Kaori Sakamoto faced substantial emotional pressure prior to her performance at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, having witnessed her fellow Japanese competitors struggle with mistakes. Her nerves escalated as she reflected on the stress and unpredicted errors that could occur even among disciplined athletes. However, after settling into her routine with a mindset of enjoyment, she transformed her anxiety into a refreshing sense of relaxation, which was a novel experience for the 21-year skating veteran.

The previous night, Sakamoto watched her teammates, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, as they executed a remarkable comeback in their event. Inspired by their performance, she felt motivated and confident that the 'golden baton' they passed to her would enhance her own efforts. This emotional uplift pushed her to channel her nerves positively and increased her determination to succeed, feeling a sense of responsibility to maintain Japan's competitive spirit in figure skating.

As she awaited her score in the kiss-and-cry area, Sakamoto shared a moment of joy projected on the venue's monitors when she spotted Miura and Kihara cheering for her. This camaraderie reinforced her belief in the strength of the Japanese team, with newcomer Ami Nakai taking the lead. Sakamoto expressed gratitude for being able to compete alongside strong teammates while vowing to seize the opportunity to finish at the top and clinch victory, fully embracing the significance of the moment.