Rena Inoue

Rena Inoue
Rena Inoue
	Rena Inoue and John Baldwin
Full name	Rena Inoue
Born	October 17, 1976 (age 47); Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
Height	149 cm (4.89 ft)
Figure skating career
Country	United States
Partner	John Baldwin
Coach	Jenni Meno & Todd Sand
Skating club	All Year FSC
Medal record
Representing United States
Pairs Figure skating
Four Continents Championships

Rena Inoue (井上怜奈, Inoue Rena, born October 17, 1976 in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan) is an American pair skater. With partner John Baldwin, she is the 2004 and 2006 U.S. National Champion. Inoue previously competed for Japan as both a single skater and pair skater. Inoue and Baldwin are the first skaters to perform a throw triple axel in competition.

Personal life

Rena Inoue was born in 1976 in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan. She moved to the United States in 1996 at the urging of her father, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer. In 1998, Inoue was diagnosed with cancer. It was detected early, and after six months of chemotherapy, she was cancer-free.

Inoue graduated from Waseda University in 1999 with a degree in education.

She became a U.S. citizen in 2005.

Inoue became engaged to be married to skating partner John Baldwin in January 2008.

Career

Competing for Japan

Rena Inoue began skating at age four. She competed in the disciplines of single skating and pair skating in Japan.

As a single skater, she is the 1994 Japanese silver medalist and 1998 bronze medalist. She represented Japan at the 1994 Winter Olympics in singles and placed 18th.

As a pair skater, she competed with Tomoaki Koyama. They were the 1991 and 1992 Japanese national champions. They represented Japan at the 1992 Winter Olympics and placed 14th.

Inoue competed for Japan in singles in many international competitions through 1999.

Competing for the United States

While living in the United States, she was paired with John Baldwin by his father, a coach. Inoue and Baldwin tried out and agreed to form the partnership. They began competing together in 2000.

They placed 11th at the 2001 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The following season, they won the pewter medal at the 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. They were sent to the 2002 Four Continents Championships, their first international competition together, and placed 7th.

In the 2002–2003 season, they competed on the Grand Prix. Returning to Nationals, they won the bronze medal. They withdrew from the 2003 Four Continents Championships, but placed 10th at the 2003 World Figure Skating Championships.

In the 2003–2004 season, they improved on their Grand Prix results and won their first national title. They placed 4th at the 2004 Four Continents Championships and repeated their 10th place finish at the 2004 World Figure Skating Championships.

In the 2004–2005 season, they medalled for the first time on the Grand Prix and qualified for the Grand Prix Final, where they placed 6th. They won the silver medal at the 2005 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and placed 11th at the 2005 World Figure Skating Championships.

In the 2005–2006 season, Inoue and Baldwin medalled on the Grand Prix. At the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Inoue and Baldwin became the first pair to successfully perform a throw triple Axel in competition.^[1] They went on to the 2006 Four Continents Championships, which they won. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, they made Olympic and international history when they landed the throw triple axel for the first time in international competition. They placed 7th overall. At the 2006 World Figure Skating Championships, they placed 4th.

In the 2006–2007 season, Inoue and Baldwin won the gold medal at the 2006 Skate America after winning the short program and placing second in the free skate. They won the silver medal at 2006 Skate Canada International the next week; and then won the silver at 2006 Trophée Eric Bompard one week later. They qualified for the Grand Prix Final. At the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, they won the silver medal. They placed 8th at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships.

In the 2007–2008 season, Inoue and Baldwin sat out the Grand Prix series, choosing to skate in shows instead. Returning to competition at the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, they won the silver medal. While they were taking their bows following their free skate, Baldwin proposed marriage to Rena on the ice and she accepted.^[2]^[3]^[4] Inoue and Baldwin competed at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships, where they placed 10th.

Inoue and Baldwin have been assigned to the 2008 Skate America and the 2008 NHK Trophy for the 2008–2009 Grand Prix Season.

Competitive highlights

Singles career

Event	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99
Winter Olympic Games				18th
World Championships				13th
World Junior Championships	14th			5th
Japanese Championships				2nd	12th	5th	6th	3rd	WD
Japanese Jr. Championships	1st	2nd	1st	2nd
Skate Canada International								9th
Cup Of Russia								10th
Sparkassen Cup				3rd		7th
Skate America						8th
NHK Trophy			11th	8th
Winter Universiade							2nd

Pairs career

For the United States

(with John Baldwin for the United States)

Event	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09	2009–10
Winter Olympic Games						7th
World Championships			10th	10th	11th	4th	8th	10th
Four Continents		7th		4th		1st	3rd	4th	7th
U.S. Championships	11th	4th	3rd	1st	2nd	1st	2nd	2nd	3rd	3rd
Grand Prix Final					6th		4th
Trophée Eric Bompard						4th	2nd			4th
NHK Trophy				4th	4th				2nd	3rd
Skate America					3rd	2nd	1st		5th
Skate Canada International							2nd
Bofrost Cup			5th
Cup of China				5th
Cup of Russia			5th

For Japan

(with Tomoaki Koyama for Japan)

Event	1989–1990	1990–1991	1991–1992
Winter Olympic Games			14th
World Championships		15th
World Junior Championships	7th
Japanese Championships		1st	1st
Grand Prix Internationale de Nice			7th
NHK Trophy			7th