Olympics-Figure Skating-Kagiyama keeps gold in sight after trailing Malinin in short programme

By Agnieszka Flak

MILAN, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Japanese figure skater Yuma Kagiyama said he is still targeting gold at the Milano Cortina Olympics after Tuesday's short programme, insisting that in sport you don't aim for second or third because anything can happen once competition begins.

Kagiyama, second at Beijing 2022 and a three-times world silver medallist, had been widely expected to challenge American favourite Ilia Malinin for the top score.

Earlier this week he had beaten Malinin convincingly in the short programme of the team event with 108.67 points, but Tuesday’s performance was less convincing. Second-placed Kagiyama scored 103.07 points, far short of Malinin's 108.16.

"In sports, you never know what happens until it ends. So I hope to give my 100% during the free skate and hopefully the result will come along," the 22-year-old said after stepping off the ice after his short programme on Tuesday.

"I was a bit frustrated with the triple axel where I made a small mistake," he added, speaking through a translator. "My goal now is to perform a performance in the free skating programme that I'm happy with."

Kagiyama has consistently trailed Malinin in recent years, finishing runner‑up to him at the last two Grand Prix Finals.

Known off the ice for a soft‑spoken profile that contrasts with his competitive edge, Kagiyama grew up in a skating family.

Coached by his father, two-times Olympian Masakazu Kagiyama, he began skating at age five and has carried that early discipline into the speed, precision and control that have become trademarks of his skating.

Asked whether he was frustrated by repeatedly finishing behind the American, Kagiyama said the disappointment comes only when he feels he has not delivered to his full potential.

"When I give my 100%, I’m ready to accept whatever the result is," he said, adding he has not given up trying to catch up with Malinin whose quad-packed performances have left audiences in awe.

"I'm trying to catch up by playing more offence, adding more quadruple jumps and increasing my offensive power, so I really do want to catch up," he said.

His free skate, a four‑minute bespoke edit of composer Christopher Tin’s Turandot ending, is expected to be one of the highlights of the event — a fitting nod to the opera’s centenary in the very city where it premiered - Milan.

Kagiyama said his aim was to bring the audience into the performance.

"I want the Italian audience to feel, to see me enjoy being free, and also that I'm enjoying skating with this music so much," he said. "I hope to transfer that feeling to the Italian audience."