Yuna Nagaoka (長岡 柚奈, Nagaoka Yuna, born July 13, 2005) is a Japanese pair skater. With partner, Sumitada Moriguchi, she is the 2023–24 Japan national champion.[1]

Yuna Nagaoka
Native name長岡 柚奈
Born (2005-07-13) July 13, 2005 (age 19)
Hokkaido, Japan
HometownKyoto, Japan
Height1.56 m (5 ft 1 in)
Figure skating career
CountryJapan Japan
DisciplinePair skating (since 2023)
Women's singles (2016–23)
PartnerSumitada Moriguchi (since 2023)
CoachBruno Marcotte
Brian Shales
Mie Hamada
Cathy Reed
Satsuki Muramoto
Hiroaki Sato
Skating clubKinoshita Academy
Began skating2012
Japan Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023–24 Nagano Pairs

Personal life

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Nagaoka was born on July 13, 2005 in Hokkaido, Japan.[2]

In 2024, she graduated from Fuji Women's Junior and Senior High School.[3]

Career

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Early career

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Nagaoka began figure skating in 2012.[2] Originally a singles skater, she trained at the ROYCE'F・S・C in Sapporo, Hokkaido, coached by Mami Yamada, the childhood coach of Yuzuru Hanyu. Nagaoka got to meet Hanyu when he visited her training rink to personally thank Yamada and have a Q&A session with Yamada's students following his second Olympic gold medal win in 2018.[4][5]

In 2019, a member of the Japan Skating Federation approached a fourteen-year old Nagaoka, asking if she would be interested in skating in the pairs discipline due to her small stature. Following the encounter, Nagaoka, who did not know much about pair skating at the time, decided to attend the 2019 Japan Eastern Sectional Championships to watch then newly formed team, Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara, compete. The experience made Nagaoka want try competing in the pairs discipline, however, at the time it was difficult to find a Japanese male skater that was interested in teaming up with Nagaoka. Additionally, the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020 caused numerous Japanese skating rinks to close down, making pair skating tryout opportunities even more difficult to come by.[6][7] That same year, remaining in Sapporo, Nagaoka moved her training to Fuji Women's University, where Naomi Takagi became her new coach.[8][9]

Nagaoka competed at the 2022–23 Japan Junior Championships in the women's singles event, where she finished twenty-third.[10]

Partnership with Moriguchi

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2023–2024 season

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In April 2023, the Japan Skating Federation organized a training camp, which Nagaoka decided to attend. During the camp, she met the pair skating coach of Miura/Kihara, Bruno Marcotte, who immediately noticed her potential as a pair skater. Marcotte ended up introducing Nagaoka to his student, Sumitada Moriguchi, whose previous pair partnership had recently dissolved. Following a successful tryout, the pair decided to team up with their long-term goal being to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Nagaoka left her hometown of Hokkaido and relocated to Uji, Kyoto, the city where Moriguchi primarily trained at. They were officially announced as a pair team in May 2022. It was also announced that Nagaoka/Moriguchi would primarily train at the Kinoshita Academy, where they would work with coaches, Mie Hamada, Cathy Reed, Satsuki Muramoto, and Hiroaki Sato, while also making frequent trips to Oakville, Ontario, Canada to work with pair skating coaches, Bruno Marcotte and Brian Shales, at the Oakville Skating Club.[6][11][12][13][2]

It was announced in May 2023 that the pair would split their time between training in Kyoto with Nagaoka/Moriguchi debuted as a pair at the Japan Eastern Sectionals, which they won. Elected as a host pick, Nagaoka/Moriguchi made their Grand Prix debut at the 2023 NHK Trophy. They scored 45.36 for their short program, 90.03 for their free, and 135.39 overall, placing eighth. They went on to win gold at the 2023–24 Japanese National Championships.[14]

They were named to the 2024 World team on the condition that they could obtain their technical minimums at the 2024 Bavarian Open or the 2024 International Challenge Cup.[15][16] At these events, Nagaoka/Moriguchi finished fourth and sixth respectively. Although the pair scored the scored the minimum technical element score needed for the free skate, they failed to score the minimum technical element score for the short program. As a result, they were unable to compete at the 2024 World Championships.[17][1]

2024–2025 season

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Nagaoka/Moriguchi began their season by competing at the 2024 CS John Nicks International Pairs Competition, where they finished eighth.[1]

Programs

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With Moriguchi

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Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2024–2025
[18]
2023–2024
[2]

Singles skating

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Season Short program Free skating
2022–2023
[8]

Competitive highlights

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Pairs with Moriguchi

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International[14][1][19]
Event 23–24 24–25
GP NHK Trophy 8th TBD
CS John Nicks Pairs 8th
Challenge Cup 6th
Bavarian Open 4th
National [14]
Japan 1st
Japan Eastern Sect. 1st
TBD = Assigned

Singles skating

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National[10]
Event 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23
Japan Junior 23rd J
Japan Eastern Sect. 17th J 19th J 14th J 10th J
Tohoku-Hokkaido Reg. 10th B 8th B 9th A 9th J 6th J 3rd J 1st J
Levels: A = Novice A; B = Novice B; J = Junior

