There was an interview Kaori did last summer saying she wanted to improve as a skater and if she wanted to be the Olympic champion, she had to try new things and improve on her weaknesses (paraphrasing).This is exactly what I felt when I saw her SP yesterday. Can anybody help me and tell why she left Benoît? Just to try out something new or was there an issue between both of them or between her coaches and him? It really makes me sad, seeing her skating to something that isn’t matching her potential and for me it‘s not suiting her. And this is what Benoît‘s programmes really did, they let her shine on the ice and they brought out her personality. Music, Choreography and her personality came together, there was this wonderful connection … I miss this.
It's early in the season and Kaori is a really good skater, I think by the end of the season she'll feel more confident with both programs (and perform/connect with the music better).