BIOGRAPHY

Haruka Imai (born August 31, 1993) is a Japanese figure skater. She has won eight senior international medals and competed at three Four Continents Championships, placing as high as fourth. She is the 2008 Japanese Junior national champion.

Imai began skating at age 9. In the 2008–09 season, Imai began competing on the Junior Grand Prix series. She won her JGP event in Belarus and went on to win the Japanese Junior title. She was 16th at the 2009 World Junior Championships. In 2009, Imai won bronze at her sole JGP event, in Hungary. She placed 6th on the senior level at the Japan Championships and was assigned to the 2010 Four Continents Championships, where she placed 5th. In 2010, Imai won gold at the Ondrej Nepela Memorial and debuted on the senior Grand Prix series, placing 5th at the 2010 Skate Canada International and 6th at the 2010 Trophee Eric Bompard.

In summer 2011, Imai sustained a stress fracture in her foot, keeping her off the ice for about two months. In September 2011, she moved to Detroit to be coached by Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen.[2] She won bronze at the 2012 Nebelhorn Trophy. Imai returned to Japan in 2013, joining Rumiko Michigami. She won gold at the 2013 Ondrej Nepela Trophy. At the Japan Championships, Imai finished 5th.