Nobunari Oda facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nobunari Oda
Oda at the 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard
Personal information
Full name	織田 信成 (Oda Nobunari)
Country represented	Japan
Born	(1987-03-25) March 25, 1987 (age 38) Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
Height	1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Former coach	Lee Barkell, Noriko Oda, Nikolai Morozov
Former choreographer	Sébastien Britten, Lori Nichol, David Wilson, Nikolai Morozov
Skating club	Kansai University SC
Training locations	Osaka
Former training locations	Barrie (Canada)
Began skating	1990
Retired	December 24, 2013; December 22, 2024
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	262.98 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy
Short program	87.65 2009-2010 Grand Prix Final
Free skate	175.64 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy

Nobunari Oda (織田 信成, Oda Nobunari, born March 25, 1987) is a talented Japanese figure skater who has now retired from competitive skating. He was born on March 25, 1987. Nobunari Oda won the Four Continents championship in 2006. He also earned four medals at the Grand Prix Final. He was the World Junior champion in 2005. In 2008, he became the Japanese national champion.

Nobunari Oda's Life Story

Nobunari Oda says he is a direct descendant of Oda Nobunaga. This famous daimyō (a powerful Japanese lord) lived during Japan's Sengoku period. He was known for uniting much of Japan.

In April 2010, Oda married his longtime girlfriend, Mayu. Their first son, Shintaro, was born on October 1, 2010. Their second son was born in January 2013. A third son arrived in the autumn of 2016. Their daughter was born on October 22, 2019.

Nobunari Oda's Skating Journey

Oda trained in Osaka, Japan, with Noriko Oda. He also trained in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, with Lee Barkell. He would visit Canada several times a year for training. He also trained in Hackensack, New Jersey, with coach Nikolai Morozov. Oda is famous for his impressive jumps. He is also known for his smooth and flowing style on the ice.

Starting His Skating Career

In the 2001–2002 season, Oda placed 4th at the Japan Junior Championships. He then competed at the senior Japan Championships, finishing 16th.

Oda made his Junior Grand Prix debut in the 2002–2003 season. He won a silver medal in Slovakia. He also earned a bronze medal at the Japan Junior Championships. He placed 4th at the senior Japan Championships.

In the 2003–2004 season, Oda won two medals on the Junior Grand Prix circuit. He qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final, where he placed 8th. He finished 2nd at the Junior Championships. This earned him a spot at the 2004 World Junior Championships, where he placed 11th.

In the 2004–2005 season, Oda won a bronze medal in Ukraine. He won the Japan Junior Championships. He also earned a bronze medal at the senior Japan Championships. He then went on to win the 2005 World Junior Championships.

Becoming a Senior Skater: 2005–2007

Oda became a senior skater for the 2005-2006 Olympic year. He quickly made a name for himself. He won a bronze medal at his first senior event. He also won the 2005 NHK Trophy. Oda qualified for the 2005–2006 Grand Prix Final and placed fourth.

Oda was first announced as the winner of the Japan Championships. However, a computer error was found, and he moved to second place. The Japanese skating federation decided to send Oda to the 2006 World Championships. He placed fourth at his first World Championships. This earned Japan two spots for the next World Championships.

The next season, Oda won at 2006 Skate America. He finished 2nd at the 2006 NHK Trophy. He qualified for the Grand Prix Final and won a bronze medal. At the Japan Championships, Oda won the silver medal again. He also won silver at the 2007 Winter Universiade in Torino, Italy. At the 2007 World Championships in Tokyo, Oda placed 7th.

Returning to Competition: 2008–2010

After taking a break from the 2007–2008 Grand Prix season, Oda changed coaches. He started working with Nikolai Morozov in spring 2008. He began the 2008–2009 season by winning the 2008 Nebelhorn Trophy. He also won the 2008 Karl Schäfer Memorial and the 2008 NHK Trophy.

