Rika Hongo

Rika Hongo (Japanese: 本郷理華; born September 6, 1996) is a Japanese retired competitive figure skater who is a two-time (2015–16) Four Continents bronze medalist, 2014 Rostelecom Cup champion, 2015 Finlandia Trophy champion and 2014–15 Japanese national silver medalist.

Rika Hongo
Hongo in 2016
Native name	本郷 理華
Born	(1996-09-06) September 6, 1996 (age 27) Sendai, Japan
Hometown	Nagoya
Height	1.66 m (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
Country	Japan
Skating club	Howa Sports Land Skating Club
Began skating	2001
Retired	June 15, 2021
Medal record Representing  Japan Figure skating: Ladies' singles Four Continents Championships 2015 Seoul Ladies' singles 2016 Taipei Ladies' singles

Personal life

Rika Hongo was born on September 6, 1996, in Sendai, Japan.^[1] Her mother, Yuko, is a former figure skater.^[2] Her father is from the United Kingdom.^[3] In 2015, Hongo attended Chukyo University.^[4]

Career

Early years

Hongo began skating in 2001.^[1] She moved to Nagoya at age nine to train under coach Hiroshi Nagakubo.^[5] Shizuka Arakawa was named as an influence in a 2006 report.^[5]

2012–2013 season

Hongo debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in the 2012–13 season. She won a silver medal in Courchevel, France and placed fifth in Croatia. Along with Satoko Miyahara, she was selected to represent Japan at the 2013 World Junior Championships in Milan, Italy. Hongo placed seventh in the short program, tenth in the free skate, and finished ninth overall.

2013–2014 season

Hongo started the 2013–14 season with a fourth-place finish at JGP Mexico and then won a bronze medal at JGP Belarus. At the 2014 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, she placed eleventh in the short program, seventh in the free skate, and eighth overall. Making her senior international debut, Hongo won gold at the 2014 Triglav Trophy, her final event of the season.

2014–2015 season

Hongo began the 2014–15 season with gold at the Asian Open and then bronze at the 2014 Finlandia Trophy, an ISU Challenger Series event. Making her senior Grand Prix debut, she finished fifth at the 2014 Skate Canada International after placing fifth in the short program and free skate. At her second Grand Prix event, the 2014 Rostelecom Cup, Hongo won the gold medal ahead of Russia's Anna Pogorilaya by 4.57 points after placing second in the short program and winning the free skate.^[6] Hongo was first alternate to the Grand Prix Final^[7] and was later called on to compete after qualifier Gracie Gold withdrew with a foot injury. She finished sixth overall after placing fifth in the short and free programs.

At the Japan Championships, Hongo won the short program and placed second in the free skate, winning the silver medal behind Satoko Miyahara and earning her first medal at Japanese Nationals. At the 2015 Four Continents, she placed third in the short and long programs, capturing the bronze medal behind gold medalist Polina Edmunds and silver medalist Miyahara.

Hongo made her senior worlds debut at the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai, where she earned personal bests in all segments of the competition. She finished sixth overall after placing fifth in both segments.

2015–2016 season

Hongo began her season by winning both segments in a domestic competition called the Summer Cup, held in Shiga prefecture, Japan. Two months later, she outscored Yulia Lipnitskaya by 15.12 points to win gold at a Challenger Series event, the 2015 CS Finlandia Trophy, where she obtained a personal best total score of 187.45 points. Hongo then won silver at 2015 Cup of China, but placed fifth at 2015 Rostelecom Cup, and as a result, did not qualify for the Grand Prix Final.^[8] She placed 4th at the Japan Championships.

Ranked 4th in the short and 5th in the free, Hongo came away with the bronze medal at the 2016 Four Continents in Taipei, behind Satoko Miyahara and Mirai Nagasu. She finished 8th at the 2016 World Championships in Boston.^{[citation needed]}

2016–2017 season

Hongo finished 4th at the 2016 CS Autumn Classic International and 6th at her first GP event of the season, 2016 Skate Canada International. She placed 5th at both of her December competitions, the 2016 Cup of China and the Japan Figure Skating Championships.

Hongo replaced the injured Satoko Miyahara at the 2017 Four Continents Championships, finishing 10th.^[9]

2017–2018 season

Hongo began her season with a silver medal at the 2017 CS Ondrej Nepela Trophy.

2019–2020 season

Hongo decided to take a hiatus from skating, despite having had a new “Ghost in the Shell”-themed free skate choreographed for her by Shae-Lynn Bourne in May 2019. It was unknown whether she would return to competitive skating.^[10][11]

2020–2021 season

Hongo competed at the Chubu Regionals, a qualifier for the 2020–21 Japan Championships and placed second behind Mako Yamashita and ahead of Rin Nitaya. She finished first in the free skate. She later placed eighteenth at the Japan Championships.

