Aino Yamada (born 10 March 2003) is a Japanese rhythmic gymnast.[2] She represented her country at the 2018 Youth Olympics and is the 2021 national Japanese champion.

Aino Yamada
山田 愛乃
Personal information
Nickname(s)Ai-chan[1]
Country represented Japan
Born (2003-03-10) 10 March 2003 (age 21)
Chiba, Japan
Height170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight45 kg (99 lb)
DisciplineRhythmic gymnastics
LevelInternational Elite
Years on national team2015-
ClubAeon
College teamKokushikan University
Head coach(es)Yukari Murata, Rika Yamamoto
Medal record
Representing  Japan
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Youth Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Buenos Aires Mixed team
Asian Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Tashkent Team
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Astana Hoop
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Pattaya Team

Personal life

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She took up rhythmic gymnastics because she enjoyed how it allowed her to express herself with her body and how each apparatus had a different character.[2] Outside of the gym she enjoys hot springs and saunas.[3] Her dream is to compete at the Olympic Games, like her idol Melitina Staniouta did, in 2024. She is studying at the Kokushikan University in Tokyo.[4]

Career

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Junior

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Yamada debuted at the 2016 Asian Championships in Tashkent, where she won a bronze medal in teams along Sumire Kita, Chisaki Oiwa and Karin Koike.[5]

In 2017 she was again selected for the Asian Championships. She ended 3rd in the all-around and won bronze in the hoop final behind Adilya Tlekenova and Takhmina Ikromova.[6][7]

She again represented Japan at the Asian Championships in 2018 where, by qualifying in 2nd place in the all-around, she made it into the top 7 that qualified for the 2018 Youth Olympics.[8][9] In October she took part in the competition in Buenos Aires, where she finished 6th in qualification and 8th in the final.[10][11] She was a member of the team that won the bronze medal in the mixed team event.

Senior

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Aino became a senior in 2019. At Japanese Nationals at the end of 2021, she won the all-around despite a drop in her ribbon routine, and she also won the hoop, ball, and club finals.[12]

She made her senior international breakthrough in 2022, when she debuted at the World Cup in Sofia. She placed 25th in the all-around, 20th with hoop, 26th with ball, 24th with clubs and 31st with ribbon.[13] Then she competed in Baku ending 32nd in the all-around, 36th with hoop, 29th with ball, 34th with clubs and 24th with ribbon.[14] In August, she took part in the last World Cup of the season in Cluj-Napoca, taking 20th place in the all-around, 26th with hoop, 30th with ball, 12th with clubs and 14th with ribbon.[15] In September, Yamada was selected for her first World Championships in Sofia along with Sumire Kita and the senior group. There she ended 33rd in the All-Around, 31st with hoop, 38th with ball, 46th with clubs, 26th with ribbon.[16][17][18]

In 2023, she was 8th at the 2023 Asian Championships, just .100 behind fellow Japanese gymnast Mirano Kita.[19] She qualified for the ball and ribbon finals and placed 8th in both.[20][21] At the 2023 World Championships, she placed 57th after dropping her apparatus in two of her routines. Her low placement meant that she did not qualify to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Yamada Aino" (in Japanese). tv asahi. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b "YAMADA Aino - FIG Athlete Profile". www.gymnastics.sport. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  3. ^ "山田 愛乃|世界新体操2022|テレビ朝日". www.tv-asahi.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  4. ^ snufkinheart (2021-11-29). "山田愛乃(新体操)の出身高校や大学は?プロフィールと可愛い画像!". Snufkin Heart 放浪記 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  5. ^ "Finals events of the Junior Asian Championships in Kazakhstan 2016 – Asian Gymnastics Union". Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  6. ^ "The qualification rounds of the 15th Junior RG Asian Championships in KAZ – Asian Gymnastics Union". Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  7. ^ "Finals of the 15th Junior Rhythmic Asian Championships in KAZ – Asian Gymnastics Union". Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  8. ^ "Rayna also deserves to go to Argentina". bharian.com.
  9. ^ FDWS. "山田愛乃(イオン)、イオンカップジュニア2位を弾みに、ユース五輪へ!". Topics - Rhythmic Gymnastics Lovers (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  10. ^ "Youth Olympics Qualification" (PDF). buenosaires2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-11-17. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  11. ^ "2018 Youth Olympic Games Final" (PDF). buenosaires2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-11-17. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  12. ^ 日本テレビ. "山田愛乃 身長8センチアップで演技も成長|日テレNEWS NNN". 日テレNEWS NNN (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  13. ^ "Gymnastics - World Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics - Sofia 2022 - Results". www.the-sports.org. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  14. ^ "Gymnastics - World Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics - Baku 2022 - Results". www.the-sports.org. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  15. ^ "Gymnastics - World Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics - Cluj-Napoca 2022 - Results". www.the-sports.org. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  16. ^ "World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships 2022 - Results Women". www.the-sports.org. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  17. ^ "2022 World Championships Result Book" (PDF). gym.longinestiming.
  18. ^ INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2022-09-15). "19歳山田愛乃「今やれる精いっぱい。出し切れた」 世界選手権ではつらつ演技/新体操". サンスポ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  19. ^ "Senior Final All-Around". Gymnastics Association of the Philippines, Asian Gymnastics Union. 2 June 2023.
  20. ^ "Final. Ribbon". Gymnastics Association of the Philippines, Asian Gymnastics Union. 3 June 2023.
  21. ^ "Final. Hoop". Gymnastics Association of the Philippines, Asian Gymnastics Union. 3 June 2023.
  22. ^ INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2023-08-24). "山田愛乃、立て直せず「自分の気持ちの弱さが出た」 五輪出場枠獲得ならず/新体操". サンスポ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-02-01.