- Narumi Takahashi
-
Japanese name Kanji 高橋 成美 Kana たかはし なるみ Rōmaji Takahashi Narumi Narumi Takahashi 
Takahashi & Tran perform a dance lift at the 2008-2009 Junior Grand Prix Final.Personal information Full name Narumi Takahashi Country represented 
JapanBorn January 15, 1992
Chiba, JapanResidence Montreal, Quebec Height 1.46 m (4 ft 9 in) Partner Mervin Tran Former partner Yoshiaki Yamada (JPN)
Gao Yu (figure skater) (CHN)Coach Richard Gauthier
Bruno Marcotte
S. FullumChoreographer Julie Marcotte Skating club Aqua Rink Chiba Current training locations St. Leonard, Quebec Began skating 1995 World standing 6 (As of 16 June 2011[update])[1] Season's bests 14 (2010–2011)[2]
19 (2009–2010)[3]
32 (2008–2009)[4]ISU personal best scores Combined total 172.09
2011 NHK TrophyShort program 60.60
2011 Skate CanadaFree skate 114.20
2011 NHK TrophyNarumi Takahashi (高橋 成美 Takahashi Narumi, born January 15, 1992) is a Japanese pair skater. She competes with Mervin Tran. They are the 2010 Junior World silver medalists, 2010–11 Junior Grand Prix Final champions, and 2008–2010 Japanese national champions.
Contents
Personal life
Narumi Takahashi was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Her father's job took the family to China when she was nine.[5] She lived in China for five years.[6] She moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada to train with Tran in 2007. In addition to skating, Takahashi also played soccer for six years on a city team.[6]
Career
Takahashi and Tran in 2011
Narumi Takahashi began skating at age five, following in the footsteps of her elder sister.[6] She was originally a single skater. She is a Japanese bronze medalist in novice ladies' singles.[6]
After moving to China at the age of nine, Takahashi continued skating in singles until she was about 12-13 when she switched to pair skating.[5] She skated with Chinese partner Gao Yu for one season; they placed 6th at the 2004 Chinese Championships on the senior level.[6] She decided to leave China and skate for Japan so she asked the Japanese federation for help in finding a partner; she eventually found a partner in Japan but the partnership was unsuccessful due to insufficient height difference.[6] After two years of corresponding with Richard Gauthier, whom she met at a competition in China, she moved to Montreal, Quebec. Gauthier began looking for a partner for her in Canada. Bruno Marcotte recommended Mervin Tran, who until that point had been a single skater. Tran agreed to come to Montreal for a tryout and the pair began training together in July 2007.[6][7] They train in St. Leonard.[8]
Takahashi and Tran made their international debut on the 2007–2008 ISU Junior Grand Prix, where they placed 12th and 6th at their events. They won the Japan Junior Championships and earned a trip to 2008 Junior Worlds, where they placed 15th.
In the 2008–2009 season, Takahashi and Tran placed 4th at their first Junior Grand Prix event. They won the bronze medal at their second event, qualifying them for the 2008-2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, where they placed 7th. They won the senior title at the 2008-2009 Japanese Championships. At the 2009 Junior Worlds, they placed 7th.
During the 2009–2010 season, Takahashi and Tran competed on the Junior Grand Prix circuit. They won the bronze medal at their first event and gold at their second event, which qualified them for the 2009–2010 Junior Grand Prix Final. They also debuted on the senior Grand Prix series with an 8th place finish at NHK Trophy. They won silver at the JGP Final and at the Junior World Championships. They became the second pair representing Japan to medal at an ISU Championships (Yuko Kavaguti with Alexander Markuntsov being the first pair when they won silver in 2001).[5]
During the 2010–2011 season, Takahashi and Tran won silver medals at their JGP events and qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final. They won gold at the event, becoming the first pair representing Japan to win the title. They also won their first medals on the senior Grand Prix series, a bronze at 2010 NHK Trophy, and then silver at 2010 Cup of Russia. As a result, they were first alternates to the senior Grand Prix Final. They won the bronze medal at the 2011 Junior Worlds. They also made their senior World Championships debut, finishing 9th.
