Sota Yamamoto

Sota Yamamoto was born on January 10, 2000, in Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan, and began his figure skating career at the age of five. He quickly rose through the junior ranks, demonstrating promise with three Japanese national novice medals. His talent was recognized early, leading to an invitation to skate in the gala at the 2013 World Team Trophy as the Japanese national novice champion. Yamamoto made his debut on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in the 2013–14 season. His junior career was marked by significant achievements, including earning the bronze medal at the 2015 World Junior Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. He also secured two silver medals in the 2014–15 JGP series in Courchevel, France, and Tallinn, which qualified him for the 2014–15 JGP Final in Barcelona, Spain, where he won a silver medal. He continued this success in the 2015–16 season, winning gold at the 2015 JGP Poland and bronze at the 2015–16 JGP Final. A significant milestone in his early career was winning the gold medal in the men’s singles discipline at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

Yamamoto transitioned to senior-level competitions, making his Grand Prix debut at the 2018 NHK Trophy. Following a challenging period marked by a fractured right ankle in March 2016, which forced him to withdraw from the 2016 World Junior Championships, he steadily worked towards recovery and re-establishing his competitive standing. His perseverance paid off, leading to his first Grand Prix podium placement with a silver medal at the 2022 Grand Prix de France. He followed this with another silver at the 2022 NHK Trophy, qualifying for the Grand Prix Final for the first time, where he also earned a silver medal. In the 2023 season, Yamamoto continued to achieve significant results, becoming the 2023 Winter World University Games champion in Lake Placid, USA. His career culminated in his first Grand Prix gold medal at the 2023 Skate Canada International and a bronze medal at the 2023–24 Japanese national championships, his first senior national podium finish. He balances his rigorous training with his academic pursuits, having graduated from Chukyo University’s School of Sport Sciences in 2024. He continues to compete, with recent notable performances including winning gold at the 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy.