Fumie Suguri

Fumie Suguri
Suguri at the 2008 Skate Canada.
Personal information
Country represented	Japan
Born	December 31, 1980 (1980-12-31)
Residence	Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Height	157 cm (5.15 ft)
Coach	Noriko Sato
Former coach	Igor Pashkevitch Nikolai Morozov Alexander Zhulin Nobuo Sato Nobuko Fukui Shinji Someya Oleg Vasiliev
Choreographer	Lori Nichol Vakhtang Murvanidze
Former choreographer	Nikolai Morozov Alexander Zhulin David Wilson Noriko Sato
Skating club	Yoshindo
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	182.08 2004 GPF
Short program	62.12 2006 Worlds
Free skate	120.06 2004 GPF
Medal record Competitor for Japan Ladies' Figure skating World Championships Silver 2006 Calgary Singles Bronze 2003 Washington, D.C. Singles Bronze 2002 Nagano Singles Four Continents Championships Gold 2005 Gangneung Singles Gold 2003 Beijing Singles Gold 2001 Salt Lake City Singles Grand Prix Final Gold 2003–04 Colorado Springs Singles Asian Winter Games Silver 2007 Changchun Singles Silver 2003 Aomori Singles Bronze 1999 Gangwon Singles Bronze 1996 Harbin Singles

Fumie Suguri (村主 章枝, Suguri Fumie, born December 31, 1980 in Chiba, Japan) is a Japanese figure skater. She is a five-time Japanese National Champion, a three-time World Championship medalist, a three-time Four Continents Champion and the 2003–2004 Grand Prix Final Champion.

Personal life

Suguri was born in Chiba, Chiba, Japan. Her younger sister, Chika, is also a figure skater.

Her father was a pilot for JAL and due to his job, the family moved to Anchorage, Alaska when Suguri was three. She is bilingual in Japanese and English.

She graduated from Waseda University. She has a degree in social sciences.

Career

Suguri began skating at age 5 in Alaska. When she returned to Japan, she began formal training.

In 1994, while visiting the practice rink for the 1994 World Championships, Suguri was taught the triple Lutz jump by Michelle Kwan, who was competing in the event.

Suguri won her first Japanese national title in 1997, and won it four more times in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006.

In 2001, Suguri won the 2001 Four Continents. She is the first Japanese woman to win that competition. She would go on to win Four Continents three more times, and she holds the most Four Continents titles of any Japanese skater and any female skater.

In 2002, she competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics and placed 5th. A month later, she won the bronze medal at the 2002 World Championships behind Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya. Her bronze medal at Worlds was the first medal for a Japanese woman at the World Championships since Yuka Sato won the title in 1994.

In 2003, Suguri won the bronze medal again at the World Championships, this time behind Kwan and Elena Sokolova.

In 2003, she won the NHK Trophy, then placed 3rd at Cup of China, thus qualifying for the Grand Prix Final. Suguri won the Final, defeating Sasha Cohen. Suguri is the first Japanese woman to win that competition.

In 2006, she won the Japanese Figure Skating Championships against Mao Asada and Shizuka Arakawa. She competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics, where she placed 4th. She won the silver medal at the 2006 World Championships behind Kimmie Meissner. She became the first Japanese woman to earn three World Championship medals.

In 2007, Suguri finished fourth at the Japanese championships behind younger competitors Mao Asada, Miki Ando and Yukari Nakano, and missed a spot in the World Championships which were held, that year, in her home country. She competed at the Four Continents Championships, where she withdrew due to injury after falling on two jumps in her short program.

In 2008 at the Japanese National Championship, Suguri placed third after her short program, but she stumbled in the free program, finishing fourth overall, and, again, she missed a spot on the World Championship team.

During the 2008–2009 season, Suguri chose to train with coach Nikolai Morozov in Hackensack, New Jersey. There, she was able to improve her jumping ability. Her first competition of the season was Skate Canada where she placed second behind Joannie Rochette. Her next competition was Cup of Russia, where she led after the short program, then placed third in the free skate, and finished third, overall. At the 2008/2009 Japanese Championships she was 5th after the short program due to a fall while executing a triple flip jump. In her long program she landed five triples and did not make any mistakes. For that program she scored 121.27 points, winning the long program and placing second overall, behind Mao Asada. She, then, placed 6th at 2009 Four Continents and 8th at 2009 World Championships.

