Figure Skating: Japan Repeats as Silver Medalist in Team Competition

Shun Sato was the final participant in the final portion of the figure skating team competition at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday night, February 8.

Sato delivered a stirring performance, including three quadruple jumps during his rendition of "Firebird." He earned a personal-best score of 194.86 points. But it was not enough to overtake American superstar Ilia Malinin, a two-time defending world champion who topped the scoring chart with 200.03 points.

In other words, Sato couldn't secure the maximum number of points (10), which were awarded to the winner of the men's free skate and added to the team score.

Instead, the United States, which accumulated 69 points in the three-day competition, edged Japan by a single point to earn the gold medal. Italy placed third with 60 points at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

figure skating — *Shun Sato of Japan performs his free skate routine. (©Yara Nardi/REUTERS)*

Before the men's free skate, Japan and the US were tied with 59 points apiece.

"First of all, right after I finished skating, I was genuinely happy because I felt I had truly lived up to the team's support," Sato told reporters. "But once the scores were announced, I felt quite sad that we couldn't win. I felt happy, but also disappointed."

'Aiming for Gold'

Japan had set a target of winning the team title in Italy after grabbing the silver at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Due to a doping scandal, Russia was stripped of its gold medal and Japan was elevated from bronze to silver. Japan's skaters finally received their upgraded medals in August 2024 at the Paris Olympics.

"This time we were aiming for gold from the first day on," said Japan team captain Masaya Morita, who participated in the ice dance. "But it is not only the result that counts. When we look at the programs and performances, they were full of excellent moments."

Morita then said, "Not only gold or silver is valuable. It is especially important for us that we want to prove ourselves as a team for the next opportunity in four years. I hope we can keep this positive spirit in the future."

Also on Sunday evening, starting around 3:30 AM JST on Monday, two-time world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara competed in the pairs free skate. Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto then participated in the women's free skate.

Heading into Day 3 of the figure skating team event, Team USA led with 44 points, followed by Japan with 39, Italy with 37 and Canada with 35. Japan's score was augmented by Yuma Kagiyama's win in the men's short program on Saturday.

Showcasing Their Figure Skating Skills

Miura and Kihara were impressive in the pairs free skate, gliding across the ice to "Gladiator" with ease. Their movement, athleticism and synergy shined throughout the performance. The Japanese duo broke their previous record with a score of 155.5 points.

Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava were second with 139.70.

"I knew we could go above 150 if we performed to our best," Miura said, according to Kyodo News.

Miura added, "I was a bit more nervous than in the short program but performed with care at each moment."

Another Victory in the Team Competition for Sakamoto

Sakamoto, who will retire after the 2025-26 season, looked sharp en route to victory in the free skate (148.62 points). She landed five triple jumps while skating to a medley of Edith Piaf tunes.

Georgia's Anastasiia Gubanova placed second with 140.17 seconds. Team USA's Amber Glenn was third with 138.62 points.

For Sakamoto, the team's overall performance brought her joy.

"Everybody has done a gold-medal performance," the three-time Olympian said, according to Reuters. "So it really doesn't matter what color medal we get."

Sakamoto also expressed pride in her performance on Sunday.

"Seeing that I scored number one in the women's category tonight was a big deal, I felt really emotional," the Kobe native told reporters.

In the short program, held on Friday, Sakamoto outscored American Alysa Liu (78.88-74.90) to help put Japan on the path to being a medal contender.

A Look Ahead

The men's singles skating competition gets underway with the short program on Tuesday night (Wednesday 2:30 AM JST). Kagiyama, Sato and Kao Miura will represent Japan.

An Athlete's Voice

"Of course I wanted to surpass Ilia, do better than him," Sato said, according to Reuters after the team event. "I respect him very much as an ice skater and with tonight's performance I know that I can improve more to get up to that level to maybe one day beat him. It is a motivation to do better next time."

Author: Ed Odeven

Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.