Misato Komatsubara

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nativename
小松原 美里
Born (1992-07-28) July 28, 1992 (age 33)
Tokyo, Japan
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Country
Misato Komatsubara
Komatsubara/Koleto at the 2019 Four Continents
Personal information
Native name
小松原 美里
Born (1992-07-28) July 28, 1992 (age 33)
Tokyo, Japan
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Figure skating career
Country
Partner
CoachMarie-France Dubreuil
Patrice Lauzon
Romain Haguenauer
Rie Arikawa
Cathy Reed
Skating clubMontreal International School of Skating
Began skating2001
Retired2024 (from competition)
Highest WS
  • 28th (ice dance, 2021)
Event Gold medal – first place Silver medal – second place Bronze medal – third place
Olympic Games 0 1 0
Japan Championships 5 2 1
Italian Championships 0 0 2
World Team Trophy 0 1 1
Medal list
representing  Japan
"" Olympic Games ""
Silver medal – second place 2022 Beijing Team
Japan Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018–19 Osaka Ice dance
Gold medal – first place 2019–20 Tokyo Ice dance
Gold medal – first place 2020–21 Nagano Ice dance
Gold medal – first place 2023–24 Nagano Ice dance
Gold medal – first place 2021–22 Saitama Ice dance
Silver medal – second place 2017–18 Tokyo Ice dance
Silver medal – second place 2022–23 Osaka Ice dance
Bronze medal – third place 2016–17 Osaka Ice dance
World Team Trophy
Silver medal – second place 2019 Fukuoka Team
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Tokyo Team
Medal list
representing  Italy
Italian Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Turin Ice dance
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Turin Ice dance

Misato Komatsubara (小松原 美里, Komatsubara Misato; born July 28, 1992) is a retired Japanese ice dancer. She represented her home country in partnership with her ex-husband Tim Koleto, with whom she is the 2020 NHK Trophy champion and a five-time Japanese national champion (2018-21, 2023). Together, they also earned a silver medal from the team event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[a]

She previously represented Italy with Andrea Fabbri, with whom she won five international medals, including silver at the 2015 CS Ice Challenge.

Komatsubara was born on July 28, 1992, in Tokyo.[1] She speaks Japanese, English, and Italian.[2] She is vegan.[3]

Komatsubara and Tim Koleto began a relationship after partnering on-ice in 2016, and they married in January 2017 in Okayama, Japan.[4][5] Koleto adopted Komatsubara's surname upon his becoming a Japanese citizen in 2020, because Japanese law requires married citizens to share the same surname. He explained that "to be Japanese but ask my wife to change to a foreign surname I thought was quite strange."[6] Koleto and Komatsubara ended their marriage on amicable terms in 2024, but they remained ice dance partners until her retirement.[7]

Career

Early years

Komatsubara began learning to skate in 2001.[8] She competed for Japan with Kokoro Mizutani in the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons. In 2010, the two received a pair of Junior Grand Prix assignments. They were coached by Nozomi Watanabe in Yokohama, Japan.[9]

During the next two seasons, Komatsubara skated with Kaoru Tsuji. Their partnership ended in 2013. After a pause, she decided to continue skating and resumed training under Rie Arikawa in Okayama.[10]

Partnership with Fabbri

2014–15 season

Komatsubara teamed up with Italy's Andrea Fabbri. The two were coached by Barbara Fusar-Poli in Milan from December 2013.[11] They represented Italy on the senior level. Their international debut came in October 2014 at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy, a Challenger Series (CS) event where they finished 6th. After winning bronze medals at the Santa Claus Cup and Italian Championships, they were sent to the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm, where they placed 23rd. The two ended their season with gold at the Bavarian Open.

2015–16 season

In 2015–16, Komatsubara/Fabbri took bronze at the Lombardia Trophy and then appeared at two Challenger Series events, winning silver at the 2015 Ice Challenge. After obtaining another silver medal, at the 2015 Santa Claus Cup, they repeated as national bronze medalists and went on to compete at the 2016 European Championships in Bratislava, where they finished 21st. They were coached by Fusar-Poli and Stefano Caruso in Milan, Italy.[10][8]

Komatsubara and Fabbri ended their partnership in April 2016.[12]

Partnership with Koleto

2016–17 season

Komatsubara teamed up with Timothy Koleto following a tryout in Milan in April 2016.[4] They decided to train together in Milan under Barbara Fusar-Poli.[11] They received the bronze medal at the 2016–17 Japan Championships in December 2016.[13]

