The new role of Carolina Kostner

Almost exactly 6 years ago, Carolina Kostner was last on the ice at a World Figure Skating Championships. Since then, many tours and other projects have been on the agenda of the five-time European champion. At the beginning of this season, the exceptional athlete was spotted again at a competition for the first time, albeit on the other side of the boards, together with the Japanese Yuma Kagiyama.

With the upcoming Winter Games in Milan and Cortina in 2026 in mind, the 20-year-old turned to the 2012 world champion to grow artistically. “Working with a talent like Yuma is a great honor and a great pleasure,” Kostner reported in an interview with Olympic.com earlier this season. The collaboration came about through Lori Nichol, Kostner's long-time choreographer, who also worked on Kagiyama's competition programs. He has always been fascinated by the expressiveness and artistic abilities of the woman from Val Gardena. “So far I’ve only ever worked on my technical elements,” says Kagiyama. “But if you want to be at the forefront at the Olympics, then every detail and every moment of charisma counts. My dream has always been to run at a level like Carolina Kostner and I am very grateful that I can count on her support.”

The 37-year-old now spends regular stays in Japan to work on his overall package together with Masakazu Kagiyama, Yuma Kagiyama's father and trainer. “My job is everything except the jumps,” says Kostner in an interview. “I think when you're working at such a high level it's very important that different people look at different areas to find a way to best present your program.”

Yuma Kagiyama © ANSA / CJ GUNTHER

And the work with Carolina Kostner already seems to be paying off for Kagiyama. After winning the Grand Prix event NHK Trophy, the Japanese won the Four Continents Championship and is in second place after the short program at the World Championships. Of course, Carolina Kostner will also be there at the World Cup in Montreal, cheering on her protégé from the gang. However, the big goal still remains the 2 Olympics. “You don’t become an artist overnight,” Kostner is convinced. “We don’t want to rely on quick results, but rather look to the long-term future. And Yuma is one of the athletes who work very consciously, disciplined and responsibly. You can see his progress and also that he is contributing more and more of his personality.”

It remains to be seen whether working on the boards as a trainer for other top athletes will be a long-term affair for Carolina Kostner. The love of sport should still be in the foreground as well as sharing the experience and expertise that the South Tyrol ice princess has gained over the course of her outstanding career.

Author Martina Bocek

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The new role of Carolina Kostner

What is Carolina Kostner actually doing these days? Martina Bocek reports about this in her World Cup diary.

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