Overview

• Sakamoto won three straight world singles titles—becoming the first woman in 56 years to do so—before finishing runner-up to Alysa Liu at this year’s world championships in Boston.
• She earned team silver and individual bronze medals at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, adding Olympic hardware to her record.
• The 25-year-old determined that competing at age 29 in the 2030 Winter Games was “out of the question” and chose to end her career at 26.
• She announced her retirement at a press event in Kobe, setting Milan-Cortina 2026 as her final competitive appearance.
• Sakamoto pledged to pursue perfection in every remaining competition to ensure she concludes her career without regrets.