Miho TAKAGI

MISSING SOCHI
At the 2013 Japanese Olympic Trials, she missed qualification for Sochi 2014 by placing fifth in all distances. She said later, "I think Sochi's defeat is a turning point in my skating life. However, it took me a while to realise my mental strength increased because I experienced these setbacks." (the-ans.jp, 8 Jul 2019)

STAYING HOME
As Japanese skaters chose not to travel internationally due to Covid-19, they could only skate in Japan. Takagi won an unprecedented five distances at the Japanese Championships in December. “Your emotion naturally gets heightened with that thrill of interacting with (strong overseas) skaters around. I tried hard this year to get my mindset right all on my own, and there was no dip in motivation.” (japantimes.co.jp, 17 Mar 2021)

© Data by Sports Data Warehouse

Seven-time Olympic medallist, the most by a Winter Olympian representing an Asian NOC.

Won gold in the 1000m (in Olympic record time), silvers in the 500m, 1500m and team pursuit, and finished sixth in the 3000m at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

In 2010, still a junior high school student, she competed in the Vancouver Winter Olympics Games as a 15-year-old. This made her the youngest Japanese Olympic speed skater, as well as the youngest Olympic speed skater in the 21st century.

As a member of the Japanese pursuit team, she is the first Japanese speed skater to win Olympic gold (2018) and win a single distance world championship.

Became the first woman to better 1 minute 50 seconds in the 1500m during the 2019 World Cup at Salt Lake City, lowering the world record to 1:49.84.

In 2020, she became the fifth woman to become world champion in both allround (2018) and sprint (2020), after Anni Friesinger (GER), Karin Kania (GDR), Natalya Petrusyova (URS) and Sylvia Burka (CAN).

With her sister Nana, she will be the first pair of speed skating siblings to both appear at three Olympic Winter Games.