Sota Yamamoto | Page 38 | Golden Skate

Sota Yamamoto

KiraraChin

Medalist
Joined
May 5, 2018
Thank you, rRainbow for your translation!

I hope Hayashi-sensei manages to sort out the situation with his licence and doesn't do this sort of thing again. Out of curiosity, is he still in jail, or was he released on bail? I can imagine it's a bit disappointing for his students to see their coach was arrested :(
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
No clue, Kirara. I hope any trouble Hayashi might get into won't reflect badly on his students. It's lucky that this happened during a time when all rinks in Japan are closed due to the state of emergency. Of course, I'd be happy to see Sota back in Howa, but at this stage I suspect he'd consider it a failure and it could make him dejected, so I wish him whatever works best for him.

I have also stumbled upon this news on PH - https://twitter.com/sotacrumbs/status/1251725876963586049 It seems Sota has been chosen to receive a grant from Yamaha Motor Foundation. I am overjoyed to hear this. He really deserves a break from bad luck. I don't know how these grants work so this is pure imagination, but I imagine the athletes had to fill out an application, send their bios, state their reasons for asking for a grant, and their intentions on what they'd use it for; and the grant committee must have reviewed them all and chosen Sota. He must have made an impression. I am happy for him. ^ ^
 

KiraraChin

Medalist
Joined
May 5, 2018
Yay, good on Sota! :yahoo:

About Hayashi-sensei, I can imagine the public would know this is completely unrelated to his work and his students. I worry more about his students feeling disappointed/upset seeing their sensei has broken the law (more than once) and gone to prison. Coaches are supposed to be role models, so it must be a bit of a blow :(
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
According to this list announced by Yamaha each advanced category recipient will receive up to 1.5 million yen. アドバンスド(上限150万円)= advanced (up to 1.5 M yen). https://www.ymfs.jp/project/assist/pdf/20200210_ymfs-information.pdf?ver=20200210

Out of the total four internationally competitive advanced category recipients Sota is the only one figure skater. Other three are one snooker player, one skier and one BMX rider.

About Hayashi, we will know more about what happened and what kind of penalty he is facing. I hope the fact that he called the police to admit that his license was invalid will be a mitigating factor. Whatever happens, the incident has nothing to do with his students and I hope they remain calm.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
I did a cleanup of the links in the OP a few days ago. Fortunately not many blocked videos this time, and I was able to substitute most non-working links. No idea why stuff like US Classic victory ceremony gets deleted...

The only Sota news I have is the FS Life that's going to be published on May 29: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4594615392 Sota is going to have an interview there, and it makes me happy to see his name next to Kazuki's. (it doesn't look like it's a joint interview though) And a Rika Hongo interview! I'm tempted to buy the magazine now, if it even ships to Europe. I am a Rika H fan and miss her. It's been a while since I last saw news about her... though to be frank, Sota himself is sure giving his fans a hard time, pretending to be invisible. I wish he'd take a page out of Kazuki's book and give us a sign of life now and then ^ ^
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Sota & Kazuki's サイコロ (dice) talk on recent Fuji TV encore presentations of past figure skating programs. Looks like this segment never aired before. It is a behind the scene interview at Nagoya Figure Skating Festival 2020 around January.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vDdEyY2RUHWI9HBCTfbZ_43GjkMDsrwE/view?usp=sharing
Translation: A=announcer, K=Kazuki, S=Sota

0:17
A: I think you two like this kind of thing. Is it okay for you to throw it together?
S: Yes (putting down a bottle of drink)
(Yuhama behind the camera: “You want me to hold the drink for you?”)
S: Okay, here we go! Ready? Go.
Question is “What do you want most now?
(Keiji behind the camera: “It has to be something other than money.”)
A: Tanaka senshu just said it should be something other than money. Tomono senshu, you go first. What do you want most now?
K: What do I want in an ordinary simple way?
A: Yes simply.
K: Let me see.
A: Be honest.
K: Well, these days I really like shoes, leather shoes, and I really like polishing my shoes as a hobby. Now I want a good brush for that. Hehehe.
A: Do you want a brush to polish your shoes?
K: Is it something I can get as a gift? (Laughter) If I am allowed to ask for more, I want good quality leather shoes that would last for a lifetime.
A: Nice answer. Thank you.
K: Is it a nice answer (laughs)
A: It’s your turn, please.
S: I can't think of anything at all.
A: What Yamamoto senshu wants most now.
S: I have a driver’s license but I do not have a car yet, so I want a car, but I think I have to buy a car myself.
A: So, a brush and a car are on your wish list.
K: I was wondering if I should mention a car. I have a license too. But maybe, I won’t really drive.
S: We don’t have opportunities to go out and play.
K: True.
A: (To Kazuki) Do you have a driver’s license?
K: Yes I do.
S: Yes
A: So you have a driver’s license, but don't have a chance to drive.
K: About a chance to drive, there are times that I go to inconvenient places for practice, and going there by car is easier, but I won’t drive every day.
A: Is a car still your answer?
S: Yes, I’m good.
A: It’s okay to wish for something bigger.
S: There’s nothing I want. Nothing in particular.
K: I want leather shoes
S: I want a car (laughs)
A: Thank you very much. Sorry for interrupting your meal.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Thank you so much! :thank: They're really precious, these two :biggrin:
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
You guys are all welcome.