2017–18 season

Making their international debut for Japan, Komatsubara/Koleto placed 8th at the CS Lombardia Trophy in September 2017. They finished tenth at their only Grand Prix assignment, the 2017 NHK Trophy. The two won the silver medal in December at the 2017–18 Japan Championships. In late January, they placed tenth at the 2018 Four Continents Championships. In early February, they placed fourth at the 2018 Toruń Cup.[13]

2018–19 season

In March 2018, Komatsubara/Koleto announced that they had moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to train under Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, and Romain Haguenauer.[14] They won bronze at both of their ISU Challenger Series events, the 2018 CS Asian Open Trophy and 2018 CS US International Classic. They then competed at two Grand Prix assignments, placing eighth at the 2018 NHK Trophy and eighth at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup.[13]

Following the Rostelecom Cup, the team moved to train in Japan (coached by Rie Arikawa) in order for Koleto to meet a residency requirement for a future citizenship application.[2] They won their first ice dance title at the 2018-19 Japan Championships in December 2018. They placed ninth at the 2019 Four Continents Championships after placing ninth in both segments. Komatsubara/Koleto represented Japan at their first World Championships, held in Saitama, where they placed twenty-first in the rhythm dance, missing the free dance by one ordinal.[13]

To conclude the season, they participated in the 2019 World Team Trophy as part of Team Japan, which won the silver medal, though Komatsubara/Koleto placed sixth of sixth competitors in each of their segments. Komatsubara served as the Japanese team captain.[15]

2019–20 season

Initially scheduled to begin the season at the 2019 CS Autumn Classic International, Komatsubara/Koleto withdrew early in the preseason as a result of Komatsubara having sustained multiple concussions that necessitated time away from training.[16] They later made their season debut at a different Challenger, the 2019 CS Asian Open, where they finished ninth.[17] On the Grand Prix, they were tenth out of ten teams at the 2019 Cup of China and then withdrew from the 2019 NHK Trophy.

Returning to competition at the 2019–20 Japan Championships, they won their second consecutive national title.[18][19] Komatsubara/Koleto finished eleventh at the 2020 Four Continents Championships. They were also assigned to compete at the World Championships in Montreal, but these were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[20]

2020–21 season

With the pandemic continuing to affect international travel, the ISU opted to base the Grand Prix primarily on geographic location, and Komatsubara/Koleto were assigned to compete at the 2020 NHK Trophy in a field consisting of only three Japanese dance teams, including the newly debuted pairing of former national champion Kana Muramoto and former Olympic medalist singles skater Daisuke Takahashi. The event occurred a week after Koleto successfully obtained Japanese citizenship, making the team eligible to represent Japan at the Winter Olympics, and he said it was "great to share this moment with the Japanese audience." They placed first in the rhythm dance by over six points.[21] Winning the free dance as well, they took the title, the first Japanese dance team to win the NHK Trophy in its history.[22]

Competing at the 2020–21 Japan Championships, Komatsubara/Koleto placed first in the rhythm dance, four points ahead of Muramoto/Takahashi.[23] They won the free dance by almost twenty points, with both the silver and bronze medalists making serious errors, and took their third consecutive national title. They were named as Japan's representatives to the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm.[24] They placed nineteenth, making the free dance for the first time.[25] Komatsubara/Koleto's result qualified a berth for a Japanese dance team at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[26]

Komatsubara/Koleto finished the season at the 2021 World Team Trophy, where they placed fifth in both of their segments of the competition, and Team Japan won the bronze medal.[27][28][29]

2021–22 season

In preparing their programs for the Olympic season, Komatsubara and Koleto briefly contemplated a Japanese theme for their rhythm dance but opted against it because Koleto felt "it could be difficult for me as a Caucasian man to skate to a Japanese style. How can I respectfully portray my country that I care so much about in a way that doesn’t feel like a Halloween costume, in a way that doesn’t feel like a joke." Instead, they chose a free dance to John Williams' score for Memoirs of a Geisha, as Komatsubara felt "there were pieces of our story, pieces of our road, all inside of this music in this movie."[6]

Komatsubara/Koleto made their season debut at the 2021 Skate America, where they placed sixth.[13] At their second event on the Grand Prix, the 2021 NHK Trophy, they finished in seventh place, 7.30 points behind domestic rivals Muramoto/Takahashi. Koleto said afterwards, "there were a lot of things that didn’t go as we wanted them," but expressed satisfaction at having achieved new personal bests. He said their goal was to score over 180 points at the national championships.[30]