During the 2011–2012 season, Takahashi and Tran's first Grand Prix assignment was 2011 Skate Canada International, where they finished fourth. They won the silver medal at their second event, 2011 NHK Trophy. In November 2011, Tran said he was considering pursuing Japanese citizenship in order to allow the couple to compete at the Olympics but said it was a difficult decision because it would mean giving up his Canadian citizenship.[9]
Programs
Takahashi and Tran won their first senior Grand Prix medal at 2010 NHK TrophySeason Short program Free skating Exhibition 2011–2012 - Imagine
by John Lennon
choreo. by Julie Marcotte[8]
- Concerto de Québec
by André Mathieu
2010–2011 - Feeling Good
by Michael Bublé
- El Día Que Me Quieras
by Raúl di Blasio
2009–2010 - Farrucas
by Pepe Romero - Chano Lobato
- Maria Madgalena
- Paco Romero (Flamenco)
- Madame Butterfly
by Giacomo Puccini
performed by Vanessa Mae - Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto
performed by Vanessa Mae
2008–2009 - Din Daa Daa (MI Remix)
by George Kranz - Seventeen Years
by Ratatat
- Madame Butterfly
by Giacomo Puccini
performed by Vanessa Mae
2007–2008 - Shout and Feel It
by James Horner
- Samurai
(from Le Rêve) - Banquine
(from Journey of Man)
by Benoit Jutras
Competitive highlights
(with Tran)
Event 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 World Championships 9th Four Continents Championships 5th 7th World Junior Championships 15th 7th 2nd 3rd Japanese Championships 1st 1st 1st Japan Junior Championships 1st Cup of Russia 2nd Skate Canada International 4th NHK Trophy 8th 3rd 2nd Junior Grand Prix Final 7th 2nd 1st Junior Grand Prix, Germany 6th 2nd Junior Grand Prix, Great Britain 3rd 2nd Junior Grand Prix, Poland 1st Junior Grand Prix, USA 3rd Junior Grand Prix, Mexico 4th Junior Grand Prix, Estonia 12th (with Yoshiaki Yamada)
Event 2006–2007 Japan Junior Championships 1st (with Gao for China)
Event 2003–2004 Chinese Championships 6th References
- ^ "ISU World Standings for Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance : Pairs". International Skating Union. June 16, 2011. http://www.isuresults.com/ws/ws/wspairs.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011 2011.
- ^ "ISU Judging System - Season Bests Total Scores 2010/2011 : Pairs". International Skating Union. May 6, 2011. http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/sb2010-11/sbtspto.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ^ "ISU Judging System - Season Bests Total Scores 2009/2010 : Pairs". International Skating Union. March 24, 2010. http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/sb2009-10/sbtspto.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ^ "ISU Judging System - Season Bests Total Scores 2008/2009 : Pairs". International Skating Union. April 18, 2009. http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/sb2008-09/sbtspto.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ^ a b c Flade, Tatjana (June 6, 2010). "High ambitions for Takahashi and Tran". Golden Skate. http://www.goldenskate.com/articles/2009/060610.shtml. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Mittan, Barry (August 30, 2008). "Young Team Gives Japan Hope for Future". Skate Today. http://www.skatetoday.com/2008/08/30/young-team-gives-japan-hope-for-future/. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Brodie, Rob (April 14, 2011). "Takahashi and Tran: Young Pair Flying High". International Figure Skating. http://www.ifsmagazine.com/articles/471-takahashi-and-tran-young-pair-flying-high. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
- ^ a b Rutherford, Lynn (September 20, 2011). "Japanese, Canadian pairs face off at Mid-Atlantics". Icenetwork. http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110920&content_id=24951186&vkey=ice_news. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
- ^ Sato, Shigemi (November 14, 2011). "Skater Mervin Tran mulls turning Japanese". Agence France-Presse (Google News). Archived from the original on November 14, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/63CN1K1d9.
External links
Categories:- 1992 births
- Living people
- Japanese pair skaters
- Japanese expatriates in China
- Japanese expatriates in Canada
- People from Chiba Prefecture
- Imagine
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