Figure Skating Star Kaori Sakamoto Drops Bombshell, Announces Marriage at Retirement Press Conference
Japanese female figure skater Kaori Sakamoto (26) made a surprise announcement of her marriage at her retirement press conference. Her husband is a former university classmate. The retirement and marriage of the Olympic medalist and four-time world champion have drawn significant attention.
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- 📰 Published: May 13, 2026 at 14:12
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(CNA Tokyo, 13th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Japanese women's figure skating star Kaori Sakamoto, a two-time Olympic medalist and four-time World Figure Skating Championships gold medalist, held a retirement press conference in her hometown of Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, today. At the end of the conference, she suddenly dropped the happy news that she is already married.
NHK reported that Sakamoto, currently 26, won a bronze medal in the singles event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and a silver medal in the same event at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. Following this year's Olympics, she won her fourth World Championship gold medal, surpassing the record of three golds held by Japanese legend Mao Asada.
A highlight of Sakamoto's competitive career was her three-peat at the World Championships from 2022 to 2024.
She had previously stated she would retire after this year's World Championships and held a retirement press conference today to look back on her 20-plus-year competitive career. "During this time, I felt that practicing desperately was my youth," she said, thanking everyone involved for their support along the way.
During the press conference, she shed tears of emotion when she saw a message from her mother. Sonoko Nakano and Mitsuko Graham, who coached Sakamoto for many years, also made a surprise appearance at the press conference to offer their blessings.
Reflecting on her decision to retire, Sakamoto said frankly, "After the Beijing Olympics, I decided to compete for another four years, and I was prepared for it to be the last four years."
When asked what kind of coach she wants to be, she replied, "I hope to be like Ms. Nakano, who not only teaches technique but also the principles of being a good person. I still have a lot to learn in the latter part, and I hope to pass on what Ms. Nakano taught me to the younger generation."
At the end of the press conference, Sakamoto said she had one more thing to report and then suddenly announced with a smile, "I recently got married, on May 5th."
Sakamoto explained, "My partner is a man of the same age whom I met in college. His personality is the opposite of mine; he's always calm. But he doesn't forget to enjoy life and does interesting things with me."
Kansai TV reported that Sakamoto also stated her partner is "not related to the skating world."
Japanese media outlet THE ANSWER reported that the press conference received high attention, with about 30 cameras and over 100 reporters present.
When Sakamoto suddenly dropped the happy news at the end of the conference, the venue erupted with sounds of surprise, "Wow!" and applause of congratulations. (Translation: Yang Wei-ching) 1150513
NHK reported that Sakamoto, currently 26, won a bronze medal in the singles event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and a silver medal in the same event at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. Following this year's Olympics, she won her fourth World Championship gold medal, surpassing the record of three golds held by Japanese legend Mao Asada.
A highlight of Sakamoto's competitive career was her three-peat at the World Championships from 2022 to 2024.
She had previously stated she would retire after this year's World Championships and held a retirement press conference today to look back on her 20-plus-year competitive career. "During this time, I felt that practicing desperately was my youth," she said, thanking everyone involved for their support along the way.
During the press conference, she shed tears of emotion when she saw a message from her mother. Sonoko Nakano and Mitsuko Graham, who coached Sakamoto for many years, also made a surprise appearance at the press conference to offer their blessings.
Reflecting on her decision to retire, Sakamoto said frankly, "After the Beijing Olympics, I decided to compete for another four years, and I was prepared for it to be the last four years."
When asked what kind of coach she wants to be, she replied, "I hope to be like Ms. Nakano, who not only teaches technique but also the principles of being a good person. I still have a lot to learn in the latter part, and I hope to pass on what Ms. Nakano taught me to the younger generation."
At the end of the press conference, Sakamoto said she had one more thing to report and then suddenly announced with a smile, "I recently got married, on May 5th."
Sakamoto explained, "My partner is a man of the same age whom I met in college. His personality is the opposite of mine; he's always calm. But he doesn't forget to enjoy life and does interesting things with me."
Kansai TV reported that Sakamoto also stated her partner is "not related to the skating world."
Japanese media outlet THE ANSWER reported that the press conference received high attention, with about 30 cameras and over 100 reporters present.
When Sakamoto suddenly dropped the happy news at the end of the conference, the venue erupted with sounds of surprise, "Wow!" and applause of congratulations. (Translation: Yang Wei-ching) 1150513