Milano Cortina 2026: Japan Provisionally in Second Place in Figure Skating Team Event; Kaori Sakamoto Takes First in Women’s Singles Short Program

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:36 JST, February 7, 2026

MILAN ― Japan is now provisionally in second place in the figure skating team event after three out of the four short programs at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games on Friday, ahead of the opening ceremony.

The team event features ice dancing, pairs and men’s and women’s singles competitions. Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto gave a brilliant performance in the women’s singles, securing first place with a world season’s best score of 78.88 points.

The Japanese women’s ice hockey team, nicknamed Smile Japan, started the tournament with a win, defeating France 3-2 in the preliminary round.