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 (also known as Kawaguchi) is a retired pair skater. She competed for both Japan and Russia. 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 won bronze medals at the World Championships twice (2009 and 2010). They earned two bronze medals at the ISU Grand Prix Final. Plus, they were three-time Russian national champions. In 2015, they made history. They were the first pair to land two quadruple throw jumps in one program. They were also the first to land a quadruple throw loop.

About Yuko

Yuko Kavaguti was born on November 20, 1981. She speaks Japanese, Russian, and English fluently. From 2003, she studied international relations at St. Petersburg State University. She finished her degree in June 2007. Yuko has said she is interested in working in international diplomacy after her skating career.

In December 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. Her family name "Kawaguchi" changed to "Kavaguti" when it was written in Russian and then in English letters.

Her 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 she changed to pair skating after watching Russian skater Elena Berezhnaya. This was at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

Yuko decided to write to the famous coach Tamara Moskvina. Because Yuko kept trying, the coach agreed to train her. Yuko moved to Hackensack, New Jersey. This is where Moskvina was coaching at the time.

Early Pair Skating

In March 1999, Yuko teamed up with Alexander Markuntsov to skate for Japan. They trained with coaches Moskvina and Igor Moskvin. They were the first Japanese pair team to win a medal at an ISU championship. They won silver at the World Junior Championships in 2001.

Yuko and Markuntsov stopped skating together in 2003. Yuko explained that it was hard for Alexander to get Japanese citizenship. This meant they could not represent Japan in the Olympics.

In 2003, Yuko moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia, with her coach Moskvina. She also started university there. She briefly skated with American partners Josh Martin and Devin Patrick. She learned the quadruple throw salchow with Devin Patrick. But they also went their separate ways. Yuko wanted to stay with her coach and finish her studies in Russia.

Skating with Alexander Smirnov

Kavaguti/Smirnov with coach Tamara Moskvina

Yuko teamed up with Alexander Smirnov in May 2006. They decided to compete for Russia. Yuko agreed to skate for another country because it was hard to find a good partner. Smirnov said he was amazed 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 Cup of Russia. They won a bronze medal there. They also won gold at the Coupe de Nice in France. Yuko dislocated her shoulder in 2006 after a fall. This caused problems for several years. In December 2006, Yuko broke her ankle. This made them miss some competitions.

They competed at the 2007 World Championships in Tokyo. They finished 9th overall. In the 2007–08 season, they won more bronze medals at Grand Prix events. They also won their first Russian Championship in 2008. Yuko dislocated her shoulder again during this competition. But they still finished their program and won.

At their first European Championships in 2008, they won a bronze medal. They landed a throw quad Salchow. At the 2008 World Championships, they placed fourth.

Big Wins (2008–2010)

Kavaguti and Smirnov won their third gold at the Coupe de Nice. They also won their first ISU Grand Prix event at Skate Canada. They defended their title at the 2009 Russian National Championships. At the 2009 European Championship, they won a silver medal.

At the 2009 World Championships in Los Angeles, they won their first World bronze medal. Yuko fell on a throw quad salchow but got up quickly. They also competed in the first ever World Team Trophy in Japan.

Kavaguti/Smirnov perform at the 2010 European Championships

Kawaguchi/Smirnov perform their short program at the 2010 Olympics

In the 2009–10 season, Yuko again dislocated her shoulder during a competition. But they continued and won silver. They won their third Russian Championship in a row. They then won the 2010 European Championship. Their free skate score was a world record at the time.

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

Challenges and Comebacks (2010–2015)

In April 2010, Yuko had shoulder surgery. Smirnov also had injuries. They were off the ice for three months. They won gold at the 2010 Cup of Russia. This was their fifth medal at this event.

At the 2011 European Championships, they won silver. At the 2011 World Championships, they finished 4th.

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

For the 2011–12 season, they competed in three Grand Prix events. They won the 2011 Cup of China and the 2011 NHK Trophy. They won their first medal at the Grand Prix Final, a bronze. Smirnov had emergency surgery in January 2012. This made them miss the European Championships. At the 2012 World Championships, they finished 7th.

Kavaguti/Smirnov at the 2012 Grand Prix Final

In the 2012–13 season, Smirnov had knee surgery. They won silver at the 2012 Cup of China and gold at the 2012 Trophée Eric Bompard. They finished 6th at the Grand Prix Final. They won silver at the 2013 Russian Championships. At the 2013 European Championships, they finished 5th. They also finished 6th at the 2013 World Championships.

In October 2013, Smirnov had a serious knee injury. This made them miss the entire 2013–14 season. But they planned to return to competition.

Return to Success (2014–2016)

Kavaguti and Smirnov returned in the 2014–15 season. They won gold at the 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy. They also won gold at the 2014 Skate America. In this event, they successfully landed a quadruple Salchow throw. They won silver at the 2014 NHK Trophy. They placed third at the 2015 Russian Championships. Then, they won their second European title at the 2015 European Championships. They finished 5th at the 2015 World Championships.

Kavaguti and Smirnov at the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final

They started the 2015–16 season with gold at the 2015 Mordovian Ornament. They also won gold at the 2015 Cup of China. Here, they set a personal best score of 216.00 points. They landed two quadruple throws in their free skate. They won silver at the 2015 Rostelecom Cup. This qualified them for the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final. In December, they won the bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final. They took silver at the 2016 Russian Championships. On January 20, 2016, Yuko injured her tendon. This made them withdraw from the 2016 European Championships.

Final Season and Retirement

In the 2016–17 season, Kavaguti and Smirnov won silver at the 2016 Ondrej Nepela Trophy. On September 22, 2017, their coach Tamara Moskvina announced that Yuko and Alexander had retired from competition.

Awards

• Order of the President of the Russian Federation (2010): For their achievements at the 2010 Olympic Games.
• The Best in the Sport of St. Petersburg (2010)
• Honored Master of Sports of Russia (2009)

Programs

With Smirnov

With Markuntsov

Competition Results

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

With Smirnov for Russia

With Markuntsov for Japan

With Patrick for USA and Japan

Singles career for Japan

Images for kids

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  Kavaguti and Smirnov at the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final pairs podium

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  Kavaguti and Smirnov at the 2014 Skate America

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  2011 European Championships pairs podium

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  2010 World Championships pairs podium

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  2010 European Championships pairs podium

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  2009 World Championships pairs podium

See also

In Spanish: Yuko Kavaguti para niños