In March 2011, Suguri stated that she would continue competing the next season, and possibly until 2014.

She was unsuccessful in her effort to make 2011–2012 Japanese Nationals coming in 12th in qualifying competition. She was dealing with an ankle injury.

Coaching changes

She trained under Nobuo Sato, a ten-time Japanese national champion, for most of 19 years. She left Sato after the 2004 World Championships after she lost two competitions to Miki Ando, who Sato was coaching at the time. She moved to Chicago in the United States to train with Oleg Vasiliev during the fall of 2004, but switched back to Sato after the Japanese Skating Federation refused to let Suguri continue with Vasilev after her poor results that season. She returned to Sato and soon after Ando left Sato. Suguri left Sato again after the 2006–2007 season as she felt overshadowed by Yukari Nakano, who was also training with Sato at the time. Suguri decided to train in Russia with Alexander Zhulin, who had choreographed her programs that season. Due to Zhulin's marital problems, she had to spend most of her time with Igor Pashkevitch. Despite her love for Zhulin's choreography, she left him and moved her training ground to New Jersey to work with Nikolai Morozov. Under Morozov, she made the world team for the first time in three years. Despite her return to form, she left Morozov in the Summer of 2009 to train with Alexei Mishin in Russia, so she can work on triple/triple combinations and the triple axel. Mishin neglected Suguri and she spent most of her time with Igor Pashkevitch. With her new coaching situation, she finished 7th at the 2010 Japanese National Championships and is currently in neogiations to return to Morozov.

Programs

Season	Short program	Free skating	Exhibition
2010–2011	Adagio by Tomasso Albinoni choreography by Lori Nichol	Song of Scheherazade by David Arkenstone Bagoa's Dance from Alexander Soundtrack by Vangelis choreography by Vakhtang Murvanidze
2009–2010	Air on the G String & Toccata and Fugue by Johann Sebastian Bach choreography by Vakhtang Murvanidze	Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian choreography by Vakhtang Murvanidze	Padam Padam by Édith Piaf choreography by Nikolai Morozov
2008–2009	Fanfan by Nicolas Jollere choreography by Nikolai Morozov	Otonal by Raúl di Blasio choreography by Nikolai Morozov	Ein Wiener Walzer by Adiemus choreography by Alexander Zhulin
2007–2008	Take Five by Dave Brubeck choreography by Alexander Zhulin	Oblivion Tango (Calambre) by Ástor Piazzolla choreography by Alexander Zhulin	Cell Block Tango from Chicago by John Kander choreography by Alexander Zhulin Claire de Lune from Suite bergamasque by Claude Debussy choreography by Alexander Zhulin
2006–2007	Bolero by Maurice Ravel choreography by Lori Nichol	Song of the Spirit & Lacus Pereverantiae & Fantasia (original song) from Adiemus by Karl Jenkins choreography by Alexander Zhulin	Carmen by George Bizet choreography by Noriko Sato The Chronicles of Narnia by Harry Gregson-Williams and David Arnold choreography by Alexander Zhulin The Girl from Ipanema by Antonio Carlos Jobim choreography by Alexander Zhulin
2005–2006	Cancion Triste & Toca Orilla by Jesse Cook, Alejandra Nuñez choreography by Lori Nichol	Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor by Sergei Rachmaninoff choreography by Lori Nichol	Oblivion by Ástor Piazzolla choreography by Lori Nichol Séisouso from Quidam by Cirque du Soleil choreography by Lori Nichol
2004–2005	The Pink Panther by Henry Mancini choreography by Lori Nichol	Tango Para Percusion & by Lalo Schifrin Carmen Fantasie & by Franz Waxman Carmen by Georges Bizet choreography by Lori Nichol	Adagio by Lara Fabian choreography by Noriko Sato Séisouso from Quidam by Cirque du Soleil choreography by Noriko Sato
2003–2004	Sympathy for the Devil & Paint It, Black by The Rolling Stones performed by Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà choreography by Lori Nichol	Symphony No. 40 & Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart choreography by Lori Nichol	At the Shore by Susan Osborn choreography by Lori Nichol
2002–2003	Larghetto from Piano Concerto No. 2 by Frédéric Chopin choreography by Lori Nichol	Excerpts from Swan Lake and Russian Dance from Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky choreography by Lori Nichol	Sanctus based on Pachelbel's Canon by Libera choreography by Lori Nichol
2001–2002	Ellens Gesang III Ave Maria, song for voice & piano, D. 839 Op. 52/6 by Franz Schubert choreography by Lori Nichol	Piano sonata No.14 in C sharp minor Moonlight Op.27/2 by Ludwig van Beethoven choreography by Lori Nichol	Don't Cry for Me, Argentina from Evita by Madonna choreography by Lori Nichol
2000–2001	Rustle of Spring, Op. 32 No. 3 by Christian Sinding choreography by Lori Nichol	Jupiter & the Bringer of Jollity from The Planets Suite by Gustav Holst choreography by Lori Nichol	Ave Maria by Giulio Caccini performed by Charlotte Church choreography by Lori Nichol
1999–2000	Blue Londo A La Turk by Dave Brubeck	Flute Concerto & The Fog is Lifting by Carl Nielsen	Do You Know Where You're Going To Theme from Mahogany by Mariah Carey The Storm & Ave Maria composed by Giulio Caccini performed by Vanessa-Mae and Charlotte Church
1998–1999	De profundis & Wanderer Fantasy by Franz Liszt	Here The Deities Approve by Henry Purcell Toccata and Fugue & Air on the G String & Cello Suites by Johann Sebastian Bach	Frozen by Madonna
1997–1998	Excerpts from Restoration by James Newton Howard	The Seasons by Alexander Glazunov
1996–1997	Warm Air & Toccata and Fugue performed by Vanessa-Mae	Violin concerto & Liebesleid & La Sylphide by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Fritz Kreisler and Herman Severin Løvenskiold
1995–1996		West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein

