Takeshi Honda Explained

Takeshi Honda
Birth Date:23 March 1981
Birth Place:Kōriyama, Fukushima, Japan
Formercoach:Doug Leigh
Michelle Leigh
Galina Zmievskaya
Hiroshi Nagakubo
Retired:2006
Combined Total:207.78
Combined Date:2003 Skate Canada International
Sp Score:77.54
Sp Date:2003 Skate Canada International
Fs Score:136.62
Fs Date:2003 Skate America
Show-Medals:yes

is a former Japanese competitive figure skater. He is a two-time World bronze medalist (2002, 2003), two-time Four Continents champion (1999, 2003), and six-time Japanese national champion.

Personal life

Takeshi Honda was born on 23 March 1981 in Kōriyama, Fukushima, Japan. He plays the piano.

Career

Honda began short track speed skating at the age of six with his brother and switched to figure skating at nine. At 12, when he entered junior high school, he moved to Sendai to train with Hiroshi Nagakubo. Although he started the training somewhat late, he caught up very quickly and was, at 14, the youngest senior national champion in Japan ever.

In December 1997, Honda left Japan to train with Galina Zmievskaya at the International Skating Center in Simsbury, Connecticut. He represented Japan at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where he finished 15th. Following the 1998 Skate Canada International, Honda moved to Barrie, Ontario, Canada to work with Doug Leigh. He became the first Four Continents champion in history when he won the inaugural event in 1999.

In 2002, Honda won the bronze medal at the 2002 World Championships and finished in 4th place at the Winter Olympics. He was the first male skater from Japan to medal at the World Championships since Minoru Sano took the bronze in 1977. Honda withdrew from the 2005 World Championships after injuring his ankle in a fall during the qualifying segment.

Honda ended his competitive career and turned to show skating in March 2006. He is also a TV commentator. He resides in Takatsuki city, Osaka to coach Daisuke Takahashi (as a technical coach) and Kansai University Skating club. He also coached Mai Asada.

Programs

SeasonShort programFree skatingExhibition
2005–06
[1]
  • The Dirty Boogie
2004–05

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  • The Dirty Boogie[3]
2003–04
  • Wherever You Will Go
2002–03
  • Leyenda

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  • Wherever You Will Go
2001–02

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  • Rhapsodia Cubana
  • Bonzo's Montreux
2000–01
  • Mambo Mambo
1999–2000
  • Rising Sun
  • I Could Not Ask For More
1998–99

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  • Doop-Doop

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1997–98
  • Original song[6]
1996–97
  • Tico Tico

Results

GP: Champions Series/Grand Prix

International
Event94–9596–9797–9898–9999–0000–0101–0202–0303–0404–0505–06
align=left 15th 4th
align=left 13th 10th 11th 6th 10th 5th bgcolor=cc9966 3rd bgcolor=cc9966 3rd WD
align=left bgcolor=gold 1st 5th bgcolor=silver 2nd bgcolor=silver 2nd bgcolor=gold 1st WD
align=left 5th
align=left bgcolor=cc9966 3rd
align=left 4th 9th 6th bgcolor=silver 2nd 6th 4th bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=silver 2nd 7th 9th
align=left 6th 7th bgcolor=silver 2nd bgcolor=silver 2nd
align=left 9th 5th bgcolor=cc9966 3rd 5th bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=cc9966 3rd 7th 4th
align=left 5th
align=left 1st
align=left bgcolor=gold 1st
International: Junior
align=left 2nd
National
align=left 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st 5th
align=left Japan Junior5th1st
WD: Withdrew

Notes and References

  1. "Cutting Edge" pp.90-91
  2. "Cutting Edge" p.19
  3. "Cutting Edge" p.91
  4. "Cutting Edge" p.91, 19
  5. "Cutting Edge" p.91, 19
  6. 『氷上の貴公子』p.105
  7. 『氷上の貴公子』p.10