About FS Life vol.21, this blog post shows an image of the 1st page of Sota interview as a free sample.
https://ameblo.jp/shelley39/
Translation:

-First of all, I would like to ask you to look back on this season. What kind of season was it? (Interviewed at Chukyo University in March)
S: Hmm, let me see .... The big change is that I began to put the quad salcow in my program. Also, I got my programs choreographed for the first time overseas. These are the most memorable things.
-You did the quadruple salchow from the end of last season, didn’t you.
S: Yes, right after the Challenge Cup ended a year ago. In April I started practicing after a long time, and I was able to land it quickly. From there, my goal was to add salchow next season.
-This season you had good results such as the first place in the short at the second Challenger Series in the early season, and did you feel confident that you would do well this season?
S: I was getting better since around autumn and I was getting more confident gradually, and I guess my confidence helped me in the short at Finlandia. But after the free, I found some issues and realized that I still had plenty of room for improvement. It was a great experience to be sent to two competitions.
--And NHK Cup this year for the second time. Was it different from your first outing at the NHK Cup last year?
S: The first time I was at NHK Cup I wanted to have a good time and I didn't care about the result very much. But I competed at this season’s NHK Cup trying hard to get good results. But I ended up in the same 6th place, so I thought it was difficult to skate well while worrying about the results.

-How did you like to be in the same competition as Yuzuru Hanyu?
S: It's been a while since I competed with him, and I learned a lot. I learned from everything he did.
-What did you learn, for example?
S: There are too many things to name a few (laughs), but I learned so much during the time from his warm-up to his performance. I learned many things such as movements on the ice at practice by trying my best to watch him.
-What did you think was the most amazing about him?
S: As others have said, Hanyu senshu has very springy legs, which seem to have something to do with the way he jumps on the ice. I noticed that he was able to move very quickly, and I came to think that was one of his strengths.
-Did you notice that during warm-ups?
S: Even when he was just walking, how can I put it, he was agile (laughs). When I'm in bad form, my movements tend to lose sharpness or become sluggish, so I'd like to learn from him to get my weakness under control.

-After that, the Japanese National Championships. What do you think about it?
S: Hmm, I thought that I was able to do 100% of the layout I wanted to do, and I started to have the desire that I wouldl get good results by delivering good performances. In that sense I competed out of the desire to achieve results...but I ended up with unsatisfactory results. It was the season I got to be hungry in a positive way, though.
ー Did you feel down after the short?
S: Hehe (laughs) I guess so. I was really nervous in the short. I fell so far behind that I couldn't reach the placement I was aiming for, and I realized that that’s all I’ve got. I wondered if I hadn't reached the ideal place I had hoped for, or perhaps I was not even at the start line.
-Why did you get nervous?
S: I was too concerned about the result. I was working hard and doing okay in practice, but it doesn’t matter if you cannot skate well in competition. I figured that I would have to practice hard to go beyond self-satisfaction and to be able to deliver such good performances that the people around would recognize me as a good skater.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Yay, more Sota content ^ ^ Thank you! He's still very much a Yuzuru fanboy, I don't expect that to ever change. It's perceptive of him that he seems to consider self-satisfaction a flaw of his; I think he is right. It reminds me of his abashed reflection in Kenji's Room when confronted with his statement from years back about himself being a jump genius. I'm glad to see the 'old' Sota back though. ;) It has to be tough to force oneself not to think of the scores and placement when he knows the junior trio of Kagiyama, Sato and Miura is storming the world stage already and the eyes of the Federation will naturally be drawn to them when it comes to Beijing considerations. Yet I root for Sota, always.
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Many thanks to this Sota fan blogger who posted excerpts from an interview with Sota of FS Life vol.21 (5/29/20).
https://ameblo.jp/kmn-psn/entry-12600638648.html

Translation:

■ Japanese Nationals FS inside story
“At NHK Cup I looked straight into the TV camera and both the short-side audience and the audience who saw the screen let out wild screams, so I got really fired up for the next step sequence.”