Competitive highlights

Fumie Suguri has had a long competitive career. Her competitive highlights by season are split up into the tables below.

Post-2004

Suguri (left) with the other medalists at 2008 Skate Canada.

Event/Season	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10	2010–11	2011–12
Winter Olympics		4th
World Championships	5th	2nd			8th
Four Continents Championships	1st		WD	10th	6th
Japanese Championships	3rd	1st	4th	4th	2nd	7th	7th
Asian Winter Games			2nd
Grand Prix Final			4th
Skate America						4th
Cup of China				4th		7th
Cup of Russia				5th	3rd
Skate Canada	4th	8th	2nd		2nd		9th
NHK Trophy		2nd	2nd
Trophée Eric Bompard	4th						8th
Finlandia Trophy						7th
Eastern Section of Japan								12th
WD = Withdrew

1998–2004

Event/Season	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04
Winter Olympics				5th
World Championships	20th		7th	3rd	3rd	7th
Four Continents Championships	5th	4th	1st		1st
Japanese Championships	2nd	3rd	1st	1st	1st	2nd
Asian Winter Games	3rd				2nd
Grand Prix Final	5th				6th	1st
Cup of China						3rd
NHK Trophy	3rd	8th	5th	7th	4th	1st
Skate Canada	2nd		3rd	4th	2nd
Bofrost Cup					2nd
Trophée Lalique		7th

Pre-1998

Event/Season	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98
World Championships					18th
World Junior Championships				4th	4th
Japanese Championships				4th	1st	2nd
Japanese Junior Championships	10th	9th	10th	2nd	2nd
Asian Winter Games				3rd
Cup of Russia					7th
NHK Trophy					6th	5th
Nebelhorn Trophy					4th
Blue Swords				3rd J.
Gardena Spring Trophy		7th J.
J. = Junior level

