Koharu Yonemoto
Japanese badminton player
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Koharu Fujimoto (藤本 小春, Fujimoto Koharu; née Yonemoto) born 7 December 1990 is a retired Japanese badminton player who has been affiliated with Hokuto Bank.[1][2][3][4] She was the women's doubles bronze medalist at the 2018 World Championships, and the silver medalist at the 2013 East Asian Games. She won the year-end tournament Superseries Finals in 2017. Yonemoto was part of Japanese winning team at the 2017 Asia Mixed Team Championships, 2018 Uber Cup, 2018 Asian Games, and at the 2018 Asia Women's Team Championships.
米元 小春
7 December 1990
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Koharu Yonemoto 米元 小春 7 December 1990 Hiroshima, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Badminton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 29 January 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Women's & mixed doubles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | 4 (WD with Shiho Tanaka 14 June 2018) 37 (XD with Takeshi Kamura 11 July 2013) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BWF profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Career
Yonemoto won the 2011 New Zealand and Austrian International tournament partnered with Yuriko Miki.[5] They also won the Grand Prix title at the 2014 Russia Open tournament.[6]
Yonemoto announced her retirement from the badminton tournament at a press conference in the Akita Prefectural office on 29 January 2021, though she was apparently still involved in badminton as a commentator.[7]
Coaching career
Following her retirement, she began coaching under her married name, Koharu Fujimoto. She gained her initial coaching experience working with the corporate badminton team at Toyota Tsusho in Aichi Prefecture.[2] Additionally, she served as a coach for Japan's Junior National Team (U-16). In May 2024, Fujimoto became the new coach for the ACT SAIKYO badminton team.[1]
Personal life
Yonemoto is married to marathon runner Taku Fujimoto and subsequently changed her name to Koharu Fujimoto.[8][1]
Achievements
World Championships
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park, Nanjing, China |
 Shiho Tanaka |
Yuki Fukushima Sayaka Hirota |
19–21, 15–21 |  Bronze |
[9] |
East Asian Games
Women's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Binhai New Area Dagang Gymnasium, Tianjin, China |
Yuriko Miki |
 Ou Dongni Tang Yuanting |
8–21, 11–21 |  Silver |
[10] |
BWF World Tour (1 title, 1 runner-up)
The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[11] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tours are divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300 (part of the HSBC World Tour), and the BWF Tour Super 100.[12]
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Denmark Open | Super 750 | Shiho Tanaka |
Yuki Fukushima Sayaka Hirota |
19–21, 16–21 |  Runner-up |
[13] |
| 2019 | Thailand Open | Super 500 | Shiho Tanaka |
Du Yue Li Yinhui |
21–19, 14–21, 21–13 |  Winner |
[14] |
BWF Superseries
The BWF Superseries, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007,[15] was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries levels were Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consisted of twelve tournaments around the world that had been introduced since 2011.[16] Successful players were invited to the Superseries Finals, which were held at the end of each year.
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | India Open | Shiho Tanaka |
Naoko Fukuman Kurumi Yonao |
16–21, 21–19, 21–10 | Winner |
[17] |
| 2017 | Denmark Open | Shiho Tanaka |
 Lee So-hee Shin Seung-chan |
13–21, 16–21 | Runner-up |
[18] |
| 2017 | Dubai World Superseries Finals | Shiho Tanaka |
Yuki Fukushima Sayaka Hirota |
21–16, 21–15 | Winner |
[19] |
- BWF Superseries Finals tournament
- BWF Superseries Premier tournament
- BWF Superseries tournament
BWF Grand Prix
The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and played between 2007 and 2017.
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Russian Open | Yuriko Miki |
 Valeria Sorokina Nina Vislova |
18–21, 18–21 | Runner-up |
[20] |
| 2012 | Canada Open | Yuriko Miki |
Misaki Matsutomo Ayaka Takahashi |
15–21, 21–15, 12–21 | Runner-up |
[21] |
| 2013 | Thailand Open | Yuriko Miki |
 Nitya Krishinda Maheswari Greysia Polii |
7–21, 13–21 | Runner-up |
[22] |
| 2014 | Russian Open | Yuriko Miki |
Mayu Matsumoto Wakana Nagahara |
21–17, 21–7 | Winner |
[23] |
| 2015 | Chinese Taipei Masters | Shiho Tanaka |
Anggia Shitta Awanda Ni Ketut Mahadewi Istarani |
19–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
[24] |
| 2016 | U.S. Open | Shiho Tanaka |
Mayu Matsumoto Wakana Nagahara |
20–22, 21–15, 21–19 | Winner |
[25] |
| 2016 | Chinese Taipei Masters | Shiho Tanaka |
Yuki Fukushima Sayaka Hirota |
10–11, 5–11, 7–11 | Runner-up |
[26] |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Canada Open | Takeshi Kamura |
Ryota Taohata Ayaka Takahashi |
14–21, 16–21 | Runner-up |
[21] |
| 2016 | Chinese Taipei Masters | Ryota Taohata |
 Tang Chun Man Tse Ying Suet |
3–11, 7–11, 12–14 | Runner-up |
[26] |
- BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
- BWF Grand Prix tournament
BWF International Challenge/Series
Women's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Smiling Fish International | Ayaka Takahashi |
Megumi Taruno Oku Yukina |
15–21, 20–22 | Runner-up |
[27] |
| 2008 | Waikato International | Ayaka Takahashi |
 Renee Flavell Rachel Hindley |
21–18, 21–19 | Winner |
[28] |
| 2008 | North Shore City International | Ayaka Takahashi |
Renee Flavell Rachel Hindley |
21–9, 21–15 | Winner |
[29] |
| 2011 | Austrian International | Yuriko Miki |
 Line Damkjær Kruse Marie Røpke |
26–24, 21–15 | Winner |
[30] |
| 2011 | New Zealand International | Yuriko Miki |
Poon Lok Yan Tse Ying Suet |
16–21, 21–16, 22–20 | Winner |
[31] |
| 2011 | Osaka International | Yuriko Miki |
Miri Ichimaru Shiho Tanaka |
21–19, 18–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
[32] |
| 2012 | Scottish International | Yuriko Miki |
Naoko Fukuman Kurumi Yonao |
21–23, 18–21 | Runner-up |
[33] |
| 2013 | Osaka International | Yuriko Miki |
Rie Eto Yu Wakita |
10–21, 13–21 | Runner-up |
[34] |
| 2016 | Vietnam International | Shiho Tanaka |
Yuki Fukushima Chiharu Shida |
26–28, 15–21 | Runner-up |
[35] |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | New Zealand International | Takeshi Kamura |
 Danny Bawa Chrisnanta Vanessa Neo |
14–21, 13–21 | Runner-up |
[31] |
| 2011 | Osaka International | Takeshi Kamura |
Keisuke Kawaguchi Shinobu Ogura |
21–18, 21–7 | Winner |
[32] |
| 2012 | Osaka International | Takeshi Kamura |
Riky Widianto Richi Puspita Dili |
15–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
[36] |
- BWF International Challenge tournament
- BWF International Series tournament
