in Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

 is a Japanese figure skater

Figure skating

Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...

. She is the 2003 World Junior Champion

World Junior Figure Skating Championships

The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...

 and the 2004 Four Continents Champion

Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition. The International Skating Union established it in 1999 to provide skaters representing non-European countries with a similar competition to the much older European Figure Skating Championships and a chance...

. She announced her retirement from competitive skating on November 26, 2008, retiring due to injury.

Biography

Ota won the bronze medal at the 2000-2001 Japan Junior Figure Skating Championships.

In the 2001-2002 season, Ota made her Junior Grand Prix debut on the 2001-2002 Junior Grand Prix. She won her event in Bulgaria and placed 4th at the event in Sweden to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final, where she placed 6th. She won a second bronze medal at the 2001-2002 Japan Junior Championships, which qualified her for the 2002 World Junior Figure Skating Championships

2002 World Junior Figure Skating Championships

The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual event sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion. The 2002 competition took place between March 3 and March 10, 2002 in the Olympic Amphitheatre, in Hamar,...

. She placed 9th at that competition.

In the 2002-2003 season, Ota competed on the 2002-2003 Junior Grand Prix circuit. She won both her events to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final, which she won. She placed fourth at the 2002-2003 Japan Figure Skating Championships

2002-2003 Japan Figure Skating Championships

The Japan or is held annually to determine the Japanese figure skating title. The disciplines of competition are men's singles, ladies singles, pairs, and ice dancing. Some years some disciplines are not held because there are no skaters in those disciplines...

 and qualified for the 2003 World Junior Figure Skating Championships

2003 World Junior Figure Skating Championships

The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual event sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which junior age eligible figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...

. She won the World Junior Championships.

In the 2003-2004 season, Ota made her senior international debut. She competed on the Grand Prix of Figure Skating. She placed 4th at the 2003 Skate Canada International

2003 Skate Canada International

The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition. It is part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, and ice dancing.In 2003, it...

 and 6th at the 2003 NHK Trophy

2003 NHK Trophy

The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition. Elite figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. The location changes yearly...

. At the 2003-2004 Japan Figure Skating Championships

2003-2004 Japan Figure Skating Championships

The 2003–2004 Japan Figure Skating Championships were the Japan Figure Skating Championships of the 2003–2004 season. They were the 72nd Championships to be held. They were held in the Big Hat arena in Nagano between December 25 and 26, 2003...

, Ota placed fifth. She competed at the 2004 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

2004 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition. The four continents of the event's name refer to the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania...

 and won the event after placing third in the short program and second in the free skate.

In the 2004-2005 season, Ota competed again on the senior international circuit. She placed 7th at the 2004 Skate America

2004 Skate America

Skate America is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by the USFSA. It is the first ISU Grand Prix event to be held. The location changes yearly...

.

Ota missed the 2005-2006 season due to injury.

In the 2006-2007 season, Ota began competing again. She placed 12th at the 2006-2007 Japan Figure Skating Championships

2006-2007 Japan Figure Skating Championships

The Japan or All-Japan Figure Skating Championships is held annually to determine the Japanese figure skating title. The disciplines of competition are men's singles, ladies singles, pairs, and ice dancing. Some years some disciplines are not held because there are no skaters in those disciplines...

.

In the 2007-2008 season, Ota competed at the 2007 Golden Spin of Zagreb

2007 Golden Spin of Zagreb

The 2007 Golden Spin of Zagreb was the Golden Spin of Zagreb for the 2007-2008 figure skating season. It was the 40th edition of that competition, which is one of the oldest extant skating competitions...

 international competition and placed 7th. At the 2007-2008 Japan Figure Skating Championships

2007-2008 Japan Figure Skating Championships

The 2007–2008 Japan Figure Skating Championships were the 76th Japan Figure Skating Championships to be held. They were held in Kadoma, Osaka at the Namihaya Dome arena from December 26-28 , 2007. National Champions were crowned in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, and ice dancing...

, she placed 7th.

Ota withdrew from events to qualify for the 2008-2009 Japan Championships before they began. She announced her retirement from competitive skating on November 26, 2008, her 22nd birthday, retiring due to injury. Following her retirement, she has skated professionally in ice shows.

