| Reina Matsusaka | |
| Birth Date: | 23 October 2000 |
| Birth Place: | Kanagawa, Japan |
| Discipline: | Rhythmic Gymnastics |
| Level: | Senior International Elite |
| Natlteam: | 2023- |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
| Native Name: | 松坂 玲奈 |
Reina Matsusaka (born 23 October 2000) is a Japanese rhythmic gymnast.[1] She is the 2024 all-around Asian bronze medalist.
Matsusaka began rhythmic gymnastics at age 3 because her mother was a coach at a gymnastics club, and she began to be coached by her mother in middle school. In 2019, she enrolled at Tokyo Women's Junior College of Physical Education.[2]
At the All-Japan Intercollegiate Gymnastics Championships in August 2019, Matsusaka won bronze with the hoop and was 5th individually. At the All-Japan Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in October, she won silver with ball.
Matsusaka debuted internationally several years later in 2023, when she competed in the Sofia International Tournament. She won bronze with ball and clubs and silver with hoop.[3] In the summer, she took part in the 2021 Summer World University Games in Chengdu and won bronze in the all-around behind Fanni Pigniczki and Khrystyna Pohranychna. She also won a bronze medal with clubs.[4] [5] In October she was selected for the Asian Games. There she finished 4th in teams with the other Japanese gymnasts and 7th in the all-around final.[6]
The following year, she began her season by competing in Athens at the Aphrodite Cup. She was 6th in the all-around and won bronze with hoop and ribbon.[7] [8] In April she competed in the World Cup in Baku, taking 15th place in the all-around, 17th with hoop, 13th with ball, 9th with clubs and 21st with ribbon.[9]
On May 3 she won the all-around bronze medal at the Asian Championships in Tashkent behind Elzhana Taniyeva and Takhmina Ikromova.[10] There was one Olympic berth available at the event, which went to Taniyeva. Although Matsusaka did not qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics, she said of the event, "Previously, I was not in a position where I could aim for the Olympics, so this has been a very fruitful year. I'm happy I was able to make the Olympics my goal."[11]