Akiko Suzuki

Akiko Suzuki (鈴木 明子, Suzuki Akiko) (born March 28, 1985) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She is the 2012 World Championships bronze medalist, a three-time Grand Prix Final medalist (2011 silver, 2009 & 2012 bronze), a two-time Four Continents silver medalist (2010, 2013), the 2007 Winter Universiade champion, and the 2013 Japanese national champion. She placed eighth at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Akiko Suzuki
Akiko Suzuki at the 2012 World Championships in Nice, France
Native name	鈴木明子
Born	(1985-03-28) March 28, 1985 (age 39) Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture
Height	1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Figure skating career
Country	Japan
Coach	Hiroshi Nagakubo, Yoriko Naruse
Skating club	Howa Sports Land
Began skating	1992
Retired	2014
Medal record Figure skating: Ladies' singles Representing  Japan World Championships 2012 Nice Singles Four Continents Championships 2010 Jeonju Singles 2013 Osaka Singles Grand Prix Final 2011–12 Quebec Singles 2009–10 Tokyo Singles 2012–13 Sochi Singles World Team Trophy 2012 Tokyo Team 2013 Tokyo Team Junior Grand Prix Final 2001–02 Bled Singles

Personal life

Suzuki was born on March 28, 1985, in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture.^[8] She became engaged to a former classmate in June 2016^[9] and married him on February 1, 2017.^[10] They divorced in 2018.^[11]

Career

 

Suzuki with coach Hiroshi Nagakubo

Suzuki trained in Nagoya, Japan.^[12] At the same time, she worked for Toho Real Estate, which has its own skating rink.^[13]

Early career

Suzuki won the bronze medal at the 2001–02 Junior Grand Prix Final. After a successful junior career, she was hampered by her struggles with anorexia nervosa which began at age 18 when she left home for university.^[14][13] Her weight having fallen to 32 kg, she was unable to jump and missed the entire 2003–2004 season.^[14] It took her a year to gain back the weight she had lost.^[14]

2004–2005 to 2008–2009

Suzuki returned to competitive skating in the 2004–2005 season after being inspired by Shizuka Arakawa's victory at the 2004 World Championships.^[15] She began working with coach Hiroshi Nagakubo in the early 2000s.^[13]

She had a breakthrough in 2007–2008, winning several events, and achieving her highest finish at Japanese nationals since 2002. She consequently received her first senior Grand Prix assignment in 2008–2009, and won the silver medal at the 2008 NHK Trophy. That same season, she also won the 2008 Finlandia Trophy and finished 8th at the 2009 Four Continents Championships.

2009–2010 season

Suzuki appeared at two Grand Prix events, winning the 2009 Cup of China and finishing 5th at the 2009 Skate Canada International. She qualified to the 2009–10 Grand Prix Final, where she won the bronze medal. She was awarded a place on the Japanese Olympic team after she placed second at the 2009–10 Japan Championships. She was also assigned to compete at the 2010 Four Continents Championships, where she won the silver medal. At the Olympics, she finished 8th, and was later 11th at the 2010 World Championships – her first senior Worlds.

2010–2011 season

Suzuki opened her season with gold at the 2010 Finlandia Trophy. She received silver at both of her Grand Prix events, the 2010 Cup of Russia and the 2010 Cup of China. She qualified for her second consecutive Grand Prix Final, this time finishing fourth. A fourth-place finish at the national championships left her off the Worlds team, but she was selected to go to the 2011 Four Continents Championships, where she finished 7th.

2011–2012 season

 

Akiko at 2012 World Championships

Competing again on the Grand Prix series, Suzuki won the silver medal at the 2011 Skate Canada International and the gold medal at the 2011 NHK Trophy. Her placements qualified her for the 2011 Grand Prix Final where she won the silver medal. She won the silver behind Mao Asada at the 2011–12 Japan Championships.^[16] At the 2012 World Championships, Suzuki won the bronze medal,^[17] becoming the oldest ladies' single skater to medal at the event since Maria Butyrskaya. At the 2012 ISU World Team Trophy, she won the ladies' event, defeating World champion Carolina Kostner. Team Japan also won the event overall.

