Yuko Kavaguti facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yuko Kavaguti
Kavaguti and Smirnov at the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final
Personal information
Alternative names	川口 悠子 / Кавагути Юко
Country represented	Russia
Former country(ies) represented	Japan  United States
Born	(1981-11-20) 20 November 1981 (age 43) Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
Residence	Saint Petersburg, Russia
Height	1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Partner	Alexander Smirnov
Former partner	Alexander Markuntsov (JPN) Devin Patrick (USA)
Coach	Tamara Moskvina
Former coach	Nikolai Velikov Igor Moskvin
Choreographer	Peter Tchernyshev
Former choreographer	Alexander Matveev Natalia Bestemianova Tatiana Druchinina Igor Bobrin Ivan Kozlov
Skating club	Yubileyny Sport Club
Began skating	1986
Retired	22 September 2017
World standing	5 (As of 3 February  2015 (2015 -02-03)[update])
Season's bests	7 (2012–2013) 4 (2011–2012) 4 (2010–2011) 3 (2009–2010) 4 (2008–2009)
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	216.00 2015 Cup of China
Short program	76.02 2015 Mordovian Ornament
Free skate	143.55 2015 Cup of China
Medal record Representing  Russia Figure skating: Pairs World Championships Bronze 2009 Los Angeles Pairs Bronze 2010 Turin Pairs Grand Prix Final Bronze 2011–12 Quebec Pairs Bronze 2015–16 Barcelona Pairs World Team Trophy Silver 2015 Tokyo Team Representing  Japan World Junior Championships Silver 2001 Sofia Pairs Junior Grand Prix Final Bronze 2000–01 Ayr Pairs

Yuko Kavaguti (born on November 20, 1981) is a retired pair skater. She competed for both Japan and Russia during her amazing career. In 2006, she started skating with Alexander Smirnov for Russia. Together, they achieved many great things. They won the European title twice (in 2010 and 2015). They also earned two bronze medals at the World Championships (in 2009 and 2010). They won bronze twice at the ISU Grand Prix Final. Plus, they were three-time Russian national champions from 2008 to 2010. In 2015, they made history. They were the first pair ever to land two quadruple throw jumps in one program. They were also the first to successfully land a quadruple throw loop.

About Yuko Kavaguti

Yuko Kavaguti speaks Japanese, Russian, and English fluently. She studied international relations at St. Petersburg State University and finished her degree in 2007. She was interested in working in international diplomacy after her skating career. In 2008, she became a Russian citizen. This allowed her to compete for Russia in the Olympics. Japan does not allow people to have two citizenships. So, she had to give up her Japanese citizenship at that time.

Yuko's Early Skating Journey

Yuko started skating when she was five years old. Her mother loved ice dancing, which inspired her. At first, Yuko competed as a singles skater for Japan. But after watching Russian pair skater Elena Berezhnaya at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Yuko decided to switch to pair skating. She wrote to the famous coach Tamara Moskvina. Because Yuko was so determined, Moskvina agreed to train her. Yuko then moved to Hackensack, New Jersey, where her coach was working.

First Pair Partners

In 1999, Yuko teamed up with Alexander Markuntsov to skate for Japan. They trained with Moskvina and Igor Moskvin. They made history by becoming the first Japanese pair team to win a medal at an ISU championship. They won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships in 2001. Yuko and Alexander stopped skating together in 2003. Yuko explained that it was hard for Alexander to get Japanese citizenship, which meant they couldn't compete in the Olympics for Japan.

After that, Yuko followed her coach, Tamara Moskvina, back to Saint Petersburg, Russia. She also started university there. She briefly skated with American partners Josh Martin and Devin Patrick. Josh Martin had an accident and returned to the U.S. Devin Patrick taught her the quadruple throw salchow. However, they eventually went their separate ways because Devin wanted to live in the U.S., and Yuko wanted to stay with her coach and finish her studies in Russia. She worried about finding another partner but was determined to complete her degree.

Skating with Alexander Smirnov

Kavaguti and Smirnov with coach Tamara Moskvina

In May 2006, Yuko teamed up with Alexander Smirnov to compete for Russia. She decided to skate for another country because it was hard to find a good partner. Alexander was impressed by how hard Yuko worked. They trained at the Yubileyny Sports Palace in Saint Petersburg. They started training with Tamara Moskvina in August 2006.

First Seasons: 2006–2008

Their first big competition was the 2006 Cup of Russia, where they won a bronze medal. They also won gold at the Coupe de Nice in France. Yuko had an injury in 2006, dislocating her shoulder after a fall. She also broke her ankle in December 2006, which made them miss some competitions. They still competed at the 2007 World Championships in Tokyo, finishing 9th.

In the 2007–08 season, they continued to win medals. They earned bronze at the 2007 Cup of Russia and 2007 Skate Canada International. They won gold again at the Cup of Nice. At their first Grand Prix Final, they finished 5th.

