Sota YAMAMOTO (JPN)

—―In the last issue’s (Quadruple 2015) interview, Uno-senshu’s goals for the season was to make it to the JGP Final, Junior Worlds, win the Junior National title, and to give as many clean performances as he could. Yamamoto-senshu’s goals were to land a triple axel in competition, medal at Junior Nationals, and make it to JGP Final and Junior Worlds. It looks like the two of you impressively achieved everything you wanted. Is there anything else you wanted to do?
Shoma: The mistakes at the JGP Final kept nagging at me so I was so happy that my last short program of the season at Junior Worlds was my best one, but there are still other things I want to do.
Sota: I gave it my best, and I’m satisfied with all that I achieved this season. But, for the next season, I…
Shoma: (interrupts Sota) “…will win both of my (junior) grand prix assignments.”
Sota: Aah, putting words in my mouth!
Shoma: “I’ll win both Junior Nationals and the Junior Grand Prix Final.”
Sota: Aah again!
Shoma: Besides the senior competitions, you’re going to win everything else, right?
Sota: I have to do my best (laughs). First, I have to work on building consistency for my quad so I can do them in competition. My goal is to win Junior Nationals. If possible, I want to improve and win both of my Grand Prix assignments, and then of course, advance to the JGP Final and win.
Shoma: See, like I said! (laughs)
Sota: Well, even more important than the Final is to make it to Junior Worlds and try to win. I need to keep working so I can get even closer to that goal.
Shoma: I already graduated from juniors so I’ll be competing on the Senior Grand Prix circuit. I have no idea if I can break to the top, but I hope to make it a season where I continue to grow and that I’ll be satisfied with how it went when it comes to a close.

—―Are you working on adding more types of quads?
Shoma: I want to be able to land the quad salchow if I could, but I think Sota-kun is going to be ahead of me on that. On the salchow, I mean.
Sota: I want to land quad sals!

—―You landed one just now (at the gala practice).
Sota: Yes, I just started trying it today.
Shoma: What, really. It looks like it’s almost all the way around!

—―The toe loop and salchow mechanics are really different. It’s amazing that you were nearly successful at your first attempts.
Shoma: Their mechanics are pretty different.
Sota: With the salchow, it’s like I’m pulling at it.
Shoma: There are different jumping techniques with the salchow, and it varies with the person.
Sota: Like there are people who sweep into it with the right foot. And there are those who use their edges.
Shoma: Yes, exactly.

—―Is Yamamoto-senshu’s technique like Hanyu-senshu’s?
Sota: No. Shoma-kun’s technique is closer to Hanyu-kun’s.
Shoma: I slow down into it. It’s just a little bit, but Yuzu-kun is amazing, he just goes for it!
Sota: I have the same style as Keiji-kun.
Shoma: Aah! You do, you do.
Sota: It’s probably because we had the same coach (Coach Hayashi Yusuke) in the past?
Shoma: Yeah.

—―Moving on, please tell us your personal best short program and free skate performances.
Sota: Short program would have to be getting the highest recorded junior short program score (at the time) at the JGP Final. The best free skate was the Junior Worlds performance.
Shoma: Short program is Junior Worlds, and free skate is the JGP Final. The opposite of Sota-kun.
Sota: Ahaha. It really is!

—―You two had a lot of opportunities to train together and compete against each other in the same competition this season; how does it feel to conclude the season by standing together on the same podium?
Shoma: We did. Like when we stood on it together at the JGP Final, I’m so happy that we got to do it together again here at Junior Worlds.
Sota: I was sitting in the audience cheering for Shoma-kun in the final flight. I never imagined I would have held onto third, but I’m so happy at how it turned out. It makes me so happy to have been able to stand together on the podium with Shoma-kun at his final competition on the junior level.