Hongo announced her retirement from competitive skating on June 15, 2021.^[12]

Post-competitive career

In the spring of 2023, Hongo was cast to play Bon Clay in the summer show, One Piece on Ice.^[13]

Programs

Season	Short program	Free skating	Exhibition
2020–2021	The Song of My Brother (from Crash Landing on You) choreo. by Yuko Hongo	Reawakening from (Ghost in the Shell) by Kenji Kawai choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne
2019–2020	Did not compete in this season
2018–2019 ^[14]	Battle Without Honor or Humanity by Tomoyasu Hotei choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne	Child of Nazareth by Maxime Rodriguez choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto
2017–2018 ^[15]	Carmina Burana by Carl Orff choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne	Frida by Elliot Goldenthal choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne	Blackpink medley choreo. by Misha Ge^[16]
2016–2017 ^[1]	Carmina Burana by Carl Orff choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne	Reel Around The Sun by Bill Whelan choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto Lawrence of Arabia by Maurice Jarre choreo. by Akiko Suzuki	The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun by Celtic Woman
2015–2016 ^[17]^[18]^[19]	Incantation (from Quidam) by Benoit Jutras choreo. by Akiko Suzuki	Reel Around The Sun by Bill Whelan choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto	Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez
2014–2015 ^[20]	Le Corsaire by Adolphe Adam, Ludwig Minkus choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto	Carmen by Georges Bizet choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto	Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez Thriller by Michael Jackson Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus
2013–2014 ^[21]	Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus	Miss Saigon by Claude-Michel Schönberg	Yozakura Oshichi by Fukumi Sakamoto
2012–2013 ^[22]	Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns	Swan Lake by Pyotr Tchaikovsky	Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus

Competitive highlights

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

International^[23]
Event	10–11	12–13	13–14	14–15	15–16	16–17	17–18	18–19	20–21
Worlds				6th	8th	16th
Four Continents				3rd	3rd	10th
GP Final				6th
GP Cup of China					2nd	5th
GP Finland								10th
GP NHK Trophy							7th
GP Rostelecom				1st	5th
GP Skate Canada				5th		6th	6th
CS Autumn Classic						4th
CS Finlandia				3rd	1st			16th
CS Ondrej Nepela							2nd
Asian Games						4th
Asian Open				1st
Challenge Cup							2nd
Printemps						1st
Triglav Trophy			1st
International: Junior^[23]
Junior Worlds		9th	8th
JGP Belarus			3rd
JGP Croatia		5th
JGP France		2nd
JGP Mexico			4th
National^[24]
Japan		5th	6th	2nd	4th	5th	6th	17th	18th
Japan Junior	19th	3rd	1st
Team events
Team Challenge Cup					3rd T 7th P
T = Team result; P = Personal result. Medals awarded for team result only.

Detailed results

Senior level

 

Hongo at the 2014–15 Grand Prix Final

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

2020–21 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
December 24–27, 2020	2020–21 Japan Championships	17 59.05	19 101.80	18 160.85
2018–19 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
December 21–23, 2018	2018–19 Japan Championships	17 55.93	16 107.25	17 163.18
November 2–4, 2018	2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki	11 51.11	7 105.48	10 156.59
October 4–7, 2018	2018 CS Finlandia Trophy	15 46.54	16 87.12	16 133.66
2017–18 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
February 22–25, 2018	2018 Challenge Cup	2 62.07	3 106.72	2 168.79
December 21–24, 2017	2017–18 Japan Championships	3 70.48	8 127.14	6 197.62
November 10–12, 2017	2017 NHK Trophy	4 65.83	7 122.00	7 187.83
October 27–29, 2017	2017 Skate Canada International	6 61.60	6 114.74	6 176.34
September 21–23, 2017	2017 CS Ondrej Nepela Trophy	2 66.49	2 123.49	2 189.98
2016–17 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
Mar. 29 – Apr. 2, 2017	2017 World Championships	12 62.55	18 107.28	16 169.83
March 10–12, 2017	2017 Coupe du Printemps	1 59.27	1 103.29	1 162.56
February 23–26, 2017	2017 Asian Winter Games	2 60.98	4 100.39	4 161.37
February 15–19, 2017	2017 Four Continents Championships	9 59.16	13 108.26	10 167.42
December 22–25, 2016	2016–17 Japan Championships	2 69.20	6 125.08	5 194.28
November 18–20, 2016	2016 Cup of China	6 63.63	6 118.12	5 181.75
October 28–30, 2016	2016 Skate Canada International	4 65.75	8 105.44	6 171.19
Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2016	2016 CS Autumn Classic International	4 60.33	4 110.01	4 170.34
2015–16 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
Mar. 28 – Apr. 3, 2016	2016 World Championships	7 69.89	8 129.26	8 199.15
February 16–21, 2016	2016 Four Continents Championships	4 64.27	5 117.51	3 181.78
December 24–27, 2015	2015–16 Japan Championships	2 68.39	4 124.89	4 193.28
November 20–22, 2015	2015 Rostelecom Cup	6 63.45	5 115.67	5 179.12
November 6–8, 2015	2015 Cup of China	2 65.79	1 129.97	2 195.76
October 9–11, 2015	2015 CS Finlandia Trophy	1 65.75	1 121.70	1 187.45
2014–15 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
March 23–29, 2015	2015 World Championships	5 62.17	5 122.41	6 184.58
February 15–19, 2015	2015 Four Continents Championships	3 61.28	3 116.16	3 177.44
December 26–28, 2014	2014–15 Japan Championships	1 66.70	2 121.93	2 188.63
December 11–14, 2014	2014–15 Grand Prix Final	5 61.10	5 115.03	6 176.13
November 14–16, 2014	2014 Rostelecom Cup	2 59.85	1 118.15	1 178.00
Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, 2014	2014 Skate Canada International	5 59.10	5 112.37	5 171.47
October 9–12, 2014	2014 CS Finlandia Trophy	3 52.11	3 101.60	3 153.71
August 7–10, 2014	2014 Asian Trophy	1 57.91	2 110.98	1 168.89

