Sota Yamamoto

This is Sota at age 14. Here's an excerpt from Sota interview by “Figure Skating Days”vol.18.
The interview was done around April 2014 after his Junior debut season (2013-2014).
https://ameblo.jp/kmn-psn/entry-12235561864.html

He finished 11th at JGPF, 6th at Japan Junior Nationals, 14th at Japan Nationals, 1st at All Japan Middle School Championships.

Translation:
Note: I skipped the paragraphs about how he started skating and moved to Nagoya, since these are the same old stories. The remarks inside (← ) are the actual results achieved, which were added by the blogger.

From admiration to aspiration
-- How did you feel when you watched Yuzuru Hanyu senshu win the gold medal at Sochi Olympics?
I could not watch him live because I went to bed early to be ready for the morning practice. I learned the result before leaving home. I was really happy. I want to train hard to achieve the goal of going to PeongChang Olympics together with Hanyu senshu in four years.
-- So you will work hard chasing behind Hanyu senshu.
I have been admiring Hanyu senshu for some time. When I move up to the senior circuit I will be competing with seniors including Hanyu senshu. I will turn my admiration into aspiration and would like to keep doing my best so that I will be able to compete with him on the same stage.
-- What type of skater do you think you are?
I think I am good at skating skills and I can pick up speed. I use my speed in jump take-off. But in the free I get exhausted in the second half and lose speed. This is the issue I need to tackle. Without enough speed my jump take-off is not good at all. I jog every morning from 5 o’clock to increase my stamina so that I can skate without losing steam in the second half. Also I want to work on expressions more, because there’s a part of me that still feels a little embarrassed.
-- I get the impression that you take things very seriously. Do you think you are like that?
Skating is on my mind all the time. Even while I wait for the traffic light to turn on my way to school, I hum the program song or do some exercises such as one foot standing or stretching.
-- What kind of song do you hum?
I often watch the free program of Hanyu senshu and I hum the tune of Romeo and Juliet. I would like to skate to Romeo and Juliet some day.
-- Looking back on your first junior season of 13-14, what are your thoughts on the season?
In the free when I failed jumps in the first half it affected my skate in the second half as well, and as a result my points dropped each time. Thanks to the points carried over from the short I held onto the top group overall. That’s how I competed at each event throughout the season. I entered the free at my first Japan Nationals fired up to go for my best skate of the season. But I made mistakes again and I felt frustrated.
-- How did you feel about the big stage where you competed with top skaters in Japan?
I was in the third group in the free. I was in the same group as Takahito Mura senshu and Kento Nakamura senshu. During the official practice and 6-minute warmup I was overwhelmed by their presence and I kept avoiding them. I could not help noticing their kicking into the ice because the sound was so powerful and I ended up watching them jump. I could not concentrate.

The Olympics is the final goal.
-- You want to start off the new season with good results at junior GPS.
I want to train to be in top form to get good evaluation so that I can get two assignments for sure. (←accomplished) My goals next season are to win a medal at Japan Junior Nationals (←accomplished), participate in Japan Nationals (←accomplished), and go to the Junior Worlds (←accomplished). I am in the third year of middle school, and Hanyu senshu won the gold medal at Junior Worlds in his third year of middle school. I have to do my best as well (←bronze meal).
-- Then you will have to make yourself known to the world as a rising star following Hanyu senshu.
My strengths are speed and jumps and it would be great if I could get recognition for executing high-quality jumps.
What is your dream as a skater?
As long as I skate my ultimate goal is the Olympics. My final goal is not only going to the Olympics but also to win the gold medal.
-- Aside from skating what is your dream?
After I retire from skating I want to go back to Osaka to be with my grandparents. My grandparents saw me off when I left for Nagoya. While we are far away from each other they have been supporting me in many ways. If I can get a medal at the Olympics in the future, I want to put my medal on them.
-- Next season what do you want your fans to pay attention to?
I would like them to watch me land clean jumps throughout the free program.(←accomplished) As for triple Axel I am going to challenge landing one in the short and two in the free. (←accomplished in mid-season)

Sota announced his programs for 2019-2020 season: SP -- East of Eden and FS -- In This Shirt. Choreo by Pasquale Camerlengo.

Arriba627 said:

Sota announced his programs for 2019-2020 season: SP -- East of Eden and FS -- In This Shirt. Choreo by Pasquale Camerlengo.

Click to expand...

Yes, and here's the announcement: https://twitter.com/online_on_ice/status/1128851935635943425

Interesting choices for Sota! Has he worked with Carmelengo before?
I'm curious to see his programmes!