2012–2013 season

Suzuki received the same Grand Prix assignments as the previous season. She won the silver medal at the 2012 Skate Canada International and the 2012 NHK Trophy, qualifying her for the 2012–13 Grand Prix Final. At the final, she placed third in the short program. She fell twice in the free skating, finishing third overall.^[18] In December 2012, Suzuki said that the 2013–14 season would be her last.^[19] She finished fourth at the 2012–13 Japan Championships behind Satoko Miyahara.

Suzuki won the silver medal at the 2013 Four Continents Championships, as part of a Japanese sweep of the ladies' event with teammates Mao Asada and Kanako Murakami taking the gold and bronze medal respectively. She placed twelfth at the 2013 World Championships. At the 2013 World Team Trophy, Suzuki placed first; Team Japan placed third overall. Her free skating score of 133.02 and her combined total score of 199.58 are her personal best scores.

2013–2014 season

Suzuki began her season at the 2013 Finlandia Trophy, where she won the silver medal behind Yulia Lipnitskaya. She won another silver at the 2013 Skate Canada International, again behind Lipnitskaya. At the 2013 NHK Trophy, she earned the bronze medal after placing second in the short and fourth in the free skating.

Suzuki won gold at the 2013–14 Japan Championships, ahead of Kanako Murakami and Mao Asada. She placed second in the short program behind Asada, but rebounded to first place after winning the free skating. She skated two clean programs and earned the highest free skating and total score to date in the ladies' event at the Japan Figure Skating Championships.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Suzuki competed in the free skating portion of the figure skating team event, placing fourth in that segment; Japan finished fifth overall. She went on to place eighth in the ladies' singles competition. At the 2014 World Championships, she placed fourth in the short program with a personal best score, eighth in the free skating, and sixth overall. Following the World Championships, Suzuki announced her retirement from competitive skating.

Post-competitive career

Following her retirement in 2014, Suzuki began working as a choreographer and teaching with her longtime coach, Hiroshi Nagakubo, at the Howa Sports Land Skating Club in the Aichi Prefecture. She credited figure skating choreographers Shae-Lynn Bourne and Pasquale Camerlengo for inspiring her to start working as a choreographer.^[20] Suzuki was also a main cast member of the annual touring ice show Fantasy on Ice, having participated in all editions from 2010 to 2019. In 2022 she did the commentary for the live broadcast at the tour stop in Nagoya amongst others.^[21]

Suzuki has choreographed for:

• Rika Hongo^[22]
• Rin Nitaya^[23]
• Miyu Nakashio^[24]
• Yura Matsuda^[25]
• Yuka Nagai^[26]
• Moa Iwano^[27]
• Yuhana Yokoi^[28]
• Sota Yamamoto^[29]
• Lim Eun-soo^[30]
• Tatsuya Tsuboi^[31]
• Yuna Aoki^[32]
• Mako Yamashita^[33]
• Mone Chiba^[34]
• Ami Nakai^[35]
• Yuma Kagiyama^[36]
• Yuna Shiraiwa^[37]
• Maria Egawa^[38]
• Yo Takagi^[39]
• Mai Mihara^[40]

Programs

 

Suzuki at the 2010 Olympics

 

Suzuki at the 2012 World Championships

Post-2014

Season	Exhibition
2017–2018	O^[41] (from Cirque du Soleil) by Benoit Jutras choreo. by Pasquale Camerlengo

