Japan's Figure Skating Champion Sakamoto Plans Retirement After 2026 Olympics

Kaori Sakamoto, the three-time world figure skating champion from Japan, has announced she will retire after competing in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. At 25 years old, Sakamoto is the first woman in 56 years to win three consecutive world singles titles, equaling the achievement of American Peggy Fleming in the 1960s. She plans to end her competitive career the year she turns 26, citing that competing at 29 in a future Olympics is not feasible. Sakamoto earned a bronze medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics and recently finished second to American Alysa Liu at the world championships. After retiring, she intends to pursue coaching, hoping to develop standout skaters from her hometown of Kobe. She emphasizes the importance of strong results in her final year to support her transition and future influence in the sport.