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Yukina’s
introduction to the world of figure skating was a matter of luck. Her parents
 wanted
her to become involved in sports and took her to a local sports
complex in their hometown of Kyoto. The swimming pool was
overcrowded, so her parents led her to the ice rink. And the rest
is history…
Yukina was born
on November 26, 1986, in Kyoto, the middle of three children. After
her initial foray onto the ice as a young girl, her talent was
spotted and she joined the Kyoto Daigo Figure Skating Club in 1993.
In addition to skating, Yukina enjoys skiing, playing the piano and
calligraphy. Her hero is 1994 World champion Yuka Sato, whom she
has met.
Yasaka-jinja Shrine, Kyoto
Her style can be
described as graceful and balletic, a contrast with many  other
Japanese skaters who tend to concentrate more on jumping. Several
skating commentators have
described her as the “total package” combining artistry and
athleticism. They have always noted her determination and will to
win. Yukina seemed to burst onto the scene in 2003, when she
finished an impressive fourth at the Japanese national senior
championships and became the World Junior champion. She followed up
this breakthrough year in 2004 when she added the Four Continents
Championship title to her resume with a series of beautiful artistic
performances. She also placed highly at the Skate Canada and NHK
Trophy Grand Prix events.
Yukina’s 2004-05
season was her second on the senior Grand Prix circuit and it was
hoped that she would propel herself to the top echelon of ladies’
skating. However, knee injuries hampered her at Skate America
(although she skated to a highly respectable seventh-place finish)
and forced her  withdrawal from the NHK Trophy, the Japanese
Championships and the Four Continents Championship held in Korea.
These withdrawals prevented her from qualifying for her first senior
World Championships.
Forced to take the
entire 2005-06 season off from competitive skating due to her
injuries, Yukina kept active by performing with the Ice
Theatre of New York in the fall of 2005, to which she brought her
stunning artistic flair. Later that season, she moved her
base to Colorado Springs and the famous Broadmoor Skating
Club to try to regain her technique for the next season and also to
explore ice dancing. Yukina decided
to continue as a singles skater despite her lingering injuries. In the
spring and summer of 2006, she participated in exhibitions such
as the "Prince Ice World" show and "Dreams On Ice" in Japan.
In June of 2006, she competed for the first time in almost two
years, and finished a respectable fourth at her training center's Broadmoor Open.
Yukina plans on
competiting regularly this year and we at JapanSkates hope that she will have an
excellent 2006-07 season, and will join Mao Asada and Aki Sawada as
part of Japan’s “next generation” of great ladies skaters headed
toward the 2010 Olympic Games. Her unique graceful style and steely
determination have already set her apart from the field.
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