The 2021–22 Japan Championships, the final national qualification event for the 2022 Winter Olympics, pitted Komatsubara/Koleto against Muramoto/Takahashi for the second time that season. They won the rhythm dance, and finished second in the free dance to win the title overall, and were subsequently named to the Japanese Olympic team.[31]

Komatsubara/Koleto began the 2022 Winter Olympics as the Japanese entries in the rhythm dance segment of the Olympic team event. They placed seventh in the segment, securing four points for Team Japan.[32] They finished fifth of the five dance teams in the free segment, taking six points for Japan. The Japanese team ultimately won the bronze medal, making the podium for the first time in the history of the team event. [33] In the dance event, Komatsubara/Koleto finished twenty-second in the rhythm dance.[34]

2022–23 season

After placing seventh at the 2022 CS U.S. Classic, Komatsubara/Koleto were seventh as well at the 2022 Skate Canada International. They finished ninth at the 2022 NHK Trophy.[13]

Komatsubara/Koleto won the silver medal at the 2022–23 Japan Championships, finishing behind Muramoto/Takahashi. Komatsubara said "We are disappointed about the result, but we had a lot of fun."[35]

At the 2023 Four Continents Championships, Komatsubara/Koleto finished sixth in the rhythm dance and seventh overall, remaining ahead of their domestic rivals in both segments.[36] They then finished fourth at the International Challenge Cup.[37]

2023–24 season

Komatsubara and Koleto during their free dance at the 2024 World Championships

Komatsubara/Koleto made their season debut at the 2023 NHK Trophy, placing ninth of nine teams in their lone international assignment of the fall.[38] They next competed at the 2023–24 Japan Championships, which proved to be a tight contest between them and two other newer senior teams. They finished second in the rhythm dance behind Tanaka/Nishiyama, and second in the free dance behind Yoshida/Morita, but finished first overall, 1.96 points clear of Tanaka/Nishiyama. Remarking on the quality of the competition, Koleto said "I was emotional to see three Japanese ice dance teams fight for Japan."[39]

With the close result at the national championships, the Japan Skating Federation opted to postpone assigning Japan's lone berth at the 2024 World Championships pending the results of all three teams at the 2024 Four Continents Championships. Traveling to Shanghai to compete, Komatsubara/Koleto finished eighth overall, outscoring their domestic rivals, and setting new personal bests. They finished sixth in the rhythm dance, achieving their goal of breaking the 70-point threshold in that segment.[40]

Komatsubara/Koleto came twentieth in the rhythm dance at the World Championships, and were the final team to qualify for the free dance. They rose to eighteenth overall after that segment.[41]

In April 2024, Misato Komatsubara announced that she had retired from competitive skating, citing injuries as the main reason, but wished continue skating in shows with Koleto, while Koleto was still considering his options.[42][43]

During the 2024 Paris Olympics, a medal ceremony was held for Komatsubara/Koleto and their teammates from the 2022 Olympic Figure Skating Team Event, where they were awarded their Olympic silver medals.[44] During the gala exhibition at the 2024 NHK Trophy, all members of the 2022 Olympic Team Event, including Komatsubara/Koleto, were invited to center stage, wearing their Olympic costumes and Olympic medals, in celebration of their achievement.[45]

Programs

With Koleto

Season Rhythm dance Free dance Exhibition
2023–2024
[46][47]
2022–2023
[48]		 The Fifth Element:
2021–2022
[49]
2020–2021
[50][51]
2019–2020
[52]
2018–2019
[53]
  • Tango: El Sol Sueno
    by Gidon Kremer
  • Tango: Sueno de Barrilete
    by Susana Rinaldi
    choreo. by Marie-France Dubreuil, Romain Haguenauer
Short dance Free dance Exhibition
2017–2018
[1][4][54]
2016–2017

[54]

With Fabbri

Season Short dance Free dance
2015–2016
[8]
2014–2015
[55]
  • Dancers of the Night
    by Guido Luciani
  • Paso Nr. 6
    performed by André Rieu

