at important competitions
 

Gabby30

On the Ice
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Aug 8, 2019
Nhk is in 3 weeks, right? I hope he is doing well enough to get some deserved attention, but with Yuzuru there... It's frustrating that the media is treating him like "oh, and Sota was there too". The focus is always on others 🙄
 

Tsurara

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 3, 2018
Here's a part of an article released on November 3, after SP, titled as "Walls to overcome for the two Japanese skaters who chase after Yuzuru Hanyu" by Toshimi Oriyama.
https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2019/11/03/post_27/index.php


While Keiji Tanaka at age of 24 getting a result of 3rd place at Skate Canada to follow Yuzuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno, who out of the young skaters will rise to make their mark? That's one of the biggest highlight of Western Sectionals, which has just started.

At Single Men's SP on the first day of the competition, many skaters ended up making mistakes. Sota Yamamoto is the one who came out on top (after SP). This season, he has demonstrated his recovery/come-back by his SP with 4S+2T, 4T, and 3A all successful, earning 92.81 points to take the lead slightly above Uno, at Finlandia Trophy.

As he repeated falls with his jumps to hand Uno a come-back victory in Free at Finlandia, Yamamoto says, "I put a lot of effort into practicing free." He also says that he feels his condition for jumps is shifting to tone down, but that's a kind of concerns he can finally have now because he has recovered from the injury and can work out as much as he likes.

"Until last year, at training, I had imposed a limitation for jump practice and had done only once a day, but with that kind of limitation I couldn't tell how my condition was like as I could only focus on one at a time. But this season, with the significantly increased amount of training, I get to know how I'm doing each day, and that (up and down) also affects me."

Yamamoto analyzed so himself. At 6 mins warm-up, he was carefully working with jumps, trying 4S, 4T, and 3A with several mistakes but managed finishing it with successful ones.

At his actual performance, the first jump, 4S, was UR with a hand down, but managed adding 2T to make it a combination. The following 4T, which he was struggling to land during the warm-up, was successful with positive GOE of 2.28 points. But he made a mistake with his last jump, 3A, and his score was just 75.05 points, though he placed first.

"I somehow managed quads, but I was concerned with my condition and it felt like I wasn't going up high enough (by jumping), and I wasn't successful with 3A. I'm not a kind of skater who takes pride in axel jumps, and I still find quads difficult. As for 3A, I'm not yet in good shape to be able to jump one all the time. So, I think I have to increase the amount of practice/training even more," says Yamamoto.

After leaving a result with SP at Finlandia, he's started to aspire for the better and he's already targeting to score 270 to 280 points.

"I got 92 points with my combination jump being just 4+2 then, so I want to make it 4+3 to aim late 90s in short. In free, I got 171.63 at the last competition last season, but my layout this season is more difficult and I think I can get it higher if I get to deliver it."

In order to do so, he's working on his free to make it stable. When he got 171.63 points last season, he only had one quad of 4T, and now he has two 4S and one 4T in his program. When he gets to deliver the free program, I'm sure he will start scoring higher.

[continued to the next part on Tomono (if interested, posted in Tomono's Fan Fest thread)]
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Hello, me and my friend are thinking of sending Sota a compilation of music that he can consider using next and would love to hear if there are any pieces you think would suit him/would like to see him skate to! Please drop your suggestions :)

What a great idea! ATM I can only think of warhorses like Nessun Dorma, but there's a lot of less used music he'd be great at. Do you have a deadline?
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Stumbled upon this today, it's a blog post with screenshots of a TV feature on Sota and his Sectionals. https://ameblo.jp/kmn-psn/entry-12542414944.html
There are also links to two brief videos from said TV feature: https://twitter.com/yuzuporuko/status/1191287763489832961 and https://twitter.com/yuzuporuko/status/1191288166453403650
I was most intrigued by the brief flashback to Sota's collab with Pasquale Camerlengo - it appears Sota used a translating device even for 'quad toe, triple toe'?! I hope he was just testing the device or something, surely his English can't be that bad? ^ ^
 

rRainbow

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Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
There are also links to two brief videos from said TV feature: https://twitter.com/yuzuporuko/status/1191287763489832961 and https://twitter.com/yuzuporuko/status/1191288166453403650
I was most intrigued by the brief flashback to Sota's collab with Pasquale Camerlengo - it appears Sota used a translating device even for 'quad toe, triple toe'?! I hope he was just testing the device or something, surely his English can't be that bad? ^ ^

Sota used a translation device to get the English words for "yonkaiten toe loop" (4T) and "sankaiten toe loop" (3T), and I hope he used it as a dictionary tool to expand his vocabulary so that he could talk to Camerlengo sensei.

Translation:
https://twitter.com/yuzuporuko/status/1191287763489832961 click 表示 to see the video
The earlier part is the rehashed old episodes.
1:02 ~
S: (speaking to a pocket translator) “Quad toe loop, triple toe loop” (looking at the words translated in English) Ah, the word “four” is missing.
1:08~
Narrator: Struggling with language barriers, he is trying hard to learn from sensei.
1:18~ (Sota’s comment is exactly the same as previously shared video of FSTV from 06:23)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yFUTXv9hFgWMV2DtzWGQG8U4xVEkK8Yv/view?usp=sharing
S: I feel like I was copying Mr. Pasquale rather than learning choreography. If I skate only with the same familiar and comfortable movements it will be the same old skate. I’m not good at presentation after all, and I would like to improve a little by little by copying him who is really good.

https://twitter.com/yuzuporuko/status/1191288166453403650
0:16~ (Same footage as above FSTV video from 7:32~ )
S: …I set my goal to work hard so that I can deliver perfect skate at the Japanese Nationals to be on the Team Japan.