ETA: Sadly, my Japanese is not good enough to translate the announcement, but I did notice the video starts with Sota wishing happy birthday to his BFF Kazuki Tomono. How sweet :luv17:

Yes, he wishes Kazuki a happy birthday. And no, this is the first time he's worked with Camerlengo. So far he's had Japanese choreographers - Kenji Miyamoto, Akiko Suzuki, Yuko Hongo.

As far as the new programs are concerned, I am content with Sota's choice of 'East of Eden', but I am filled with doubts about the LP, 'In This Shirt', and the gala, 'You're Beautiful'. I'm going to watch some Camerlengo programs to make myself familiar with his work, but I think he used to be good at getting levels, and that's IMO what Sota needs to work on, apart from jumps and consistency. It would be such a pity if Sota couldn't get level 4 steps in the upcoming season if even Majorov could get it. I'm cautiously optimistic about Camerlengo, and the choreo shouldn't be a problem for Sota.

Now, the music. I'm tilting to the pessimistic side here. The LP choice is risky. Aymoz's version is fresh in everyone's minds, and Sota will have to be just as energetic and expressive to stick out. But, here's a big but - he's an introverted, fragile, noble-looking skater, and IMO doesn't have the right type of charisma to naturally sell music like this, and can come across as boring if given wrong music. I feel that a guy with more, how to put it, 'masculine aura' if that makes sense, would thrive on 'In This Shirt' much better than Sota can. And that goes for the gala as well. Sorry, fans of Irrepresibles and Blunt - but for me, this high-pitched whiny singing without a tangible tune does not play to Sota's strengths. Sota can be dramatic, tragic, passionate, or romantic, but he IMO can not sell such flat mainstream music, especially as musically shallow as I consider Blunt's hit to be. (apologies again) He's in big danger of producing unmemorable programs now. That would be a first for Sota :/ He's no Aymoz or Papadakis/Cizeron, and needs a bolder melody to shine.
But maybe he'll surprise me. Maybe it's actually a well-thought-out move where the key is to get a song without a fast pace and many strong accents where Sota can concentrate on hard elements such as 3A3T, and 4T3T. Even at the cost of getting low PCS as a result. Who knows. I hope he knows what he's doing. Anyway, even if my fears come true and the FP doesn't work, it's a part of the learning process for Sota to learn his boundaries, and now is a better time to experiment than before the Olympic season.
Good luck Sota!

Tatsuki Machida's brief comments on guest performers at Prince Ice World 2019:
https://www.tvguide.or.jp/feature/kissandcry/20190517/01.html

Translation of Sota part:
---Sota Yamamoto performs at "Prince Ice World" for the first time since 2016.

Tatsuki: "Sota Yamamoto senshu suffered from injury for a very long time, and I am truly delighted to see that his perseverance has began to be rewarded in terms of competition results and invitation to ice shows as well. He has rock-solid basic skating skills. I my opinion one requirement for high quality spreadeagle is that a skater’s body creates a straight line, without breaks, from the sole of the foot on the ice to the ankles, knees, hips, back, shoulders, and head. He clearly formed a solid straight line.”

a video of Sota's EX from PIW

https://t.co/ZVGC1fM03a

Beautiful performance, I have to say. I love his affinity for the music, and awareness of his own movements within the choreography. Can't wait to see his competitive programs in the next season)

OniBan said:

a video of Sota's EX from PIW

https://t.co/ZVGC1fM03a

Beautiful performance, I have to say. I love his affinity for the music, and awareness of his own movements within the choreography. Can't wait to see his competitive programs in the next season)

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link, I have to say, I love Sota but really don't like the song :no:
Sota's skills are awesome and he does make it watchable, but I think he lifts the song rather than the other way around...

KiraraChin said:

Thanks for the link, I have to say, I love Sota but really don't like the song :no:
Sota's skills are awesome and he does make it watchable, but I think he lifts the song rather than the other way around...

Click to expand...

Agreed, same here. I'm not blown away either. IMO it's a waste of his lovely skating. He thrives on more distinct tunes. (much better had he chosen the old piece Vasiljevs had as his SP in 2017/18!) The final pose didn't even feel like a pose and it left me But, seeing as this program has received positive feedback as well, maybe Sota can reach out to people who haven't cared for his skating so far this way, and make new fans. Who knows.

