[Geiriau Souta Yamamoto]Win suddenly… Hmmm, I’m glad I finished 2nd / Coupe de France
[Angers (Ffrainc) 6ed = Gohebydd Aika Matsumoto]Sota Yamamoto (22 = Chukyo Univ.) won 2nd place, his long-awaited first podium, in the third round of the Grand Prix (GP) series of figure skating, the French Cup. In an exclusive interview with the local media overnight, he spoke frankly about his current thoughts, such as the meaning of the silver medal he won in his 7th year as a senior player, and the sense of distance to his first final.
a figure
[Canlyniadau sengl dynion Coupe de France]
* Shinami Miyake withdrew from release due to poor physical condition
2nd place Yamamoto (left) and 3rd place Tomono (right) smiling at the men’s awards ceremony. Center: Champion Adam Xiaoimfa (Reuters)
First podium “I really enjoy skating now”
–At the end of the night
YamamotoWell, quite a few people around me said, “It was a shame,” but I got a lot of messages from people saying, “I’m glad you finally got a medal” or “Congratulations on the podium. ” Looking back, my performance was a bit disappointing, but first of all, I think it’s good that I got a podium and 2nd place in this GP series. I hope to continue to improve from now on.
――In 2016, you turned older, and this is your 7th season. It’s been a long time, how do you feel about yourself?
YamamotoVery senior… Everyone knows I got good grades in the junior division, and things have been said, but after all, I wasn’t able to produce results on the senior stage. In that sense, we can really start from here. I may be a bit of a late bloomer, but I think I’ve finally started, so I’m gradually gaining self-awareness and confidence that I’ve finally reached the base I can compete on, technically and full of expression. It’s a different kind of fun, or rather, I think skating is really fun now.
――In the next race, the NHK Trophy (18th-20th, Sapporo), Shoma (Uno) will appear in addition to the three podium players.
