Takahiko Kozuka
| Takahiko Kozuka | |
|---|---|
 Kozuka at the 2008 SA by Carmichael | |
| Full name | Takahiko Kozuka |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Figure skating career | |
| Country |  Japan |
| Coach | Nobuo Sato Kumiko Sato Tsuguhiko Kozuka |
| Skating club | Toyota Motor, Toyota City |
Medal record | |
Takahiko Kozuka (小塚 崇彦, Kozuka Takahiko, born February 27, 1989) is a Japanese figure skater. He is the 2009 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2008–2009 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, the 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, the 2006 World Junior Champion, the 2005-2006 Junior Grand Prix Final champion and the 2007 & 2008 Japanese silver medalist.
As of November 2010[update], he is ranked 11th in the world by the International Skating Union (ISU).[1]
Personal life
Kozuka was born in Nagoya, Japan. His father, Tsuguhiko Kozuka, was a singles skater and competed at the 1968 Olympics. His mother was an ice dancer.
Career
Early career
In the 2005- 2006 season, he won the 2005-2006 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, the 2005-2006 Japanese Junior Figure Skating Championships, and the 2006 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
Senior career
2006-2009
In the 2006-2007 season, he debuted on the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. He won the bronze medal at the 2006 NHK Trophy and placed 6th in the 2006 Trophée Eric Bompard. He placed 6th in the 2006-2007 Japanese Figure Skating Championships and 4th in the Asian Winter Games.
In the 2007-2008 season, he won the silver medal at the 2007-2008 Japan Figure Skating Championships. He placed 8th at the 2008 Four Continents Championships and 8th at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships.
In the 2008-2009 season, he won the silver medal at the 2008-2009 Grand Prix Final. He won another national silver medal at the 2008-2009 Japan Figure Skating Championships. He won the bronze medal at the 2009 Four Continents Championships and placed 6th at the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships.
2009-2010 season
In the 2009-2010 season he won the silver medal at the 2009 Rostelecom Cup earning 215.13 points and placed seventh in the 2009 NHK Trophy scoring 186.00.
He won the bronze medal at the 2010 Japanese National Championships with 236.13 points, placing second in the short program and third in the free skate, and thus qualified to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics and at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships.
He finished eighth overall in the men's singles at the 2010 Winter Olympics with 231.19 points.[2] At the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships he finished in tenth position with a total of 216.73 points.
2010-2011 season
Kozuka's assigned events for the 2010-2011 ISU Grand Prix season were the 2010 Cup of China and the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard. He won the 2010 Cup of China with 233.51 points, placing first in both the short program and the free skate. He went on to win the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard with 248.07, again winning both segments of the competition. His free skate score of 170.43 is the third highest of all time and was the best since 2008.[3] He was the top qualifier for the men's event at the 2010-11 Grand Prix Final. During a practice session at the Grand Prix Final, Kozuka inadvertently collided with Daisuke Takahashi. Both were shaken but went on to compete at the event. Kozuka was fourth in the short program and second in the free skate, and won the bronze medal.
Programs
Competitive highlights
Senior Results
| Event | 2006–2007 | 2007–2008 | 2008–2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games | 8th | ||||
| World Championships | 8th | 6th | 10th | ||
| Four Continents Championships | 8th | 3rd | |||
| Japanese Championships | 6th | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | |
| Grand Prix Final | 2nd | 3rd | |||
| Cup of China | 1st | ||||
| Cup of Russia | 5th | 2nd | |||
| Trophee Eric Bompard | 6th | 2nd | 1st | ||
| Skate America | 8th | 1st | |||
| NHK Trophy | 3rd | 7th | |||
| Asian Winter Games | 4th |
Junior Results
| Event | 2002-2003 | 2003-2004 | 2004-2005 | 2005-2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Junior Championships | 1st | |||
| Japanese Championships | 4th | 4th | ||
| Japanese Junior Championships | 7th | 6th | 4th | 1st |
| Junior Grand Prix Final | 1st | |||
| Junior Grand Prix, Japan | 1st | |||
| Junior Grand Prix, Canada | 4th | 2nd | ||
| Junior Grand Prix, Hungary | 7th | |||
| Junior Grand Prix, Poland | 9th | |||
| Junior Grand Prix, Mexico | 2nd |
References
- ^ "ISU World Standings for Figure Skating and Ice Dance : Men". International Skating Union. 06 April 2010. Retrieved 06 April 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) [dead link] - ^ "2010 Winter Olympics Results - Figure Skating". ESPN. 18 January 2010.
- ^ Personal best scores - men
External links
 | This article about a Japanese figure skater is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |