Kaori Sakamoto, whose Beijing Olympic bronze made her the fourth Japanese woman to win an individual figure skating medal, said Friday the Russian skaters who dominate the ice give her a reason to keep working hard.
Despite all the attention on Russian skater Kamila Valieva, who is at the center of a doping scandal, Sakamoto, who added a singles bronze to her team bronze, said she is grateful for the opportunity to share the rink with the figure skating powerhouse.
"Every year a new wave of skaters who land quad jumps emerges from Russia, and that surprises me every time," Sakamoto said during a news conference in Beijing.