Another video of the same Sota PIW performance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZtVIv3ePTU&feature=youtu.be

Translation: (B=Broadcaster, TM=Tatsuki Machida)
00:03
B: It has been three years since he broke his ankle in 2016. He is back to this Prince Ice World. Sota Yamamoto.
00:17
TM: He suffered from his injury for a long time, but he overcame it and made a big progress last season.
00:24
B: Choreographed by Akiko Suzuki, a famous song “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt.
00:40
B: Machida-san, I understand he struggled quite a lot to make a comeback.
00:46
TM: Yes, indeed. Last season he was able to get his quad back. I take my hat off to him.
01:12
TM: About this “You’re Beautiful” I think Kensuke Nakaniwa (中庭健介)’s “You’re Beautiful” might have left an impression on figure skating fans. He skated to this piece in 2008 for gala and it was also marvelous.
02:05
B: Yamamoto performs making full use of his long arms and legs.
02:11
B: I heard that having gone through repeated injuries he almost gave up skating as his frustration turned into despair. He has been making steady and persistent effort and now he is back to this stage.
02:38
TM: I think this spread-eagle is very beautiful. In doing a spread-eagle it is very difficult to form a clean solid straight body line all the way from the feet, hip and back. A skater tends to stick his butt out and fails to form a straight line. But his body line was precisely straight.
03:16
B: Sota Yamamoto, a skater with great perseverance, came back to us. He said that next season he would like to add to his programs the quad Salchow that he was now able to land.
03:31
TM: I hope he will aim higher while being very careful not to get injured.
03:38
Announcer: Welcome back to Prince Ice World.
03:42
Sota: Thank you very much.
03:43
Announcer: How did you feel about your skating?
Sota: I enjoyed skating today again, and I hope the audience had a good time too.
03:53
Announcer: Are you feeling someone is looking at you?
03:57
Announcer: (To Shoma) Do you want to ask him a question?
04:00
Shoma: Please give me a quick word about your programs next season.
04:04
Sota: Well, I’m going to work on my competition programs. I would like to follow the example of my cool senpai and work hard so that I will be able to get it all together.
04:16
Shoma: I expect you’ll be doing great next season as well.
04:19
Sota: Thank you very much.

Finally gotten to posting some Sota news!

- As some here may have already read, Sota is now practicing a quad salchow. The entire video from Spoken: https://twitter.com/yuzuporuko/status/1137097739051732992 , just the 4sal: https://twitter.com/_mQuQm__/status/1137043708753264640 Congrats Sota, just don't rush it!
Some photos of Sota performing 'East of Eden' under Camerlengo's guidance from the video are here in this post on Shelley's blog - https://ameblo.jp/shelley39/entry-12475010808.html Love his posture! And the giggle, lol what was that and why was that

- on 17.6. (in just 5 days, yay!), the new Quadruple Axel magazine is coming out, and Sota's going to have a shared interview there with Tatsuya Tsuboi, his kouhai from Howa Sportsland. Preview: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D8wf6B_U8AAPeN4.jpg

- on 12.7., we can look forward to a FSTV feature on Sota (and others, like Kazuki, team Hamada, and ice dance tryouts), and learn more about his programs and choreo. Announcement: https://twitter.com/bebesho17/status/1137036219727122432

- Sota most likely won't be named in the GP entries list to be published next week, but in July we should learn about his status in the sponsored athletes list (to be published on July 1, I think?). I hope for an upgrade into A based on his February outing.

- meanwhile, he's enjoying eating out with his friends: https://www.instagram.com/p/ByXm24MpVLu/ , https://www.instagram.com/p/ByXgZJgp7-x/ (from Haruya Sasaki's instagram) I'll be honest, I only recognize Sota and Ryuju :] But Sota sure is beaming ^ ^

surimi said:

Finally gotten to posting some Sota news!

- As some here may have already read, Sota is now practicing a quad salchow. The entire video from Spoken: https://twitter.com/yuzuporuko/status/1137097739051732992 , just the 4sal: https://twitter.com/_mQuQm__/status/1137043708753264640 Congrats Sota, just don't rush it!
Some photos of Sota performing 'East of Eden' under Camerlengo's guidance from the video are here in this post on Shelley's blog - https://ameblo.jp/shelley39/entry-12475010808.html Love his posture! And the giggle, lol what was that and why was that

- on 17.6. (in just 5 days, yay!), the new Quadruple Axel magazine is coming out, and Sota's going to have a shared interview there with Tatsuya Tsuboi, his kouhai from Howa Sportsland. Preview: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D8wf6B_U8AAPeN4.jpg

- on 12.7, we can look forward to a FSTV feature on Sota, and learn more about his programs and choreo.

- Sota most likely won't be named in the GP entries list to be published next week, but in July we should learn about his status in the sponsored athletes list (to be published on July 1, I think?). I hope for an upgrade into A based on his February outing.

