WINTER NOTE | Figure skating edition – looking back over the December ice.
Grand Prix Final 2025 in Nagoya was a genuine “dress rehearsal for Milano”
In early December, the ISU Grand Prix Final 2025 held in Nagoya had that unmistakable “Olympic season tension” in the air. It’s a showdown limited to just six skaters (or six teams) per discipline, gathering only the very top. On top of that, it was held in Japan. On and off the ice, you could feel a heat level that made it seem as if, with just a little fast-forward, the Milano–Cortina Olympics might start at any moment.
In the men’s event, Ilia Malinin stole headlines worldwide with a jump layout on the level of “seven quads,” while right beside him Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato shared the podium in second and third. In the women’s event, surrounded by some of the world’s top contenders, Ami Nakai claimed a brilliant second place and Kaori Sakamoto took third. In pairs, Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara finally stood at the very top of the Grand Prix Final.
Those few days in Nagoya, I felt, clearly revealed “the faces who will be chasing medals in Milano.”
All-Japan Championships 2025: the “final piece” leading to team selection
And then in late December, the 94th All-Japan Figure Skating Championships were held at Tokyo’s Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium. Based on the results there, together with performances over the season, the Japan Skating Federation announced the Japanese team for Milano–Cortina 2026.
In the men’s field, Yuma Kagiyama captured the title without letting the pressure get to him. Even with a few mistakes in the free skate, he avoided any major collapse – exactly the kind of job you expect from an “ace.” Shun Sato finished second, Kao Miura third, and those three names went straight onto the Olympic roster.
In the women’s event, Kaori Sakamoto, who has declared this will be her final competitive season, won both the short program and free skate for an incredible fifth straight All-Japan title. She almost casually made the label of “first Japanese woman to compete at three consecutive Winter Olympics” her own. Mao Shimada finished second, but due to age limits her Olympic debut will have to wait. Third-placed Mone Chiba and fourth-placed Ami Nakai were named to the team and will join Sakamoto on the ice in Milano.
Snapshot of Japan’s Olympic figure skating team
| Discipline | Skater(s) | One-line profile |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s Singles | Yuma Kagiyama | Beijing silver medallist – heading to Milano as the man to beat, aiming for gold. |
| Men’s Singles | Shun Sato | His quad jumps and musicality are finally clicking together for his first Olympics. |
| Men’s Singles | Kao Miura | Known for his attacking layouts – one half of the much-talked-about “Manji Boys.” |
| Women’s Singles | Kaori Sakamoto | Five-time All-Japan champion and the first Japanese woman to skate in three straight Olympics. |
| Women’s Singles | Mone Chiba | Already a World Championships medallist – the very definition of consistency. |
| Women’s Singles | Ami Nakai | A symbol of the new generation who surged to the top in her first senior season. |
| Pairs | Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara | World champions and Grand Prix Final winners – clear favourites for gold in Milano. |
| Pairs | Yuna Nagaoka / Sumito Moriguchi | A new pair that rocketed up the ranks this season – how boldly can they attack in their first Olympics? |
| Ice Dance | Utana Yoshida / Masaya Morita | Expected to feature mainly in the team event – they embody the “now” of Japanese ice dance. |
Looking at the list like this, you can clearly see how nicely the “balance of experience and freshness” has come together. With Sakamoto and Kagiyama as the central pillars, the new generation circles around them.
WINTER NOTE’s year-end figure skating link collection
All-Japan women’s podium and Kaori Sakamoto’s fifth straight title
Japan Skating Federation official: All-Japan results and team announcement
Pairs – Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara Grand Prix Final victory highlights
If you let the heat of Nagoya and the tension of Yoyogi run through you once more, the “meaning” of the Milano–Cortina Games will likely look different again. It was the kind of December that makes you want to rewind time a little on a winter night.