Programs

Season	Short Program	Free Skating	Exhibition
2007-2008	Madame Butterfly  by Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...	Concierto de Aranjuez Concierto de Aranjuez The Concierto de Aranjuez is a composition for classical guitar and orchestra by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is probably Rodrigo's best-known work, and its success established his reputation as one of the most significant Spanish composers of the twentieth century. ...   by Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquis of the Gardens of Aranjuez , commonly known as Joaquín Rodrigo, was a composer of classical music and a virtuoso pianist. Despite being nearly blind from an early age, he achieved great success...
2006-2007	Swan Lake Swan Lake Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...   by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky	El amor brujo El amor brujo El amor brujo is a piece of music originally composed by Manuel de Falla for a chamber group, then re-scored as a symphonic suite, and eventually as a ballet...   by Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu was a Spanish Andalusian composer of classical music. With Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Joaquín Turina he is one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century....	Anytime, Anywhere  by Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
2005-2006			Anytime, Anywhere  by Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
2004-2005	Tzigane  by Maurice Ravel Maurice Ravel Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...	Madame Butterfly  by Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...	Anytime, Anywhere  by Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
2003-2004	Picasso's Dance Omotai from Between Black and White	Daphnis and Chloe Daphnis and Chloe Daphnis and Chloe is the only known work of the 2nd century AD Greek novelist and romancer Longus.-Setting and style:It is set on the isle of Lesbos during the 2nd century AD, which is also assumed to be the author's home. Its style is rhetorical and pastoral; its shepherds and shepherdesses are...   by Maurice Ravel Maurice Ravel Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...	Last Dance Last Dance (song) "Last Dance" is a hit 1978 song by singer Donna Summer. The song appeared on the Thank God It's Friday movie soundtrack. It was written by Paul Jabara and was co-produced by Summer's regular collaborator Giorgio Moroder, along with Bob Esty...   by Donna Summer Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
2002-2003	Danse macabre Danse Macabre Dance of Death, also variously called Danse Macabre , Danza de la Muerte , Dansa de la Mort , Danza Macabra , Dança da Morte , Totentanz , Dodendans , is an artistic genre of late-medieval allegory on the universality of death: no matter one's...   by Charles Camille Saint-Saëns	Turandot Turandot Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...   by Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...   performed by Vanessa-Mae Vanessa-Mae Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson , known professionally as Vanessa-Mae , is an internationally known British violinist. Her music style is self-described as "violin techno-acoustic fusion", as several of her albums prominently feature the techno style...	Twilight Waltz by Takashi Kako
2001-2002	Poeta by Vicente Amigo Vicente Amigo Vicente Amigo Girol is a Spanish flamenco composer and virtuoso guitarist, born in Guadalcanal, near Seville. He has played as backing guitarist on recordings by flamenco singers El Pele, Camarón de la Isla, Vicente Soto, Luis de Córdoba and the rociero band Salmarina, and he has acted as a...	Turandot Turandot Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...   by Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...   performed by Vanessa-Mae Vanessa-Mae Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson , known professionally as Vanessa-Mae , is an internationally known British violinist. Her music style is self-described as "violin techno-acoustic fusion", as several of her albums prominently feature the techno style...
2000-2001	Tango from Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...	West Side Story  by Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...

Competitive highlights

Event	1998-99	1999-00	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2006-07	2007-08
Four Continents Championships Four Continents Figure Skating Championships The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition. The International Skating Union established it in 1999 to provide skaters representing non-European countries with a similar competition to the much older European Figure Skating Championships and a chance...						1st
World Junior Championships World Junior Figure Skating Championships The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...				9th	1st
Japanese Championships					4th	5th		12th	7th
Japanese Junior Championships	11th	6th	3rd	3rd
Skate America Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly...							7th
NHK Trophy NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing....						6th
Skate Canada Skate Canada International The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by Skate Canada. It is the second competition of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: Ladies' singles, Men's...						4th
Golden Spin of Zagreb Golden Spin of Zagreb The Golden Spin of Zagreb is an annual senior-level figure skating competition, held yearly in Zagreb, Croatia. Skaters compete in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing, although, in some years, not every discipline was included in the program.The 2001...									4th
Junior Grand Prix Final				6th	1st
Junior Grand Prix, Italy 2002-2003 ISU Junior Grand Prix The 2002–2003 ISU Junior Grand Prix was the sixth season of the ISU Junior Grand Prix, a series of international junior level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. It was the junior-level complement to the Grand Prix of Figure Skating, which was for senior-level skaters....					1st
Junior Grand Prix, Belgrade 2002-2003 ISU Junior Grand Prix The 2002–2003 ISU Junior Grand Prix was the sixth season of the ISU Junior Grand Prix, a series of international junior level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. It was the junior-level complement to the Grand Prix of Figure Skating, which was for senior-level skaters....					1st
Junior Grand Prix, Sweden 2001-2002 ISU Junior Grand Prix The 2001–2002 ISU Junior Grand Prix was the fifth season of the ISU Junior Grand Prix, a series of international junior level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. It was the junior-level complement to the Grand Prix of Figure Skating, which was for senior-level skaters....				4th
Junior Grand Prix, Bulgaria 2001-2002 ISU Junior Grand Prix The 2001–2002 ISU Junior Grand Prix was the fifth season of the ISU Junior Grand Prix, a series of international junior level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. It was the junior-level complement to the Grand Prix of Figure Skating, which was for senior-level skaters....				1st

• Ota did not compete in the 2005-2006 season.

External links