■ Why he decided to change the environment
"I started to think that I needed a big change."
"Isn't it a good idea to explore an environment where I can skate as much as I can?"
"In the worst case, I can go back to college after retirement (laughs)."
"How about the coach in Aichi, the one who has many famous skaters, or overseas coach?"
"What I want most now is someone who can coach the jump technique."

■ Working on quad popping and triple axel
"To begin with, he (Hayashi) decided to work on triples to get them into good shape.” “One day when I was about to jump a quad he scolded me (laugh). It was the first time I got told off for trying a jump."
"I had a quirk in the axel jump path before take-off, so he helped me fix it. It felt like I was braking with the toe when I was moving backward…”

■ Potential for growth
"Hmm, skating skills?” “I’ve got a long way to go." "I'm working hard so that you can think of it as my strength again."

■ His strengths
"Hmm .--- what are they? ... I cannot think of any (laughs)."
-What do you want to improve to make it your prowess?
"Skating skills. Right now I want to skate faster and gain momentum. I am hoping more acceleration will also increase the quality of the jumps."

■ Choreography for next season
"Both are by (Miyamoto) Kenji."

■ Simple costume
"My mother and I requested something simple."
"When I saw it, there was nothing (rhinestones or decorations) on it!"
"I tried it, and I've decided to go flashy next season. I'll add a lot (laughs)."

■ Message to fans and his dream skate
"I want my skate to emit something strong, like a strong light..."
 

KiraraChin

Medalist
Joined
May 5, 2018
Thanks, rRainbow!

Looking forward to Sota's new programmes and flashy costumes :biggrin:
I'm interested to see the result of his jump technique training, too!
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Many thanks, Rainbow! Very interesting read.

“At NHK Cup I looked straight into the TV camera and both the short-side audience and the audience who saw the screen let out wild screams, so I got really fired up for the next step sequence.”

Sota is a good-looking boy, so I am not at all surprised, lol! When he did the same pose in his Lorelei, I don't think he got this reaction, although the program was also very dynamic. So it must be his looks ;) I am happy he didn't get spooked and turned the loud enthusiasm to his advantage.

"Isn't it a good idea to explore an environment where I can skate as much as I can?"
"In the worst case, I can go back to college after retirement (laughs)."
"How about the coach in Aichi, the one who has many famous skaters, or overseas coach?"

Alright, I am confused now. I thought he had a lot of time to skate in Howa and the Chuukyou rink? And it sounds like he took a break from his studies? And who does he mean by 'the coach in Aichi with many famous skaters'? Is he speaking of Hamada?

"To begin with, he (Hayashi) decided to work on triples to get them into good shape.” “One day when I was about to jump a quad he scolded me (laugh). It was the first time I got told off for trying a jump."

I am relieved. Hayashi is not forcing him to jump too mnay quads it seems. Good. May Sota's ankles thrive.

■ Simple costume
"My mother and I requested something simple."
"When I saw it, there was nothing (rhinestones or decorations) on it!"
"I tried it, and I've decided to go flashy next season. I'll add a lot (laughs)."

I am confused again - is he speaking about this past season, or about the upcoming one when speaking of the simple costume?

Anyhow, so good to finally read a lot of Sota news. ^ ^
 

rRainbow

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Country
Japan
Sorry surimi, for the confusion. Let me clarify.
1) When he was thinking about changing his coach, the choices he considered include; Aichi coach, or someone coaching many famous skaters, or foreign coach. Since we don't have the whole paragraph, we don't know his more detailed thought process about changing coach.

2) He was talking about the last year's simple costume(s). Since Japanese language lacks plural forms, I was not really sure whether he was talking about one costume or two costumes; one for SP (Eden) and another for FS (Shirt). Since his FS costume has several rhinestones I assumed he was referring to his SP costume without any sparkles. Anyway he is going for more glitters this season.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Thx for the clarification, Rainbow!

Now, in other essential news... According to this blog post - https://ameblo.jp/kmn-psn/entry-12601677103.html - Sota has a new profile on Chukyo University instagram, where he says he likes singing :eeking: (excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor), and where we can see that he's dyed his hair brown :hopelessness: Why ruin such lovely glossy thick hair, why? (same goes for Kazuki) I hope it's just a phase.
Btw, when I saw the photo I originally thought it was Shoma :p Then I double-checked...
Oh well, it could be worse, isn't Kazuki dreaming of red hair...? I have immense respect now for Hanyu who never gave in AFAIK. And since Sota admires Hanyu, it gives me a measure of hope...