Pre-2014

Season	Short program	Free skating	Exhibition
2013–2014 ^[8]	Hymne à l'amour by Marguerite Monnot choreo. by Massimo Scali	The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber choreo. by Pasquale Camerlengo	Ladies in Lavender choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto Love Dance (from Cirque du Soleil's Kà) by René Dupéré
2012–2013 ^[42]	Kill Bill choreo. by Anjelika Krylova	O (from Cirque du Soleil) by Benoit Jutras choreo. by Pasquale Camerlengo	Les parapluies de Cherbourg by Michel Legrand choreo. by Massimo Scali
2011–2012 ^[43]	Hungarian Rhapsody by Franz Liszt arranged by Edvin Marton choreo. by Anjelika Krylova	Die Fledermaus overture by Johann Strauss II choreo. by Pasquale Camerlengo	Ladies in Lavender choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto You Haven't Seen the Last of Me by Cher Show Me How You Burlesque by Christina Aguilera choreo. by Anjelika Krylova
2010–2011 ^[44]	Tango Jalousie by Jacob Gade choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto	Fiddler on the Roof (musical) by Jerry Bock choreo. by Pasquale Camerlengo	Bellezza by Wibi Soerjadi choreo. by Akiko Suzuki Ice Queen by Paul Dinletir Prophecy by Harem choreo. by Miki Sakagami and JANSU Tennessee Waltz by Patti Page choreo. by Akiko Suzuki
2009–2010 ^[45]	Andalucia by Bill Whelan Firedance (from Riverdance) by Bill Whelan choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto	West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne	Caribe by Michel Camilo choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto
2008–2009 ^[46]	La Campanella by Franz Liszt choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto	Dark Eyes by Francis Lai choreo. by Yuko Hongo, Noriko Sato	Libertango by Ástor Piazzolla choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto
2007–2008	Firedance (from Riverdance) by Bill Whelan choreo. by Nanami Abe	Titanic by James Horner choreo. by Nanami Abe	Titanic by James Horner Nocturne by Secret Garden
2006–2007		Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven	It's A Beautiful Day by Sarah Brightman Nocturne by Secret Garden
2005–2006	Bolero Fantasy by The Planets
2004–2005		Salome by Richard Strauss
2003–2004		The Red Violin from Rodorigo
2002–2003	Introduction and Rondo capriccioso by Camille Saint-Saëns
2001–2002 ^[47]	Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 by Frédéric Chopin by Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra	Romeo and Juliet by Nino Rota, William Walton, Sergei Prokofiev by The Royal Scottish National Orchestra
2000–2001	Canciones Populares Españolas by Manuel de Falla	Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo

Competitive highlights

• GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International^[48]
Event	97–98	98–99	99–00	00–01	01–02	02–03	03–04	04–05	05–06	06–07	07–08	08–09	09–10	10–11	11–12	12–13	13–14
Olympics													8th				8th
Worlds													11th		3rd	12th	6th
Four Continents					8th							8th	2nd	7th		2nd
GP Final													3rd	4th	2nd	3rd
GP Cup of China													1st	2nd
GP Cup of Russia														2nd
GP NHK Trophy												2nd			1st	2nd	3rd
GP Skate Canada													5th		2nd	2nd	2nd
Finlandia Trophy												1st		1st			2nd
Nebelhorn Trophy												3rd
Challenge Cup											1st
Golden Spin									7th		1st
Triglav Trophy														1st
Universiade								8th		1st
New Zealand WG													1st
International: Junior
Junior Worlds				7th
JGP Final					3rd
JGP China						5th
JGP Czech Republic					3rd
JGP Japan					1st
JGP Norway				8th
JGP Sweden			7th
JGP Ukraine				6th
JGP United States						1st
Triglav Trophy		2nd
National^[49]
Japan Champ.				4th	4th	9th		12th	12th	10th	5th	4th	2nd	4th	2nd	4th	1st
Japan Junior		3rd	5th	2nd	5th	5th
Japan Novice	3rd A
Team events
Olympics																	5th T 4th P
World Team Trophy															1st T 1st P	3rd T 1st P
Japan Open															3rd T 3rd P	1st T 3rd P
A = Novice A; T = Team result; P = Personal result. Medals awarded for team result only.

Detailed results

 

Suzuki at the medal ceremony of the 2013 Four Continents Championships

 

Suzuki at the medal ceremony of the 2012 World Championships

Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only.

• ^team event – This is a team event; medals are awarded for the team results only.
  • ^T – team result
  • ^P – personal/individual result

