Beijing, China, February 15, 2022: Japan’s female figure skaters are making sure the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) do not have things all their own way in the women’s singles following the short programme at the Capital Indoor Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Another Japanese, Wakaba Higuchi, is fifth and Korea’s Winter Youth Olympic Games champion, You Young, is sixth.
The red-hot favourite, Kamila Valieva (ROC), took the lead with 82.16 points. The 2021 world champion Anna Shcherbakova (ROC) is second on 80.20 and Sakamoto is in third place on 79.84.
The third ROC skater, Alexandra Trusova, is fourth on 74.60, ahead of Higuchi (73.51) and You (70.34).
Valieva, the 15-year-old European champion who led the ROC to team gold on February 7, took to the ice after a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to allow her to compete despite an alleged pre-Games doping violation.
Sakamoto, who was a key member of Japan’s bronze medal-winning team at Beijing 2022 last week, was the last to skate among the 30 competitors and struggled with nerves.
"Prior to going on the ice, I was actually very nervous. So much so, I almost started to cry," she said.
"But I thought back on the last four years. I had some happy moments and some difficult moments and I knew this was the venue, this was a stage to put all my emotions through.
"I was determined to make that huge impact as the last skater. I am quite satisfied with my own performance."
Sakamoto, 21, finished sixth at PyeongChang four years ago and will be hoping to improve on that position on Thursday evening.