Tomoki Hiwatashi

Tomoki Richard Hiwatashi
Personal information
Country represented United States
Born (2000-01-20) January 20, 2000
Englewood, New Jersey
Home town Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Height 1.54 m (5 ft 1⁄2 in)
Coach Alexander Ouriashev, Osadolo Irowa
Former coach Alexandre Fadeev, Oleg Podvalny
Choreographer Olga Ganicheva
Skating club DuPage FSC
Training locations Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Began skating 2005
ISU personal best scores
Combined total 222.52
2016 Junior Worlds
Short program 74.97
2016 Junior Worlds
Free skate 147.55
2016 Junior Worlds
Medal record
Representing United States
Figure skating: Men's singles
World Junior Championships
2016 Debrecen Men's singles

Tomoki Hiwatashi (born January 20, 2000) is an American figure skater. He is the 2016 World Junior bronze medalist and the 2016 U.S. national junior champion.

Personal life

Hiwatashi was born on January 20, 2000 in Englewood, New Jersey.[1] Both of his parents are from Kobe, Japan.[2]

Career

Hiwatashi began skating at the age of five after a rink opened near his house.[1]

Early career

Hiwatashi competed on the juvenile level during the 2008–09 season, placing fourth at the Upper Great Lake Regional Championships. Continuing as a juvenile in 2009–10, he won the bronze medal at the Upper Great Lakes Regionals before finishing 6th at the 2010 U.S. Championships. During the 2010–11 season, he won the juvenile gold medal at both the Upper Great Lakes Regionals and the 2011 U.S. Championships.

In 2011–12, Hiwatashi moved up to the intermediate level, winning gold at the Upper Great Lakes Regionals and the 2012 U.S. Championships. He advanced to the novice level in 2012–13, winning gold at the Upper Great Lakes Regionals, the Midwestern Sectionals, and the 2013 U.S. Championships.

Hiwatashi missed the 2013–14 season after sustaining a medial malleolus fracture of the left foot during the official practice time at his ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) assignment in Mexico.[1]

2014–15 season

Hiwatashi competed on the junior level during the 2014–15 season. He won the bronze medal at the Midwestern Sectionals and placed 5th at the 2015 U.S. Championships. He ended his season with the junior gold medal at the International Challenge Cup.

2015–16 season

In 2015–16, Hiwatashi debuted on the JGP series, placing 5th in Colorado Springs, Colorado before winning the bronze medal in Zagreb, Croatia. He won the junior silver medal at the Midwestern Sectionals, finishing second to Alexei Krasnozhon, and went on to become the national junior champion, outscoring Kevin Shum by 14.78 points for gold at the 2016 U.S. Championships. Later that month, he was selected to replace the injured Nathan Chen at the 2016 World Junior Championships in Debrecen, Hungary.[3] Competing in March at Junior Worlds, he qualified for the final segment by placing sixth in the short program.

Skating technique

Unlike most skaters, Hiwatashi jumps and spins clockwise. He also has the ability to perform the Biellmann spin, an element rarely performed by men due to the flexibility it requires.

Programs

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2015–2016
[4]		 Charlie Chaplin medley:
2013–2015
[1]
2012–2013
[1]

Competitive highlights

JGP: Junior Grand Prix. Pewter medals (4th place) awarded only at U.S. national, sectional, and regional events.

2013–14 to present

International: Junior [5]
Event 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16
Junior Worlds 3rd
JGP Croatia 3rd
JGP Mexico WD
JGP United States 5th
Challenge Cup 1st J.
National[1]
U.S. Championships 5th J. 1st J.
Midwestern Sectionals 3rd J. 2nd J.
J. = Junior level

2008–09 to 2012–13

National[1]
Event 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13
U.S. Championships QR 14th Jv. 6th Jv. 1st Jv. 1st I. 1st N.
Midwestern Sectionals 1st N.
Upper Great Lakes Regionals 4th Jv. 3rd Jv. 1st Jv. 1st I. 1st N.
Levels: Jv. = Juvenile, I. = Intermediate, N. = Novice

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Tomoki Hiwatashi". Ice Network. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  2. ↑ Gallagher, Jack (January 26, 2016). "Hiwatashi continues to build on outstanding record". The Japan Times.
  3. ↑ "Chen Undergoes Left Hip Surgery". U.S. Figure Skating. January 28, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Tomoki HIWATASHI: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Competition Results: Tomoki HIWATASHI". International Skating Union.
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