Detailed results

2009–2010 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Result
December 25–27, 2009	2009–2010 Japanese Championships	6 58.70	9 102.59	7 161.29
November 12–15, 2009	2009 Skate America	4 56.04	5 92.95	4 148.99
October 29 – November 1, 2009	2009 Cup of China	6 55.46	8 90.53	7 145.99
October 8–11, 2009	2009 Finlandia Trophy	4 54.09	8 82.82	7 136.91
2008–2009 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Result
March 23–29, 2009	2009 World Championships	9 58.40	9 106.18	8 164.58
February 2–8, 2009	2009 Four Continents Championships	4 60.18	6 107.56	6 167.74
December 25–27, 2008	2008–2009 Japan Championships	5 57.32	1 121.27	2 178.59
November 20–23, 2008	2008 Cup of Russia	1 58.30	3 103.74	3 162.04
October 30 – November 2, 2008	2008 Skate Canada International	2 57.92	3 105.94	2 163.86
2007–2008 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Result
February 11–17, 2008	2008 Four Continents Championships	9 50.24	9 94.82	10 145.06
December 26–28, 2007	2007–2008 Japan Championships	3 63.50	6 98.29	4 161.79
December 22–25, 2007	2007 Cup of Russia	4 56.18	6 91.97	5 148.15
December 8–11, 2007	2007 Cup of China	11 44.76	3 92.37	4 137.13
2006–2007 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Result
February 7–10, 2007	2007 Four Continents Championships	12 46.09	WD	–
January 28 – February 4, 2007	2007 Asian Winter Games	1 58.50	3 103.55	2 162.05
December 27–29, 2006	2006–2007 Japan Championships	5 58.56	4 114.00	4 172.56
December 14–17, 2006	2006–2007 ISU Grand Prix Final	5 55.14	3 103.64	4 158.78
November 30 – December 3, 2006	2006 NHK Trophy	2 61.92	2 117.39	2 179.31
November 2–5, 2006	2006 Skate Canada International	2 58.52	2 110.24	2 168.76
2005–2006 season
Date	Event	QR	SP	FS	Result
March 19–26, 2006	2006 World Championships	2 28.47	2 62.12	2 119.15	2 209.74
February 10–26, 2006	2006 Winter Olympics	–	4 61.75	4 113.48	4 175.23
December 23–25, 2005	2005–2006 Japan Championships	–	2 67.30	1 126.86	1 194.16
December 1–4, 2005	2005 NHK Trophy	–	6 52.60	1 105.88	2 158.48
October 27–30, 2005	2005 Skate Canada International	–	2 52.12	9 79.88	8 132.00
2004–2005 season
Date	Event	QR	SP	FS	Result
March 14–20, 2005	2005 World Championships	2 27.19	10 56.28	5 112.54	5 196.01
February 14–20, 2005	2005 Four Continents Championships	–	1 61.44	1 117.22	1 178.66
December 24–26, 2004	2004–2005 Japan Championships	–	2 65.18	3 101.36	3 166.54
November 19–21, 2004	2004 Trophée Eric Bompard	–	3 51.40	5 79.90	4 131.30
October 28–31, 2004	2004 Skate Canada International	–	2 53.72	4 94.60	4 148.32
2003–2004 season
Date	Event	QR	SP	FS	Result
March 22–28, 2004	2004 World Championships	8	7	5	7
December 25–26, 2003	2003–2004 Japan Championships	–	3	2	2
December 12–14, 2003	2003–2004 ISU Grand Prix Final	–	1 62.02	1 120.06	1 182.08
November 27–30, 2003	2003 NHK Trophy	–	2 57.94	1 107.58	1 165.52
November 5–9, 2003	2003 Cup of China	–	1 60.28	5 83.39	3 143.67
2002–2003 season
Date	Event	QR	SP	FS	Result
March 24–30, 2003	2003 World Championships	1	3	4	3
February 28 – March 2, 2003	2002–2003 ISU Grand Prix Final	–	5	6	6
				6
February 10–16, 2003	2003 Four Continents Championships	–	1	1	1
