Haruna Murakami Explained

Haruna Murakami
Native Name:村上 遥奈
Native Name Lang:ja
Country: Japan
Birth Date:30 July 2008
Birth Place:Perth, Australia
Hometown:Uji, Kyoto
Height:1.54 m
Formerpartner:Sumitada Moriguchi
Coach:Narumi Takahashi, Bruno Marcotte, Mie Hamada, Brian Shales
Choreographer:Cathy Reed
Formerchoreographer:Mihoko Higuchi
Skating Club:Kinoshita Academy
Former Skating Club:Kyoto Daigo FSC
Currenttraininglocations:Uji
Beganskating:2013
Combined Total:154.71
Combined Date:2023 Junior Worlds
Sp Score:55.69
Sp Date:2023 Junior Worlds
Fs Score:102.23
Fs Date:2022 Junior Grand Prix Final

is a Japanese figure skater. She currently competes in both the singles and pairs disciplines. With her partner in pairs, Sumitada Moriguchi, she is the 2022 JGP Poland I bronze medalist and the 2022–23 Japan champion at both the senior and junior levels. As a single skater, she is the 2021–22 Japan Novice A bronze medalist.

Personal life

Murakami was born on 30 July 2008 in Perth, Australia to a Chinese (Hong Kong) father and Japanese mother.[1] She lived there for eight years and then moved to Japan to be coached by Mie Hamada.

Career

Early career

Murakami began figure skating in 2013.

She won the bronze medal at the 2021–22 Japan Novice Championships and placed twenty-fifth at the 2021–22 Japan Junior Championships.

2022–23 season: Partnership with Moriguchi

At the suggestion of her coach, Mie Hamada, Murakami decided to try pairs skating, teaming up with fellow Hamada student, Sumitada Moriguchi. While Hamada remained their singles coach, they were simultaneously coached by former Japanese pairs skater, Narumi Takahashi, while also working with Bruno Marcotte and Brian Shales. Murakami/Moriguchi made their debut as a pair team on the 2022–23 Junior Grand Prix, pacing fourth at the 2022 JGP Czech Republic and third at the 2022 JGP Poland I.

Competing at the 2022–23 Japan Junior Championships, Murakami/Moriguchi won the gold medal. Murakami also competed in the women's singles event, where she finished eighth.

Although initially listed as alternates to compete at the 2022–23 Junior Grand Prix Final in Turin, Italy, they were ultimately called up to compete due to the withdrawal of Canadian pair team Kemp/Elizarov. At the Final, Murakami/Moriguchi placed fifth in the short program and third in the free skate, finishing in fourth place overall. They went on to compete at the 2022–23 Japan Championships, which they won after reigning national champions Miura/Kihara were forced to withdraw due to flight delays. Murakami also competed in the women's singles event at Nationals and finished seventeenth.

Selected to compete at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Murakami/Moriguchi finished fourth after placing sixth in the short program and fourth in the free skate. Murakami went on to compete at the 2023 Triglav Trophy on the junior level, where she won the silver medal behind Mao Shimada.

Following the season, it was announced that Murakami/Moriguchi had parted ways due to Moriguchi no longer being age eligible to compete on the junior level and Murakami being age ineligible to compete on the senior level for another three years. Murakami stated that she planned to focus on singles skating for the following season.

2023–24 season

Murakami made her Junior Grand Prix debut as a singles skater at the 2023 JGP Austria, where she finished second in the short program, third in the free skate, and won the silver medal. She subsequently came thirteenth at the 2023 JGP Hungary.

At the 2023–24 Japan Championships, Murakami finished sixth at the junior level and nineteenth at the senior level.