With Mizutani

Season Short dance Free dance
2010–2011
[9]
  • Waltz: Song of the Spirits

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Koleto for Japan

International[13]
Event 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24
Olympics22nd
Worlds21stC19th18th
Four Continents10th9th11th7th8th
GP Cup of China10th
GP NHK Trophy10th8thWD1st7th9th9th
GP Rostelecom8th
GP Skate America6th
GP Skate Canada7th
CS Asian Open3rd9thWD
CS Autumn ClassicWD
CS Lombardia8th
CS U.S. Classic3rd7th
CS Warsaw CupWD
Challenge Cup4th
Toruń Cup4th
National[56]
Japan Champ.3rd2nd1st1st1st1st2nd1st
Japan Western Sect.2nd1st1st3rd
Team events
Olympics2nd T
World Team Trophy2nd T
6th P		3rd T
5th P
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Event cancelled
T = Team result; P = Personal result. Medals awarded for team result only.

With Fabbri for Italy

International[57]
Event 14–15 15–16
European Champ.23rd21st
CS Denkova-Staviski Cup4th
CS Ice Challenge5th2nd
CS Nepela Trophy6th
Bavarian Open1st
Lombardia Trophy3rd
Santa Claus Cup3rd2nd
National[57]
Italian Champ.3rd3rd

With Tsuji for Japan

National
Event 11–12 12–13
Japan Championships4th
Japan Junior Champ.1st
Japan Western Sect.1st J2nd

With Mizutani for Japan

International[58]
Event 09–10 10–11
World Junior Champ.14th PR
JGP Germany15th
JGP Japan11th
Bavarian Open5th J
National[59]
Japan Junior Champ.1st1st
J = Junior level; PR = Preliminary round

Women's singles

National[59]
Event 07–08
Japan Junior Champ.23rd

Detailed results

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [60]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS182.702024 Four Continents Championships
Short program TSS71.292024 Four Continents Championships
TES40.262024 Four Continents Championships
PCS31.032024 Four Continents Championships
Free skating TSS111.412024 Four Continents Championships
TES63.052024 Four Continents Championships
PCS48.362024 Four Continents Championships

Senior results

With Koleto for Japan

2023–2024 season
Date Event RD FD Total
March 18–24, 2024 2024 World Championships 20
66.92		 17
106.98		 18
173.90
Jan. 30 – Feb. 4, 2024 2024 Four Continents Championships 6
71.29		 8
111.41		 8
182.70
December 20–24, 2023 2023–24 Japan Championships 2
70.89		 2
107.50		 1
178.39
November 24–26, 2023 2023 NHK Trophy 9
64.12		 8
103.49		 9
167.61
October 25-29, 2023 2023 Japan Western Sectional 1
70.94		 3
99.48		 3
170.62
2022–23 season
Date Event RD FD Total
February 23–26, 2023 2023 Challenge Cup 4
68.78		 5
97.92		 4
166.70
February 7–12, 2023 2023 Four Continents Championships 6
66.72		 8
98.99		 7
165.71
December 21–25, 2022 2022–23 Japan Championships 2
69.96		 2
105.14		 2
175.10
November 17–20, 2022 2022 NHK Trophy 8
66.65		 9
97.65		 9
164.30
October 28-30, 2022 2022 Skate Canada 7
68.88		 7
97.18		 7
166.06
September 13–16, 2022 2022 U.S.Classic 7
60.38		 7
95.56		 7
155.94
2021–22 season
Date Event RD FD Total
February 12–14, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics 22
65.41		 — 22
65.41
February 4–7, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics — Team event 7
66.54		 5
98.66		 2T
December 22–26, 2021 2021–22 Japan Championships 1
68.16		 2
110.01		 1
178.17
November 12–14, 2021 2021 NHK Trophy 7
68.13		 7
104.07		 7
172.20
October 22–24, 2021 2021 Skate America 7
63.56		 6
100.76		 6
164.32
2020–21 season
Date Event RD FD Total
April 15–18, 2021 2021 World Team Trophy 5
66.42		 5
100.82		 3T/5P
167.24
March 22–28, 2021 2021 World Championships 18
68.02		 20
99.79		 19
167.81
December 24–27, 2020 2020–21 Japan Championships 1
71.74		 1
103.49		 1
175.23
November 27–29, 2020 2020 NHK Trophy 1
70.76		 1
108.29		 1
179.05
2019–20 season
Date Event RD FD Total
February 4–9, 2020 2020 Four Continents Championships 11
61.45		 10
95.75		 11
157.20
December 18–22, 2019 2019–20 Japan Championships 1
63.79		 1
99.52		 1
163.31
November 8–10, 2019 2019 Cup of China 10
56.60		 10
88.75		 10
145.35
October 30 - November 3, 2019 2019 CS Asian Open Trophy 9
55.39		 9
86.70		 9
142.09
2018–19 season
Date Event RD FD Total
April 11–14, 2019 2019 World Team Trophy 6
60.93		 6
99.31		 2T/6P
160.24
March 18–24, 2019 2019 World Championships 21
60.98		 - 21
60.98
February 7-10, 2019 2019 Four Continents Championships 9
54.94		 9
94.20		 9
149.14
December 20–24, 2018 2018–19 Japan Championships 1
52.21		 1
100.39		 1
152.60
November 16–18, 2018 2018 Rostelecom Cup 8
52.99		 8
90.29		 8
143.28
November 9–11, 2018 2018 NHK Trophy 9
59.40		 8
94.87		 8
154.27
September 12–16, 2018 2018 CS US International Classic 4
53.42		 3
89.51		 3
142.93
August 1–5, 2018 2018 CS Asian Open Trophy 3
61.28		 2
93.47		 3
154.75
2017–18 season
Date Event SD FD Total
Jan. 30–Feb. 4, 2018 2018 Toruń Cup 4
58.90		 4
88.96		 4
147.86
January 22–28, 2018 2018 Four Continents Championships 10
52.45		 9
85.73		 10
138.18
December 20–24, 2017 2017–18 Japan Championships 2
56.65		 2
92.82		 2
149.47
November 10–12, 2017 2017 NHK Trophy 10
53.83		 10
78.58		 10
132.41
September 14–17, 2017 2017 CS Lombardia Trophy 9
49.80		 6
78.48		 8
128.28
2016–17 season
Date Event SD FD Total
December 22–25, 2016 2016–17 Japan Championships 3
51.47		 3
73.85		 3
125.12