Oda won the Japan Championships in December 2008. This allowed him to compete at the 2009 Four Continents and the 2009 World Championships. He finished 4th at Four Continents and 7th at Worlds.

Oda at the 2009 Grand Prix Final.

In the 2009-2010 Grand Prix season, Oda won both the 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard and the 2009 Cup of China. He was the top qualifier for the Grand Prix Final, where he won the silver medal. At the 2010 Japanese National Championships, Oda won the silver medal. This earned him a spot at the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2010 World Championships.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Oda had a strong start in the short program. In the free skate, he had a fall because his skate lace broke. He was allowed time to fix it but received a penalty. He finished 7th overall. At the 2010 World Championships, he struggled in the short program and did not qualify for the free skate.

After the 2009–10 season, Oda returned to his former coach, Lee Barkell.

Later Career: 2010–2014

For the 2010–11 Grand Prix season, Oda won silver medals at 2010 Skate Canada International and 2010 Skate America. He qualified for the 2010–11 Grand Prix Final and won another silver medal. At the 2011 World Championships, he was second after the short program. However, he dropped to sixth overall after the long program due to an extra jump.

In May 2011, Oda was diagnosed with a knee injury. He needed six weeks of rest to recover.

Oda started the next season by winning a silver medal at 2011 Cup of China. He withdrew from his national championships due to his knee injury. He was not chosen for the 2012 World Championships team.

Oda began the 2012–2013 season by winning gold at the 2012 Nebelhorn Trophy. He then won a bronze medal at 2012 Skate America. He placed fourth at Nationals and was not named to the 2013 World Championships team. He later won the Bavarian Open.

In 2013–2014, Oda won the Nebelhorn Trophy for the second year in a row. In the Grand Prix series, he took bronze at 2013 Skate Canada and silver at the 2013 NHK Trophy. He was called up to the Grand Prix Final and won the bronze medal.

Oda finished fourth at the 2014 Japanese Nationals. He was named to the 2014 Four Continents team, but not the Olympic team. Soon after, Oda announced he was retiring from competitive skating.

Life After Competition: 2014–2017

After retiring from competitive skating, Oda became a professional skater. He also became a TV personality. He even voiced himself in the 2016 figure skating anime series Yuri on Ice. Oda was a regular performer at the annual ice show Fantasy on Ice. He performed his short program "Storm" with the Yoshida Brothers in 2016.

In October 2017, Oda said he wanted to retire from official competitions. He considered the 2017 Japan Open his last one. At the Japan Open, he successfully landed difficult jumps.

Coaching and Other Roles: 2017–2023

In April 2017, Oda became the head coach at the Kansai University Skating Club. He stepped down from this role in September 2019. He later explained that he left due to a disagreement with another coach at the university. This situation caused him a lot of stress.

In spring 2023, Oda was cast to play Usopp in the summer show, One Piece on Ice.

Returning to the Ice and Final Retirement: 2022–2025

In November 2022, Oda announced he would return to competition. He explained that he wanted to improve his physical strength and technique. He also wanted to find motivation for ice shows. Oda made his official return in January 2023. He finished ninth at the 2023 Japan Winter Sports Festival. He continued to compete in domestic events the following season.

Oda then announced he would officially retire after the 2024–25 figure skating season. In November 2024, he won the Japan Western Sectional Championships. This allowed him to qualify for the 2024–25 Japan Championships. He received standing ovations for his performances. He ultimately finished fourth, the same place he achieved eleven years earlier. After the event, Oda thanked his fans. He said, "I'm glad I came back. I've had a rich skating life." He then confirmed his official retirement from competitive figure skating.

Nobunari Oda's Skating Programs

Oda performs an Ina bauer during his exhibition at the 2008 NHK Trophy.

Programs from 2022–2025

Programs from 2014–2019

Programs Before 2014

Nobunari Oda's Competition Results

Oda (center) with the other medalists at the 2009 Cup of China