Programs

Singles skating

SeasonShort programFree skating
2023–2024
Australia
2022–2023
  • Just Wave Hello

With Moriguchi

Competitive highlights

JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Women's singles

International: Junior
Event18–1919–2020–2121–2222–2323–24
align=left bgcolor=silver 2nd
align=left 13th
bgcolor=silver 2nd
National
17th 19th
25th 8th 6th
Japan Novice 5th B 10th A 3rd A
Japan Western Sect. bgcolor=cc9966 3rd J 9th J
Kinki Reg. 12th B bgcolor=gold 1st B 5th A bgcolor=silver 2nd A bgcolor=cc9966 3rd J
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Cancelled
Levels: A = Novice A; B = Novice B; J = Junior

With Moriguchi for Japan

International: Junior
Event22–23
align=left 4th
align=left 4th
align=left 4th
align=left bgcolor=cc9966 3rd
National
bgcolor=gold 1st
align=left bgcolor=gold 1st
align=left Eastern Sect. bgcolor=gold 1st J
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Cancelled
Levels: J = Junior

Detailed results

Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

Single skating

Junior level

2023–24 season
DateEventLevelSPFSTotal
December 20–24, 20232023–24 Japan ChampionshipsSenioralign=center 23
53.13
align=center 19
105.73
align=center 19
158.86
November 17–19, 20232023–24 Japan Junior ChampionshipsJunioralign=center 5
62.30
align=center 8
106.18
align=center 6
168.48
October 25–29, 20232023 Japan Western SectionalJunioralign=center 6
60.90
align=center 9
101.68
align=center 9
162.58
September 20–23, 20232023 JGP HungaryJunioralign=center 10
57.51
align=center 11
97.11
align=center 13
154.62
Aug. 30 – Sept. 2, 20232023 JGP AustriaJunioralign=center 2
62.66
align=center 3
105.71
align=center bgcolor=silver 2
168.37
2022–23 season
DateEventLevelSPFSTotal
April 13–16, 20232023 Triglav TrophyJunior2
63.16
2
120.55
2
183.71
December 21–25, 20222022–23 Japan ChampionshipsSenioralign=center 15
59.23
align=center 19
104.53
align=center 17
163.76
November 25–27, 20222022–23 Japan Junior ChampionshipsJunioralign=center 8
57.52
align=center 6
106.13
align=center 8
163.65
2021–22 season
December 19–21, 20212021–22 Japan Junior ChampionshipsJunioralign=center 25
47.36
align=center align=center 25
47.36
October 22–24, 20212021–22 Japan Novice A ChampionshipsNovicealign=center align=center 3
85.85
align=center bgcolor=cc9966 3
85.85
2020–21 season
DateEventLevelSPFSTotal
October 24–25, 20202020–21 Japan Novice A ChampionshipsNovicealign=center align=center 10
82.26
align=center 10
82.26
2019–20 season
DateEventLevelSPFSTotal
October 18–20, 20192019–20 Japan Novice B ChampionshipsNovicealign=center align=center 5
67.65
align=center 5
67.65

Pair skating

With Moriguchi

2022–23 season
DateEventLevelSPFSTotal
Feb. 27 – Mar. 5, 20232023 World Junior ChampionshipsJunior6
55.69
4
99.02
4
154.71
December 21–25, 20222022–23 Japan ChampionshipsSenioralign=center 1
54.21
align=center 1
107.86
align=center bgcolor=gold 1
162.07
December 8–11, 20222022–23 JGP FinalJunioralign=center 5
46.80
align=center 3
102.23
align=center 4
149.03
November 25–27, 20222022–23 Japan Junior ChampionshipsJunioralign=center 1
52.72
align=center 1
96.36
align=center bgcolor=gold 1
149.08
Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 20222022 JGP Poland IJunioralign=center 4
47.94
align=center 2
92.41
align=center bgcolor=cc9966 3
140.35
Aug. 31 – Sept. 3, 20222022 JGP Czech RepublicJunioralign=center 5
42.34
align=center 3
87.50
align=center 4
129.84

Notes and References

  1. News: Matsumoto . Wataru . [Harusumi Pair Story <Part 1>] Haruna Murakami from Australia and Sumishi Moriguchi who was fascinated by Daisuke Takahashi (【はるすみペア物語〈上〉】豪州から来た村上遥奈と、高橋大輔に魅せられた森口澄士) ]. 23 February 2023 . Nikkan Sports . 23 February 2023 . Japanese.