They won their first Russian Championship in 2008. Yuko dislocated her shoulder again during the program but bravely continued. They completed their program and won their first national title. At the European Championships, they won a bronze medal. They finished 4th at the 2008 World Championships, just missing a bronze medal.

Building Success: 2008–2010

Kavaguti and Smirnov won their third gold medal at the Coupe de Nice. They also won their first Grand Prix event at 2008 Skate Canada International. They earned a silver medal at the 2008 Cup of Russia. They finished 5th at the Grand Prix Final.

They won their second Russian National Championship in 2009. At the 2009 European Championship, they won a silver medal. At the 2009 World Championships in Los Angeles, Yuko fell on a quad throw but quickly got up. They earned their first World bronze medal. They also competed in the first ever World Team Trophy in Japan, helping Russia finish 5th.

Kavaguti and Smirnov perform at the 2010 European Championships

Kawaguchi and Smirnov perform their short program at the 2010 Olympics

In the 2009–10 season, they competed at the 2009 NHK Trophy in Japan. Yuko dislocated her shoulder again after a quad throw, but they continued and won silver. They also won silver at the Cup of Russia. They finished 5th at the Grand Prix Finals for the third year in a row.

They won their third Russian Championship in a row. At the 2010 European Championships in Estonia, they won the gold medal. Yuko's shoulder dislocated during the program, but she managed to put it back in place and finish. Their free skate score was a world record at the time.

Kavaguti and Smirnov competed in their first Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. They were in 3rd place after the short program. Despite some mistakes and another fall where Yuko dislocated her shoulder, they finished 4th overall. They were the highest-placing Russian pair. At the 2010 World Championships in Italy, they won their second consecutive World bronze medal.

Injuries and Comebacks: 2010–2014

In April 2010, Yuko had shoulder surgery. Alexander also had injuries, and they were off the ice for three months. They had to withdraw from some competitions. They won gold at the 2010 Cup of Russia, their fifth medal at that event. They won silver at the 2011 Russian Championships and the 2011 European Championships. At the 2011 World Championships in Moscow, they finished 4th.

Kavaguti and Smirnov during the short program at the 2011 Rostelecom Cup

For the 2011–12 season, they competed in three Grand Prix events. They won gold at the 2011 Cup of China and the 2011 NHK Trophy. They also won silver at the 2011 Cup of Russia. They qualified for the Grand Prix Final and won their first bronze medal there. Alexander had emergency surgery in January 2012, which made them miss the European Championships. At the 2012 World Championships, they finished 7th after some falls and errors.

Kavaguti and Smirnov at the 2012 Grand Prix Final

In the summer of 2012, Alexander had knee surgery. They won silver at the 2012 Cup of China and gold at the 2012 Trophée Eric Bompard in France. They finished 6th at the 2012 Grand Prix Final. They won silver at the 2013 Russian Championships. However, they had a tough time at the 2013 European Championships, finishing 5th. At the 2013 World Championships, they finished 6th.

In October 2013, Alexander suffered a serious knee injury, tearing a tendon. This forced them to miss the entire 2013–14 season.

Return to the Ice: 2014–2017

Kavaguti and Smirnov made a strong comeback in the 2014–15 season. They won gold at the 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy, a Challenger Series event. They also won gold at 2014 Skate America, where they successfully landed a quadruple Salchow throw. They took silver at the 2014 NHK Trophy and finished sixth at the Grand Prix Final. They earned a bronze medal at the 2015 Russian Championships before winning their second European title at the 2015 European Championships. They finished the season with a fifth-place finish at the 2015 World Championships.

Kavaguti and Smirnov at the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final

The 2015–16 season started with more gold medals. They won the 2015 Mordovian Ornament and then the 2015 Cup of China. In China, they set a new personal best score and landed two quadruple throws in their free skate. They won silver at the 2015 Rostelecom Cup and qualified for the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final, where they won a bronze medal. They also took silver at the 2016 Russian Championships. Unfortunately, Yuko suffered another ruptured tendon in January 2016, which made them withdraw from the European Championships.

In the 2016–17 season, Kavaguti and Smirnov returned to competition. They won a silver medal at the 2016 Ondrej Nepela Trophy.

On September 22, 2017, their coach Tamara Moskvina announced that Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov had officially retired from competitive skating.

Awards and Titles

• Order of the President of the Russian Federation For services to the development of physical culture and sports, high athletic achievements at the XXI Olympic Games 2010 in Vancouver (March 5, 2010)
• The Best in the Sport of St. Petersburg (February 2010)
• Honored Master of Sports of Russia (2009)

Skating Programs

With Alexander Smirnov

With Alexander Markuntsov

Competition Results

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Alexander Smirnov for Russia

With Alexander Markuntsov for Japan

With Devin Patrick for USA and Japan

Singles Career for Japan

See also

In Spanish: Yuko Kavaguti para niños