February 1–8, 2003	2003 Asian Winter Games	–	2	2	2
December 19–22, 2002	2002–2003 Japan Championships	–	3	1	1
November 28 – December 1, 2002	2002 NHK Trophy	–	3	4	4
November 7–10, 2002	2002 Bofrost Cup on Ice	–	1	2	2
October 31 – November 3, 2002	2002 Skate Canada International	–	2	2	2
2001–2002 season
Date	Event	QR	SP	FS	Result
March 16–24, 2002	2002 World Championships	3	2	3	3
February 8–24, 2002	2002 Winter Olympics	–	7	5	5
December 21–23, 2001	2001–2002 Japan Championships	–	1	1	1
November 29 – December 2, 2001	2001 NHK Trophy	–	6	7	7
November 1–4, 2001	2001 Skate Canada International	–	3	4	4
2000–2001 season
Date	Event	QR	SP	FS	Result
March 17–25, 2001	2001 World Championships	5	7	7	7
February 7–10, 2001	2001 Four Continents Championships	–	2	1	1
December 8–10, 2000	2000–2001 Japan Championships	–	1	1	1
November 28 – December 3, 2000	2000 NHK Trophy	–	3	5	5
November 1–5, 2000	2000 Skate Canada International	–	3	3	3
1999–2000 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Result
February 21–27, 2000	2000 Four Continents Championships	4	5	4
December 24–26, 1999	1999–2000 Japan Championships	1	4	3
December 2–5, 1999	1999 NHK Trophy	6	8	8
November 18–21, 1999	1999 Trophée Lalique	5	8	7
1998–1999 season
Date	Event	QR	SP	FS	Result
March 21–28, 1999	1999 World Championships	6	19	21	20
March 4–7, 1999	1998–1999 ISU Grand Prix Final	–	6	5	5
February 21–28, 1999	1999 Four Continents Championships	–	5	5	5
January 30 – February 6, 1999	1999 Asian Winter Games	–	3	3	3
January 15–17, 1999	1998–1999 Japan Championships	–	2	2	2
December 2–6, 1998	1998 NHK Trophy	–	5	3	3
November 5–8, 1998	1998 Skate Canada International	–	1	2	2
1997–1998 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Result
December 12–14, 1997	1997–1998 Japan Championships	1	2	2
November 27–30, 1997	1997 NHK Trophy	7	5	5
1996–1997 season
Date	Event	Level	QR	SP	FS	Result
March 16–23, 1997	1997 World Championships	Senior	10	24	16	18
January 13–15, 1997	1996–1997 Japan Championships	Senior	–	3	1	1
December 12–15, 1996	1996 Cup of Russia	Senior	–	4	7	7
December 5–8, 1996	1996 NHK Trophy	Senior	–	5	6	6
November 24 – December 1, 1996	1997 World Junior Championships	Junior	–	3	4	4
November 3, 1996	1996–1997 Japan Junior Championships	Junior	–	4	2	2
August 27–30, 1996	1996 Nebelhorn Trophy	Senior	–	–	–	4
1995–1996 season
Date	Event	Level	QR	SP	FS	Result
February 4–11, 1996	1996 Asian Winter Games	Senior	–	–	–	5
January 12–14, 1996	1995–1996 Japan Championships	Senior	–	3	4	4
November 24 – December 1, 1995	1996 World Junior Championships	Junior	1	3	4	4
November 3, 1995	1995–1996 Japan Junior Championships	Junior	–	2	2	2
October, 1995	Blue Swords	Junior	–	–	–	3
1992–1995 seasons
Date	Event	Level	SP	FS	Result
October 2, 1994	1994–1995 Japan Junior Championships	Junior	7	10	10
March, 1994	1994 Gardena Spring Trophy	Junior	–	–	7
November, 1993	1993–1994 Japan Junior Championships	Junior	6	10	9
November, 1992	1992–1993 Japan Junior Championships	Junior	19	19	19

• QR = Qualifying round; SP = Short program; FS = Free skating

External links

• Official site
• Fumie Suguri at the International Skating Union