Utako Wakamatsu Explained

Utako Wakamatsu
Country:	Canada (pairs) Japan (singles)
Birth Date:	1 September 1981
Birth Place:	Aomori, Japan
Formerpartner:	Jean-Sébastien Fecteau
Formercoach:	Richard Gauthier, Manon Perron, Hiroshi Nagakubo
Formerchoreographer:	Julie Marcotte, Julie Brault, Robert Daw
Former Skating Club:	St. Leonard FSC Tohoku Fukushi University
Formertraininglocations:	St. Leonard, Quebec Miyagi Prefecture
Beganskating:	1989
Retired:	April 24, 2007
Combined Total:	163.88
Combined Date:	2003 Skate America
Sp Score:	57.19
Sp Date:	2005 Worlds
Fs Score:	107.00
Fs Date:	2003 Skate America

is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. From 2002 to 2007, she skated with Jean-Sébastien Fecteau as a pair skater for Canada, winning the silver medal at the 2006 Four Continents Championships. Earlier in her career, she competed in single skating for Japan.

Career

Until 2002, Wakamatsu competed in single skating for Japan. She competed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series, winning a bronze medal in 1999 in the Czech Republic, and at one senior Grand Prix event, the 2001 Skate America. She placed as high as fifth on the senior level at the Japan Championships.

In April 2002, Wakamatsu teamed up with Jean-Sébastien Fecteau to compete in pair skating for Canada. In 2003, they won gold medals at the Finlandia Trophy and Nebelhorn Trophy and made their Grand Prix debut.

In the 2004–05 season, Wakamatsu/Fecteau won silver at the 2005 Canadian Championships and were sent to the 2005 World Championships where they placed eighth.

In the 2005–06 season, the pair won bronze at a Grand Prix event, the 2005 NHK Trophy. They also took bronze at the 2006 Canadian Championships and were sent to the 2006 Four Continents Championships where they won the silver medal.

Wakamatsu announced her retirement from competitive skating on April 24, 2007.

Wakamatsu studied social welfare at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai.

Season	Short program	Free skating
2006–2007	Batwannis Beek White Darbouka by K. Hovannes Indian Touch by Pierre Cosso ---- Here Comes Santa	Picking Up Brides (from The Last Emperor) by Ryuichi Sakamoto Rain (I Want a Divorce) (from The Last Emperor) by Ryuichi Sakamoto Theme from Once Upon a Time in China Rising Sun by Kiyoshi Yoshida
2005–2006	The Swan (from The Carnival of the Animals) by Camille Saint-Saëns	La Revancha by Gotan Project Quartango by Bond
2004–2005	The Swan (from The Carnival of the Animals) by Camille Saint-Saëns	Picking Up Brides (from The Last Emperor) by Ryuichi Sakamoto Rain (I Want a Divorce) (from The Last Emperor) Farewell My Concubine by Zhao Jiping
2003–2004	Kirwani (from the album Chill out in Paris) by David Visan	Piano Concerto No. 2 in C-Minor, op. 18 by Sergei Rachmaninoff

Results
International
Event	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01	2001–02
align=left							9th
align=left						5th
International: Junior
align=left						4th
align=left					bgcolor=cc9966	3rd
align=left			6th
align=left			10th
align=left					8th
align=left				6th		4th
align=left		bgcolor=silver	2nd J.		bgcolor=cc9966	3rd J.
National
align=left					6th	5th	6th
align=left		5th	5th	4th	4th	4th
GP = Grand Prix; JGP = Junior Grand Prix; J. = Junior level