Takahiko Kozuka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Takahiko Kozuka
Kozuka at the 2008 Skate America
Personal information
Country represented	Japan
Born	(1989-02-27) February 27, 1989 (age 36) Nagoya, Japan
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Former coach	Nobuo Sato, Yuka Sato, Jason Dungjen, Tsuguhiko Kozuka, Kumiko Sato
Former choreographer	Kenji Miyamoto, Lori Nichol, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Marina Zueva, Yuka Sato, Kurt Browning, David Wilson, Fedor Andreev
Skating club	Toyota Motor Corporation SC
Former training locations	Toyota, Aichi Detroit Yokohama
Began skating	1992
Retired	March 15, 2016
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	258.41 2011 Worlds
Short program	86.39 2012-13 Grand Prix Final
Free skate	180.79 2011 Worlds

Takahiko Kozuka (born February 27, 1989) is a Japanese former figure skater. He was a top athlete who won many medals. He earned a silver medal at the 2011 World Championships. He also won two medals at the Grand Prix Final and two at the Four Continents Championships. Takahiko was the Japanese national champion in 2010–11. As a junior skater, he was the World Junior champion in 2006 and the Junior Grand Prix Final champion in 2005–06.

About Takahiko Kozuka

Kozuka was born on February 27, 1989, in Nagoya, Japan. Skating runs in his family. His father, Tsuguhiko Kozuka, competed in singles skating at the 1968 Olympics. His mother, Sachiko, was an ice dancing skater. His grandfather, Mitsuhiko Kozuka, was also important in early Japanese skating.

Kozuka studied sports education at Chukyo University. He wrote a special paper comparing jumps on the floor to jumps on the ice. In March 2016, he earned a master's degree in physical education. During his skating career, he worked for Toyota, one of his sponsors. He continued working for the company after he stopped competing.

On July 23, 2015, Kozuka announced he was getting married to Yukari Oshima. She was a Japanese television news presenter. They got married in February 2016.

Skating Career

Takahiko Kozuka started skating at age three because both his parents were coaches. He began training seriously when he was five years old. He was inspired by Yuka Sato's win at the 1994 World Championships. Nobuo Sato and Kumiko Sato became his coaches when he was in primary school.

Kozuka was known for his excellent edges and basic skating skills. His coaches made him practice compulsory figures when he was a child. This helped him develop strong fundamentals.

Early Skating Achievements

In the 2005–06 season, Kozuka had a very successful junior career. He won the Junior Grand Prix Final. He also won the Japanese Junior Championships. The biggest win was the World Junior Championships.

Senior Debut and Grand Prix Success

Kozuka started competing in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series in the 2006–07 season. He won a bronze medal at the 2006 NHK Trophy. He finished 6th at the 2006 Trophée Eric Bompard. He placed 6th at the Japanese Championships and 4th at the 2007 Asian Winter Games.

In the 2007–08 season, he earned a silver medal at the Japan Championships. He placed 8th at both the 2008 Four Continents and the 2008 World Championships.

The 2008–09 season was very strong for Kozuka. He won gold at the 2008 Skate America and silver at the 2008 Trophee Eric Bompard. These wins helped him qualify for the Grand Prix Final, where he won a silver medal. He also won another national silver medal at the Japan Championships. He earned a bronze medal at the 2009 Four Continents and finished 6th at the 2009 World Championships.

Olympic and World Championships

In the 2009–10 season, Kozuka won a silver medal at the 2009 Cup of Russia. He placed seventh at the 2009 NHK Trophy. He earned a bronze medal at the Japanese National Championships. This result allowed him to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2010 World Championships.

Kozuka finished eighth in the men's singles event at the 2010 Winter Olympics. At the 2010 World Championships, he finished in tenth place.

National Champion and World Silver Medalist

For the 2010–11 Grand Prix season, Kozuka competed at the 2010 Cup of China and the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard. He won both events, placing first in the short program and free skate. He was the top qualifier for the men's event at the Grand Prix Final.

During a practice session at the Grand Prix Final, Kozuka accidentally bumped into Daisuke Takahashi. Both skaters were okay and competed. Kozuka apologized, and Takahashi accepted. Kozuka finished fourth in the short program and second in the free skate, earning a bronze medal. He won his first Japanese national title in December 2010. At the 2011 World Championships, he moved from sixth place to second after the long program, winning his first World medal.

Later Career and Retirement

Kozuka competed in the 2011–12 Grand Prix season at 2011 Skate America and 2011 NHK Trophy. He won a bronze medal at Skate America and a silver medal at NHK Trophy. He earned a silver medal at the 2011 Japanese national championships. This qualified him for the 2012 World Championships, where he finished 11th.

Kozuka started the 2012–13 season by winning gold at the 2012 Skate America. He then won silver at the 2012 Rostelecom Cup. He injured his right foot in December 2012. Kozuka finished 5th at the Japan Championships.

In 2013–14, Kozuka earned a bronze medal at the 2013 Cup of China. He placed 3rd at the 2013 Japanese National Championships. However, he was not chosen for the Japanese Olympic team. Instead, he competed at the 2014 Four Continents Championships, where he won a silver medal. When Daisuke Takahashi withdrew from the 2014 World Championships, Kozuka took his place and finished 6th.

In 2014–15, Kozuka placed 8th at Skate Canada and 6th at Rostelecom Cup. He was 6th in the short program at the 2014 Japanese National Championships. But he skated a strong free skate to finish 3rd overall. He was assigned to the 2015 World Championships, where he finished 12th.

Towards the end of his career, Kozuka had tendinitis in his left ankle. He announced his retirement from skating on March 15, 2016. On April 17, he performed his farewell exhibition program, "Epilogue," at the last show of 2016 Stars on Ice Japan in Tokyo. In 2017, he said he would stay involved in figure skating. He started the Kozuka Skate Academy in 2016 and also works as a skating commentator for Fuji TV.

Skating Programs

Kozuka performing his exhibition gala to Stayin' Alive at the 2007 Cup of Russia.

Competitive Highlights

Kozuka (left) with the other medalists at the 2011 World Championships.

Kozuka (center) with the other medalists at the 2008 Skate America.

See also

In Spanish: Takahiko Kozuka para niños