- meanwhile, he's enjoying eating out with his friends: https://www.instagram.com/p/ByXm24MpVLu/ , https://www.instagram.com/p/ByXgZJgp7-x/ (from Haruya Sasaki's instagram) I'll be honest, I only recognize Sota and Ryuju :] But Sota sure is beaming ^ ^

Click to expand...

Thanks for the updates! :luv17:
That 4S is looking good! I'm hoping for an upgrade to class A too

The Quadruple magazine has been published. Does anyone have it? Does anyone know what Sota talked about?
I can only link the two blogs that mention some things from the interview:
https://ameblo.jp/kmn-psn/entry-12482798854.html
https://ameblo.jp/shelley39/entry-12482928335.html
I don't have the time and skills, so if anyone wants to translate...

I think these say that Sota wants to aim for Worlds, he kept doing rehabilitaton up till Nationals, was only able to come up with 'awesome' when watching Hanyu's Worlds skate, thinks Yuzuru's possibly not even human seeing what he can do, Kazuki calls Sota very talented, and Sota's 4sal success came around the beginning of April and already on the second try?
It might be all wrong though.

Sota got NHK. I imagine noone among his fans can be happier than himself right now - he'll finally get to compete alongside Yuzuru who he admires. :yay: I imagine he did a happy dance when he learned the assignments.
The downside: he got IMO the toughest field on the circuit. If that Dmitriev guy really practices the 4A, then the most realistic guesses of who Sota could defeat if clean, are Orzel and Sadovsky and Bychenko? Yikes. My other faves' (Kazuki's and Keiji's) assignments look like a walk in the park compared to the NHK field. (ETA, taking back my words when it comes to SA for Kazuki, that lineup is deadly) Sota might have one more chance if the TBD spot goes to Mitsuki or Koshiro, but if Daisuke gets it... So not envying Sota that position but I know he's going to show real courage as always. Good luck!

Hi surimi, your translation of the recent Quadruple Axel magazine article is correct.
Let me add some more bits.
* Tatsuya realized for the first time that Sota wears five toe socks like Tatsuya.
* After Sota changed his boots and blades he was able to land 4S.
* Sota picked his new gala music.

By the way I don't think the chances of Sota's second GPS assignment are good, now that ISU has already decided on the assignments. On the other hand Koshiro still has a chance to get his second GPS spot if he gets NHK instead of Mitsuki, assuming TBD does not go to Daisuke.

Congrats to Sota on getting a GP assignment! I have a feeling he will do great at NHK. Who knows? We might even see him on the podium with Yuzuru

Yay!!! he's got a GP assignment :dance: looking forward to see him skate. Good luck Sota!!! And yes, it would be awesome if he and Yuzuru could podium together

I added some more translations to my previous posts #474 - 477 on page 24 https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?54542-Sota-Yamamoto/page24. The video clips have been uploaded to YT and I was able to fill in the previously missing part of the Sota interview by Shizuka.

Thank you so much, Rainbow, that's a load of work that you've done there! I found especially the bits about coach Nagakubo very interesting, and the part where he says he's started to use his own intuition in addition to listening to the coaches' advice. And lol at Sota freely admitting he doesn't enjoy studying, he's been like that forever, hasn't he? ^ ^

The website for sponsored skaters shows as 'not found' , so I guess the update must be close. Hoping for A category for Sota!

hello, i'm the owner of the video.. can i put your translation in the video?

^ Owner of this thread to owner of the video: thank you so much for putting it up! It's one of the vids I rewatch. I hope Rainbow agrees.

-----------

Apparently, the skater bios were published today, but I'm majorly bummed about no improvement there, Sota-wise. He's still stuck in B :[ I don't recall if this was the case last year, but someone said there would be one more update in the middle of the summer, so hopefully someone's going to reward him for his Challenge Cup score... frankly this looks to be a half-finished product since the 9th place from Finlandia is missing in the recent results list.
Sota's new bio: https://www.skatingjapan.or.jp/figure/player/detail.php?id=kFttigayOgY=
What does he say again? The mokuhyou line from last season's bios is missing, so I guess he used the 'comment' line for that. Someone please correct me if I got anything wrong. いつも応援ありがとうございます。今シーズンは良い演技をして、結果を出せるように頑張ります。応援よろしくお願いします。 = "Thank you as always for cheering for me. This season I'll do my best to achieve results, and skate good programs. Please cheer for me."
The 'hobbies' line hasn't changed much - music, hot baths, walking, and I don't really understand 映画鑑賞 - something to do with movies? Much better than telling Shizuka he has no hobbies, hehe