The Japan Times - Sakamoto eyes figure skating gold in Olympic farewell

The three-time medallist and triple world champion, who will hang up her skates after the competition this week, has never topped the podium at a Winter Olympics.

But she goes into the women's singles as the form skater after winning both of her segments in the team event as Japan took silver behind the United States.

The 25-year-old faces a fierce challenge from America's Alysa Liu, the 2025 world champion and Grand Prix Final winner, in a competition that could boil down to a battle between the United States and Japan.

Sakamoto's teammates Mone Chiba and Ami Nakai are also likely to be a threat, along with America's Amber Glenn and Russian athlete Adeliia Petrosian, competing as neutral.

The short programme takes place at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Tuesday, with the free skate to follow on Thursday.

"This is really the last time," said Sakamoto, who won singles bronze at the 2022 Beijing Games and has two silvers in the team event. "So I want to enjoy it fully, but also make sure to do what needs to be done."

Affectionately called "big sister" by her teammates, she is leading a new generation of Japanese stars including Nakai, 17, and Chiba, 20.

"Japanese skating is strong right now," said Sakamoto. "I'm really a little bit scared about the younger skaters. They are so good."

She will be desperate to avoid the disaster that befell hot men's favourite Ilia Malinin, who suffered a nightmare last week, slumping to an eighth-place finish.

- Gu misses out on gold -

On Monday, China's freestyle skiing superstar Eileen Gu failed in her second attempt to win a gold medal in Italy, beaten into second place in the women's big air final in Livigno by Canada's Megan Oldham.

The 22-year-old defending champion showed nerves of steel in her final run but could not overhaul Oldham's winning score of 180.75.

US-born Gu picked up two gold medals and a silver in Beijing, and came to Italy seeking a clean sweep.

The silver, her second of the Games, made her the most-decorated woman Olympic freeski athlete, with five medals in total.

And Gu, who still has a chance to win the halfpipe, brushed aside any sense of disappointment after failing to top the podium again.

"I'm the most decorated female free skier in history," she said, robustly defending her record.

"I think that's an answer in and of itself. How do I say this? Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete.

"Doing it five times is exponentially harder, because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else's expectations rise."

Heavy snow in Livigno on Tuesday morning forced a number of postponements, including the women's snowboard slopestyle final and the men's and women's aerials qualifiers in freestyle skiing.

The men's big air competition is due to take place at at 1830 GMT, with Norway's defending champion Birk Ruud bidding for his second gold of the games.

Away from the slopes, ski star Lindsey Vonn said "being back on home soil feels amazing" after returning to the United States having undergone four operations on the broken leg she suffered in a horrific crash in the women's downhill.

The 41-year-old had been in hospital in Italy since her heavy fall in the women's downhill on February 8.

"Haven't stood on my feet in over a week... been in a hospital bed immobile since my race," she said in a social media post.

M.Matsumoto--JT