<h2>Don&#8217;t miss the dynamic of these medal contenders!</h2>
<h3> Kaori SAKAMOTO (25) Women&#8217;s Figure Skating</h3>
<h4> Filling in the last piece with &#8220;beauty of landing ice</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456798" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456798" style="width: 1804px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="9a2d3bce"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/6a0660a5d943efb49725c728b4fd8499-1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456798" class="wp-caption-text"> Kaori SAKAMOTO (25), Women&#8217;s Figure Skating: In her first local practice on March 3, she monopolized the rink for 30 minutes and was pleased with the &#8220;luxurious time&#8221; she had there.</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Ami Nakai (17) Figure Skating Women</h3>
<h4> The &#8220;steel mentality&#8221; hidden behind her lovely smile</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456799" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456799" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="ac70f1d0"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/3b19263933b8c4b0de1df633b1363881.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456799" class="wp-caption-text"> Ami Nakai (17) Figure Skating Women: The gap between her still innocent smile and her dynamic jumps is similar to the Asada of that time.</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Yuma KAGIYAMA (22) Men&#8217;s Figure Skating</h3>
<h4> Aiming for the top with expression and perfection</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456801" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456801" style="width: 1930px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8492a465"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/51759684a74b1cd64a18ed7984d698ea.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456801" class="wp-caption-text"> Yuma KAGIYAMA (22), Men&#8217;s Figure Skating: Japan&#8217;s ace, burning for revenge. Will Japan&#8217;s men&#8217;s figure skating ace sing &#8220;Kimigayo&#8221; at the top of the podium, which he narrowly missed in Beijing?</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Ryuichi Kihara (33) &amp; Rira Miura (24), Figure Skating Pairs</h3>
<h4> The strongest duo who overturned the conventional wisdom of pairs competitions</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456802" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456802" style="width: 1416px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d1045950"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/3ee688ffe8b83de8fafcdd9903da2001.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456802" class="wp-caption-text"> Ryuichi Kihara (33) and Rira Miura (24), figure skating pair: With two World Championships, two Four Continents Championships, and two Grand Prix Finals gold medals to their credit, the Rikuryu pair is aiming for the top spot on the Olympic stage.</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Miho TAKAGI (31) Speed Skating</h3>
<h4> First Japanese to win &#8220;11 medals in total</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456804" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456804" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="54683d7d"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/61ac428e4dd490269fd335122aadd097-1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456804" class="wp-caption-text"> Miho Takagi (31) Speed Skating: 2 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze. If she wins the 500m and 1500m, she will have won gold in all the events she has competed in.</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Ice Hockey Women</h3>
<h4> Teamwork of 3 pairs of sisters to defeat the powerhouses!</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456814" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456814" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="97668efc"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/4bd45a038ae18e732ab6a2a6439934fb-1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456814" class="wp-caption-text"> Ice Hockey Women: Many of the players, including the youngest defender Nana Akimoto (16), are small but have an appealing sense of speed</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Fortius Curling Women</h3>
<h4> From the bottom to the first stage of longing for the gold medal!</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456815" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456815" style="width: 2054px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="54b2ac6e"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/2df3cf41ce9f75cb6c4608f3161de0cc.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456815" class="wp-caption-text"> FORTIUS Curling Women: Yoshimura, the team&#8217;s leader, will use the disappointment of her upset loss four years ago as a springboard to her first-round match against the powerful Swedes.</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Sara Takanashi (29) Ski Jumping Women</h3>
<h4> &#8220;I have finally found my kick in the last few races.&#8221;</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456784" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456784" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b6180e51"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/8b4180c39272a78e7d23b08e17908a70.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456784" class="wp-caption-text"> Sara Takanashi (29), Women&#8217;s Ski Jumping: &#8220;I finally found my breakthrough in the last few races,&#8221; said Sara Takanashi, 29, who won an individual bronze medal in her second Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, Korea, in 2006.</figcaption></figure>
<h3> MARUYAMA Nozomi (27) Women&#8217;s Ski Jumping</h3>
<h4> She is recovering from a serious ligament injury sustained in a heavy fall!</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456817" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456817" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="2df7d33e"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/2d3176af8ae893efbadd68da2a577c54.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456817" class="wp-caption-text"> Nozomi Maruyama (27) Ski Jumping Women&#8217;s/Hailing from Nozawaonsen Village in Nagano Prefecture. She was plagued by injuries, but this season has been a great leap forward with six World Cup wins!</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Tomoka Takeuchi (42) Snowboard Women</h3>
<h4> I will chew on the support I have received and take on the challenge of my last Olympics.</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456818" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456818" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="7a457618"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/146fd6aff888904c775917fcf05e412c-1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456818" class="wp-caption-text"> Tomoka Takeuchi (42), snowboarder, was born in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, and has been familiar with snow since she was a child. She started snowboarding when she was 10 years old. She competed in the Winter Olympics for the seventh time, which is a record for the most number of women in the Winter Olympics.</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Ayumu Hirano (27) Snowboard Men</h3>
<h4> The rock-solid champion aims for a second consecutive victory.</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456819" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456819" style="width: 1733px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="91461118"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/f6b9961d3ccb3a6934da3fdec88a0187-1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456819" class="wp-caption-text"> Ayumu Hirano (27), Men&#8217;s Snowboarding: He has stood on the podium at three consecutive Olympics since the Sochi Olympics, where he won the silver medal at age 15. Will he win consecutive gold medals following Beijing?</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Kokomo Murase (21) Snowboard Women</h3>
<h4> Japan&#8217;s youngest female snowboard medalist!</h4>
<figure id="attachment_456820" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-456820" style="width: 1674px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5b4b60f4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/02/b1797bef8004e0df960449c2579da7ca-1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-456820" class="wp-caption-text"> She won a bronze medal in Big Air at Beijing Olympics, and became the youngest Japanese female medalist at 17 years old. She is now taking on her second Olympics, hoping to repeat her bronze in Beijing and win gold!</figcaption></figure>
<p> From the February 20/27, 2026 issue of FRIDAY</p>


 Hiroyuki Komatsu Kyodo News Yohei Nagata/Afro Sports Reuters/Afro

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