2013–14 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
March 24–30, 2014	2014 World Championships	4 71.02	8 122.70	6 193.72
February 19–20, 2014	2014 Winter Olympics	8 60.97	8 125.35	8 186.32
February 6–9, 2014	2014 Winter Olympics ^team event	–	4 112.33	5^T
December 20–23, 2013	2013–14 Japan Championships	2 70.19	1 144.99	1 215.18
November 8–10, 2013	2013 NHK Trophy	2 66.03	4 113.29	3 179.32
October 25–27, 2013	2013 Skate Canada International	2 65.76	2 127.99	2 193.75
October 4–6, 2013	2013 Finlandia Trophy	2 64.57	3 115.97	2 180.54
2012–13 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
April 11–14, 2013	2013 World Team Trophy	2 66.56	1 133.02	3^T / 1^P 199.58^P
March 10–17, 2013	2013 World Championships	7 61.17	13 103.42	12 164.59
February 8–11, 2013	2013 Four Continents Championships	2 65.65	2 124.43	2 190.08
December 20–23, 2012	2012–13 Japan Championships	1 65.09	5 114.94	4 180.03
December 6–9, 2012	2012–13 Grand Prix Final	3 65.00	3 115.77	3 180.77
November 23–25, 2012	2012 NHK Trophy	5 58.60	1 126.62	2 185.22
October 26–28, 2012	2012 Skate Canada International	5 55.12	1 120.04	2 175.16
October 6, 2012	2012 Japan Open	–	3 110.07	1^T
2011–12 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
April 18–22, 2012	2012 World Team Trophy	2 67.51	2 120.28	1^T / 1^P 187.79^P
March 26 – April 1, 2012	2012 World Championships	5 59.38	2 121.30	3 180.68
December 23–25, 2011	2011–12 Japan Championships	3 59.60	1 119.67	2 179.27
December 8–11, 2011	2011–12 Grand Prix Final	2 61.30	3 118.46	2 179.76
November 11–13, 2011	2011 NHK Trophy	1 66.55	2 119.43	1 185.98
October 27–30, 2011	2011 Skate Canada International	4 52.82	1 119.44	2 172.26
October 1, 2011	2011 Japan Open	–	3 112.46	3^T
2010–11 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
April 7–10, 2011	2011 Triglav Trophy	1 57.15	2 90.83	1 147.98
February 15–20, 2011	2011 Four Continents Championships	6 57.64	7 104.95	7 162.59
December 23–26, 2010	2010–11 Japan Championships	7 56.86	4 119.10	4 175.96
December 9–12, 2010	2010–11 Grand Prix Final	4 58.26	5 115.46	4 173.72
November 19–21, 2010	2010 Cup of Russia	1 57.43	2 115.31	2 172.74
November 5–7, 2010	2010 Cup of China	2 57.97	2 104.89	2 162.86
October 8–10, 2010	2010 Finlandia Trophy	2 57.74	1 108.83	1 166.57
2009–10 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
March 22–28, 2010	2010 World Championships	20 48.36	7 111.68	11 160.04
February 12–28, 2010	2010 Winter Olympics	11 61.02	7 120.42	8 181.44
January 25–31, 2010	2010 Four Continents Championships	1 58.88	2 114.84	2 173.72
December 25–27, 2009	2009–10 Japan Championships	4 67.84	2 128.06	2 195.90
December 3–6, 2009	2009–10 Grand Prix Final	5 57.54	3 116.46	3 174.00
November 19–22, 2009	2009 Skate Canada International	8 53.10	5 94.62	5 147.72
October 29 – November 1, 2009	2009 Cup of China	4 59.52	1 117.14	1 176.66
2008–09 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
February 2–8, 2009	2009 Four Continents Championships	9 55.40	8 104.96	8 160.36
December 25–27, 2008	2008–09 Japan Championships	6 57.02	3 116.96	4 173.98
November 27–30, 2008	2008 NHK Trophy	4 55.56	2 112.08	2 167.64
October 9–12, 2008	2008 Finlandia Trophy	1 58.40	1 112.28	1 170.68
September 25–28, 2008	2008 Nebelhorn Trophy	3 55.02	3 91.91	3 146.93
2007–08 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
March 6–9, 2008	2008 Challenge Cup	1 53.70	1 98.32	1 152.02
December 26–28, 2007	2007–08 Japan Championships	5 58.66	5 101.27	5 159.93
November 8–11, 2007	2007 Golden Spin of Zagreb	1 55.62	1 101.28	1 156.90
2006–07 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
January 17–27, 2007	2007 Winter Universiade	1 50.40	1 97.84	1 148.24
December 27–29, 2006	2006–07 Japan Championships	11 48.72	9 96.50	10 145.22

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External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Akiko Suzuki.

• Akiko Suzuki at the International Skating Union