Here's an official translation of his Chukyo message -
"Hello, I'm Sota Yamamoto. How have you been? I had been addicted to watch Netflix during emergency declaration period. I'm looking forward to the day when I can skate before audience again!"
^ Kindly translated by Shelley, my other lifeline for Sota content. :thank: Here's her take on the recent Sota news! https://ameblo.jp/shelley39/entry-12601674297.html
It seems there will be a TV feature with Wakaba and Sota soon, yay! I look forward to it.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
If he skates to that, he'll need the luck.
I am disappointed. He's had several months to think of suitable music for himself, and one warhorse and one recycled program is the best he comes up with? SMH. Koshiro and Kazuki have put forward much smarter choices for now. If they'll be able to deliver them is another question, but for now they have the upper hand.

I cannot figure out why his fans rejoice at hearing the Dark Eyes announcement. Pray tell me, what strengths of Sota's will Dark Eyes be showcasing? ... The way I see it - none. Instead, it will highlight all of Sota's weaknesses: a) he's not a natural dancer and this piece requires someone flexible and feeling the dance with their body, b) he has a limited expression range and this music calls for lots of expression, c) he tends to be on the slower side and is very focused before difficult jump passes, whereas the music needs someone ultra fast to match the frentic rhythm, and d) lastly, this is a bawdy folk song, half gypsy half Russian style, the stuff one used to sing in a pub when inebriated; but Sota's too stern and noble for this stuff in both looks and rendition.
I saw Machida's take on that song, and he was great. But Sota is not Machida. He should keep going his own way. Try as I might, I can't imagine him putting forth those high kicks, hops and lightning-fast steps and engaging the audience by being an entertainer. Sota shouldn't touch anything that screams 'entertainer' or 'dance' with a 10-ft pole. The only dances he'd portray well are tangos and Spanish stuff, I would say.
And I struggle to understand why he'd challenge himself like this in a season when he needs consistency on jumps, and levels on steps and spins, in order to build up a good starting position for the Olympic season. JMO of course, but this is not a good time to experiment. The JSF is watching, and if he messes up the jumps and loses levels due to exhaustion from the killer pace and from focusing on things like expression and dancing which he will have to force himself to do... then he'll have jeopardized his Olympic chances marvellously.

TL;DR: Will I support Sota any less? - no. He's still my favorite skater, and I adore his skating. Am I saying he certainly won't make the national team this year? - no. But I think he's just complicated his chances big time, and will have a hard time skating clean in the SP, making it difficult to win the judges back in the FP.

Sota what on earth were you thinking :palmf:

About the FP, it will be difficult to beat the great Nobunaga Concerto FS from two seasons ago, but I think it's doable. I just found a working link to the 2012 program, and it could work. Good luck to him.

I'd happily eat my words re. the SP but right now, I have doubts.
 

Gabby30

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 8, 2019
He didn't change the coaching team for nothing. It's seems that he is being given the right attention and to recycle a music from his childhood could have positive psychological benefits. There's nothing wrong with the music. It's a normal movie music. Just because you skated to something as a 12 yo, this doesn't mean that it's not appropriated for a 20yo. It's just PERCEPTION. Nobody had a problem with Boyang skating to his junior music How To Train Your Dragon. Ryuju Hino also recycled music from his novice years. Every 12 yo out there is skating to Romeo and Juliet, does that mean it's not appropriate for an adult skater to skate to it?
Sota is gonna make the best out of his programs, because he has the skills to do so. In his own way.

And what have Kazuki and Koshiro to do with all this? Especially Koshiro, who didn't had any kind of results so far. No music on this planet can change that. And predicting that someone won't skate clean and to declare the programs to be bad before they are even made.... i have no words. I think the same was predicted last year too- but Eden and In This Shirt looked fine, he did well and the judges also didn't had a problem with it, since he medaled at two international competitions and he got his best national result so far- he was 5th best senior.
Sometimes i have the feeling that some people here are just looking for reasons to put him down and to make it look like the others are so much better than him ( for whatever irrational reason).
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
And some people only post in this thread to criticize others instead of posting any substantial content. lol. Bye.
 

Gabby30

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 8, 2019
I actually believe that his programs will be epic if made the right way.
In the end, it's not the music that makes you progress/regress. It's your mental state. And i do believe that he wasn't in his best mental condition when he left his previous coaching team. The ladies in Howa were nice and all, but they didn't know what to do with him and it showed in his frustration.
I think his new team is gonna have a lot of work with him, not only on his jumps and stuff. A lot of things happened in the last 8 years and there is a reason why he decided to go back to his previous coach and why he decided/agreed to skate to a music from that time. He won't progress if he doesn't heal first
 
Top