Detailed results

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ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [14]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS 158.90 2024 CS John Nicks
Short program TSS 55.92 2024 CS John Nicks
TES 30.05 2024 CS John Nicks
PCS 26.87 2024 CS John Nicks
Free skating TSS 102.98 2024 CS John Nicks
TES 51.84 2024 CS John Nicks
PCS 53.14 2024 CS John Nicks

Pair skating

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With Moriguchi

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Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

2024–25 season
Date Event SP FS Total
November 8–10, 2024 2024 NHK Trophy TBD
September 3–4, 2024 2024 CS John Nicks Pairs 8
55.92
8
102.98
8
158.90
2023–24 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 22–25, 2024 2024 Challenge Cup 6
51.98
4
106.46
6
158.44
January 30–February 4, 2024 2024 Bavarian Open 5
48.90
4
100.35
4
149.25
December 20–24, 2023 2023–24 Japan Championships 1
56.07
1
117.57
1
173.64
November 24–26, 2023 2023 NHK Trophy 8
45.36
8
90.03
8
135.39
November 2–5, 2023 2023 Japan Eastern Sectional Championships 1
46.52
1
80.22
1
126.74

Singles skating

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Junior level

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2022–23 season
Date Event SP FS Total
November 25–27, 2022 2022–23 Japan Junior Championships 22
45.20
23
77.32
23
122.52
November 3–6, 2022 2022 Japan Eastern Sectional Championships 5
52.88
17
76.88
10
129.87
October 7–9, 2022 2022 Tohoku-Hokkaido Regional Championships 1
51.53
2
83.38
1
134.91
2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
October 28–31, 2021 2021 Japan Eastern Sectional Championships 15
42.29
17
68.79
14
111.07
October 1–3, 2021 2021 Tohoku-Hokkaido Regional Championships 5
38.54
3
70.54
3
109.08
2020–21 season
Date Event SP FS Total
November 6–8, 2020 2020 Japan Eastern Sectional Championships 19
38.96
17
70.62
19
109.58
October 10–11, 2020 2020 Tohoku-Hokkaido Regional Championships 4
43.74
6
71.40
6
115.14
2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
October 24–27, 2019 2019 Japan Eastern Sectional Championships 10
42.00
18
70.08
17
112.08
September 20–23, 2019 2019 Tohoku-Hokkaido Regional Championships 9
42.85
10
74.22
9
117.07

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Yuna NAGAOKA / Sumitada MORIGUCHI: Competition Results". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Yuna NAGAOKA / Sumitada MORIGUCHI: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "Yuna Nagaoka, who placed 8th in the 2023 NHK Trophy Figure Pairs and won the Pairs at the 92nd All Japan Figure Skating Championships, has graduated from our school. We wish her continued success in the future". Facebook. Fuji Girls' Junior and Senior High School. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  4. ^ "190823 Every 羽生结弦向恩师报告蝉联奥运冠军". Weibo. news every. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  5. ^ "2019 東北・北海道選手権大 会ジュニア女子 - 最終結果". Japan Skating Federation. Japan Skating Federation. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b "長岡柚奈選手&森口澄士選手「(長岡選手は)恐怖心を乗り越えられそうな選手だと思った」 フィギュアスケーターのオアシス♪ KENJIの部屋". J Sports. J Sports. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  7. ^ ""りくりゅう先輩"がきっかけに…日本ペアの新星、長岡柚奈19歳&森口澄士22歳が成長中!「隣に信頼してる人がいる」結成2季目の関係性". Bunshin. Bunshin. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b "2022全日本ジュニアフィギュアスケート選手権 (11/25~27)" (PDF). Fuji TV. Fuji TV. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  9. ^ "2020 東北・北海道選手権大会 ジュニア女子 - 最終結果". Japan Skating Federation. Japan Skating Federation. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Yuna Nagaoka". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  11. ^ "【フィギュア】「"ゆなすみ"でいきましょう!」長岡柚奈、森口澄士組がペア新結成の経緯明かす". Nikkan Sports. Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  12. ^ "【フィギュア】注目の新ペア誕生 長岡柚奈と森口澄士「2人で成長していけるように」". Nikkan Sports. Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  13. ^ "長岡柚奈選手&森口澄士選手「夢であるオリンピックで金メダルを獲ることを追い続ける」 フィギュアスケーターのオアシス♪ KENJIの部屋". J Sports. J Sports. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d "JPN-Yuna Nagaoka/Sumitada Moriguchi". Skating Scores.
  15. ^ @skatejapanews (December 24, 2023). "Junior Worlds Assignments✨" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ @skatejapanews (January 18, 2024). "Pairs entries for Bavarian Open 2023" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ^ 仁志, 倉沢. "ペア「ゆなすみ」インタビュー「来年は一緒に世界選手権出ようねって」". Manichi. Manichi. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Yuna NAGAOKA / Sumitada MORIGUCHI: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024.
  19. ^ "長岡 柚奈 Yuna NAGAOKA / 森口 澄士 Sumitada MORIGUCHI". Fuji TV. Fuji TV. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
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