Kaori Sakamoto is feeling the pressure to do quadruple jumps as more Russian skaters successfully land them, she said Friday, a day after earning bronze in the women's singles at the Beijing Olympics.
"Every year the Russians just keep producing skaters that can jump the quad, and every time I see that I'm amazed ... I also see that and feel that a quad is really necessary (for my performance)," the 21-year-old told a news conference.
Sakamoto won the bronze medal with a total score of 233.13 in the women's singles event, while Russian teenager Kamila Valieva, the favorite and the leader after the short program, stumbled repeatedly during her routine and finished fourth amid a doping controversy.
The moderator of the news conference did not accept questions related to the doping scandal.
Despite being happy with her score, Sakamoto felt she needed to do more.
"I really felt (at this Olympics) that I couldn't stand a chance against the Russians unless I could get all of the technical scores I can," she added.
Sakamoto also skated the women's free segment in the team competition, again winning bronze behind the Russian Olympic Committee, with Valieva leading the Russians to gold. The medal ceremony of that competition will not be held due to Valieva's positive test for a banned drug.