Junior level

2013–14 season
Date	Event	Level	SP	FS	Total
April 2–6, 2014	2014 Triglav Trophy	Senior	1 57.71	1 95.61	1 153.32
March 10–16, 2014	2014 World Junior Championships	Junior	11 51.47	7 106.41	8 157.88
December 20–23, 2013	2013–14 Japan Championships	Senior	7 59.25	6 117.06	6 176.31
November 22–24, 2013	2013–14 Japan Junior Championships	Junior	3 52.84	1 110.28	1 162.12
September 25–28, 2013	2013 Junior Grand Prix Belarus	Junior	5 50.10	5 94.87	3 144.97
September 4–7, 2013	2013 Junior Grand Prix Mexico	Junior	6 48.09	3 99.48	4 147.57
2012–13 season
Date	Event	Level	SP	FS	Total
Feb. 25 – Mar. 3, 2013	2013 World Junior Championships	Junior	7 52.15	10 90.47	9 142.62
December 20–24, 2012	2012–13 Japan Championships	Senior	6 56.61	4 115.82	5 172.43
November 17–18, 2012	2012–13 Japan Junior Championships	Junior	3 55.47	3 103.87	3 159.34
October 22–25, 2012	2012 JGP France	Junior	3 53.16	2 96.22	2 149.38
October 3–6, 2012	2012 JGP Croatia	Junior	6 45.93	4 95.04	5 140.97
2010–11 season
Date	Event	Level	SP	FS	Total
November 26–28, 2010	Japan Junior Championships	Junior			19

References

1. . International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
2. . GUTSPOSE. November 7, 2015. Archived from the original on February 25, 2016.
3. "2位の18歳、本郷 「まだ足りない」 ジャンプ回転不足". 産経新聞. December 28, 2014.
4. "本郷理華選手が優勝、日野龍樹選手は6位入賞 フィンランドで行われたフィンランディア杯". 中京大学. October 15, 2015.
5. . テレビ朝日 (TV Asahi). March 24, 2006. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
6. "ISU GP Rostelecom Cup 2014 - Ladies". from the original on October 29, 2015.
7. Kondakova, Anna (December 1, 2014). "Rika Hongo 'grateful' for opportunities". Golden Skate.
8. Xiong, Wei (November 24, 2015). "Rika Hongo: 'Not where I want to be yet'". Golden Skate.
9. "Mihara shocks field, captures Four Continents title". The Japan Times. February 18, 2017.
10. "Shun Sato stellar in Lake Placid JGP victory". The Japan Times. September 3, 2019.
11. "Team Japan 2019-2020 Season". July 28, 2019.
12. Hongo, Rika (June 15, 2021). "いつも応援してくださっている方々へご報告です🙇🏻‍♀️" (Instagram). Archived from the original on December 24, 2021.
13. Valentine, Evan. "One Piece on Ice Casts Its Villains". ComicBook. ComicBook. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
14. "本郷 理華 ｜ スケート∞リンク ～フジスケ～". フジテレビ (in Japanese). Retrieved June 10, 2020.
15. "Rika HONGO: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. from the original on October 26, 2017.
16. Ge, Misha (May 27, 2017). "Not sure how many times i said "Again ! Repeat !" for those dancing parts, maybe 20 times or more, but she done a good job on working hard on them. The music she requested me, at first i though was a big challenge for her, but im very glad and satisfied for her hard work to take this challenge and to see her spirit of improving in it. #RikaHongo #Soon #DreamsOnIce" (Instagram). Archived from the original on December 24, 2021.
17. . International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 28, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
18. Xiong, Wei (June 12, 2015). . IceNetwork. Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
19. Xiong, Wei (June 26, 2015). "Rising stars of Asia: Sky's the limit for 'lucky' Hongo". IceNetwork.
20. . International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 21, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
21. . International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 24, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
22. . International Skating Union. Archived from the original on December 26, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
23. "Competition Results: Rika HONGO". International Skating Union. from the original on September 5, 2021.
24. "本郷 理華/HONGO Rika" (in Japanese). Japan Skating Federation. from the original on November 1, 2014.

External links

•   Media related to Rika Hongo at Wikimedia Commons
• Rika Hongo at the International Skating Union