**video clips of Sota’s LP at Western Sectionals**

1:52~ (interview after the free program)
S: If I do 3 quads in competition, my technique has to reach the level to do that. Next competition will be in three weeks and I need to get it together and practice harder so that I can do a flawless skate at the competition.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
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Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Excerpts from Sportiva article on Nov. 5
https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2019/11/05/post_31/index_2.php

… And at the Western Sectionals Yamamoto was leading at 75.05 after the short. Despite his mistake in a 3A, he managed to hold together 4S+2T and 4T.
“Before the competition my jumps were not as good as before, but I challenged myself to do the jumps aiming to land them. I could not jump the 3A high enough and I wish I could have landed it. (Lately) I have been focusing too much on quad practice, so I would like to practice 3A more.”Yamamoto reflected after his skate. The skater who was called prodigy was not satisfied with where he was.
However, after the free next day, his glum face said it all.

https://sportiva.shueisha.co.jp/clm/othersports/figure/2019/11/05/post_31/index_3.php

After falling on the opening 4S, he faltered on the next 4T+2T combo. Although he landed the 4T, he fell on the 3A again. He had a low score of 138.79, and he went down to the 3rd in the free. As a result, Kazuki Tomono (age 21), who came back from the 6th after the short, won the gold.

-- What is your plan for the NHK Trophy?
After the free, Sota Yamamoto got the question in the interview area but he was at a loss for words. He was too dissatisfied with the performance he had just finished to think about the next move. His face was glowing with sweat.
“I want to land all the jumps.” Yamamoto said briefly, but the report pressed on.
-- What is your specific goal?”
Wiping off sweat on his forehead with his right sleeve he finally came up with an answer.
“Well, I will focus on jumps. I feel I did other elements the best I could, but I made so many jump mistakes.”

This season Yamamoto increased the amount of practice. However, it is not easy to make up for lost time. If he puts more time and energy into quad practice, the time allocated for building his physical strength and for honing other techniques gets cut down. He cannot reach the world level in a brief time.
“Right now I cannot grasp an image of me doing clean jumps. I am not good at axel and other skaters land axel jumps as a matter of course, but it’s a difficult jump. Eagerness alone is not enough. My technique is not there yet, and I realize that I have not reached the level to add 3 quads in a program and land them.” Yamamoto said with a pained look.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Thank you so much for the translations! It's a pity reporters stop athletes before they'd even had a chance to wipe off their face and level their breathing.
Could taking away one quad sort out Sota's jump/technique issue? He's gone from one quad to three in just half a year, maybe slowing down could help him. I trust the lady coaches of Howa to find the right solution. May he find his groove again in time for NHK. :pray:
 

Gabby30

On the Ice
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Aug 8, 2019
NHK IN 5 days! It's the easiest field he could get (that's why i don't get the concern of some people here at the beginning of the season, like, do you really think he is such a bad skater that he can't beat all of these guys except Yuzuru?🤔). At least for NHK, he can take one quad out of the free program. His SP was saving him many times so far and we saw how important it is to have a good placement after the short.
 

Gabby30

On the Ice
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Aug 8, 2019
After Finlandia, Nick McCarvel said that Sota is the "complete skater".

He gets good GOE's on all elements and if he is doing his job when it counts, he will get the results he is chasing and it's going to be hard for others to beat him. But only if he is doing what he has to do. He needs the points to climb up in the world standings 😔
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
If anyone missed seeing Sota, here he is in a brief TV spot focusing on NHK (in the embedded NHK tweet):
https://spread-sports.jp/archives/36933
Cannot watch? A Japanese blogger posted a frame by frame series of photos from that feature in case the video gets deleted: https://ameblo.jp/kmn-psn/entry-12546343141.html He looks so happy in those photos! I hope he can be happy with his performance, too.
I'm not sure what exactly he says he wants to address most in his performance - would 流れのある演技 translate as performance that has flow?
BTW I love how he's featured in some of the posters alongside the biggest stars! Look - https://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20191118/04/kmn-psn/27/52/j/o0800059814642769964.jpg?caw=800
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Thanks, surimi, for giving us the NHK video link.

Asked what he wants to showcase in his programs, Sota says holding a board with his handwriting “流れのある演技 (flowing performance),”
“I have been practicing a lot to improve skating skills and put more effort on a crescendo toward the end. In the short I added spread eagle after step sequence, and I hope to be able to put up good performances that build up in the second half reaching a high point.”
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Thank you Rainbow!
Sota's eagles are always a welcome addition :]
Sota's in Sapporo now, he flew with Yuhana as can be seen from her instastory (which appears to be deleted now, but here's at least a screenshot of Sota en route) : https://ameblo.jp/shelley39/image-12547249363-14645358581.html
Good luck, Sota! I'm hoping he can skate as well as possible. It must be his dream to stand on the podium with Yuzuru so... I'm not going to jinx him in my predictions though.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Takeshi Honda comments on some male skaters who are to compete at NHK Trophy. https://www.nhk.or.jp/sports-story/detail/20191118_4190.html
The above linked NHK site is geo-blocked outside Japan, so I refer to Sota fan's blog to share Takeshi's comment on Sota. https://ameblo.jp/kmn-psn/entry-12546946217.html

Translation:
Honda: Yamamoto senshu is another young skater at age 19. Yamamoto senshu’s strength clearly lies in his high level of skating technique, which enables him to accelerate to the highest speed without wasting energy. His fluid skating so seamlessly connects his move to the next that as a whole watching his smooth program is like looking at a picture being drawn with a single stroke of the brush. This high quality skating should be a factor in earning good skating skills points of PCS. In addition, he added two types of quads to his programs this season, so if he succeeds in all of them, he will get high scores. I hope he will continue to improve artistic presentation, and I want him to feel Hanyu senshu’s aura and vibes at the upcoming NHK Trophy.
 
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