With Fabbri for Italy

2015–16 season
Date Event SD FD Total
January 25–31, 2016 2016 European Championships 21
49.56		 DNQ 21
49.56
December 16–19, 2015 2016 Italian Championships 3
56.50		 3
87.84		 3
144.34
Nov. 28–Dec. 4, 2015 2015 Santa Claus Cup 3
54.32		 2
88.23		 2
142.55
October 20–25, 2015 2015 CS Denkova-Staviski Cup 5
48.14		 4
82.74		 4
245.95
October 27–31, 2015 2015 CS Ice Challenge 2
51.76		 3
74.90		 2
126.66
September 17–20, 2015 2015 Lombardia Trophy 3
47.05		 3
76.83		 3
123.88
2014–15 season
Date Event SD FD Total
February 11–15, 2015 2015 Bavarian Open 1 1 1
142.38
Jan. 26–February 1, 2015 2015 European Championships 23
42.83		 DNQ 23
42.83
December 20–21, 2014 2015 Italian Championships 3
59.75		 4
80.68		 3
140.43
December 1–7, 2014 2014 Santa Claus Cup 3
51.60		 3
77.77		 3
129.37
November 11–16, 2014 2014 CS Ice Challenge 4
50.16		 6
76.98		 5
127.14
October 1–5, 2014 2014 CS Ondrej Nepela Trophy 6
42.98		 5
65.50		 6
108.48

With Tsuji for Japan

2012–13 season
Date Event SD FD Total
December 20–24, 2012 2012 Japanese Championships 4
34.27		 3
57.90		 4
92.17

Junior results

With Tsuji for Japan

2011–12 season
Date Event SD FD Total
November 25–27, 2011 2011 Japanese Junior Championships 1
33.04		 1
40.86		 1
73.92

With Mizutani for Japan

2010–11 season
Date Event PR SD FD Total
Feb. 28–March. 6, 2011 2011 World Junior Championships 14
48.87		 DNQ DNQ 28
February 9–13, 2011 2011 Bavarian Open – 8
36.16		 5
59.31		 5
95.47
November 26–28, 2010 2010 Japanese Junior Championships – 1
42.02		 1
61.85		 1
103.87
November 10–12, 2017 2010 SBC Cup – 11
35.86		 11
53.18		 11
89.04
September 14–17, 2017 2010 Pokal der Blauen Schwerter – 11
38.16		 16
51.56		 15
89.72
2009–10 season
Date Event CD OD FD Total
November 21–23, 2009 2009 Japanese Junior Championships 1
23.49		 1
37.50		 1
61.61		 1
122.60

Notes

References

External links

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