Rika Hongo (; born September 6, 1996) is a Japanese retired competitive figure skater who is a two-time (2015–16) Four Continents bronze medalist, 2014 Rostelecom Cup champion, 2015 Finlandia Trophy champion and 2014–15 Japanese national silver medalist.
Personal life Rika Hongo was born on September 6, 1996, in Sendai, Japan. Her mother, Yuko, is a former figure skater. Her father is from the United Kingdom. In 2015, Hongo attended Chukyo University.
Career
Early years Hongo began skating in 2001. She moved to Nagoya at age nine to train under coach Hiroshi Nagakubo. Shizuka Arakawa was named as an influence in a 2006 report.
2012–2013 season Hongo debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in the 2012–13 season. She won a silver medal in Courchevel, France and placed fifth in Croatia. Along with Satoko Miyahara, she was selected to represent Japan at the 2013 World Junior Championships in Milan, Italy. Hongo placed seventh in the short program, tenth in the free skate, and finished ninth overall.
2013–2014 season Hongo started the 2013–14 season with a fourth-place finish at JGP Mexico and then won a bronze medal at JGP Belarus. At the 2014 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, she placed eleventh in the short program, seventh in the free skate, and eighth overall. Making her senior international debut, Hongo won gold at the 2014 Triglav Trophy, her final event of the season.
2014–2015 season Hongo began the 2014–15 season with gold at the Asian Open and then bronze at the 2014 Finlandia Trophy, an ISU Challenger Series event. Making her senior Grand Prix debut, she finished fifth at the 2014 Skate Canada International after placing fifth in the short program and free skate. At her second Grand Prix event, the 2014 Rostelecom Cup, Hongo won the gold medal ahead of Russia's Anna Pogorilaya by 4.57 points after placing second in the short program and winning the free skate. Hongo was first alternate to the Grand Prix Final and was later called on to compete after qualifier Gracie Gold withdrew with a foot injury. She finished sixth overall after placing fifth in the short and free programs.
At the Japan Championships, Hongo won the short program and placed second in the free skate, winning the silver medal behind Satoko Miyahara and earning her first medal at Japanese Nationals. At the 2015 Four Continents, she placed third in the short and long programs, capturing the bronze medal behind gold medalist Polina Edmunds and silver medalist Miyahara.
Hongo made her senior worlds debut at the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai, where she earned personal bests in all segments of the competition. She finished sixth overall after placing fifth in both segments.
2015–2016 season Hongo began her season by winning both segments in a domestic competition called the Summer Cup, held in Shiga prefecture, Japan. Two months later, she outscored Yulia Lipnitskaya by 15.12 points to win gold at a Challenger Series event, the 2015 CS Finlandia Trophy, where she obtained a personal best total score of 187.45 points. Hongo then won silver at 2015 Cup of China, but placed fifth at 2015 Rostelecom Cup, and as a result, did not qualify for the Grand Prix Final. She placed 4th at the Japan Championships.
Ranked 4th in the short and 5th in the free, Hongo came away with the bronze medal at the 2016 Four Continents in Taipei, behind Satoko Miyahara and Mirai Nagasu. She finished 8th at the 2016 World Championships in Boston.
2016–2017 season Hongo finished 4th at the 2016 CS Autumn Classic International and 6th at her first GP event of the season, 2016 Skate Canada International. She placed 5th at both of her December competitions, the 2016 Cup of China and the Japan Figure Skating Championships.
Hongo replaced the injured Satoko Miyahara at the 2017 Four Continents Championships, finishing 10th.
2017–2018 season Hongo began her season with a silver medal at the 2017 CS Ondrej Nepela Trophy.
2019–2020 season Hongo decided to take a hiatus from skating, despite having had a new “Ghost in the Shell”-themed free skate choreographed for her by Shae-Lynn Bourne in May 2019. It was unknown whether she would return to competitive skating.
2020–2021 season Hongo competed at the Chubu Regionals, a qualifier for the 2020–21 Japan Championships and placed second behind Mako Yamashita and ahead of Rin Nitaya. She finished first in the free skate. She later placed eighteenth at the Japan Championships.
Hongo announced her retirement from competitive skating on June 15, 2021.
Post-competitive career In the spring of 2023, Hongo was cast to play Bon Clay in the summer show, One Piece on Ice.
Programs Season Short program Free skating Exhibition2020–2021 The Song of My Brother Reawakening2019–2020Did not compete in this season 2018–2019 Battle Without Honor or Humanity Child of Nazareth 2017–2018 Carmina Burana Frida Blackpink medley 2016–2017 Reel Around The Sun
Lawrence of Arabia The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun 2015–2016 Incantation Reel Around The Sun Let's Get Loud 2014–2015 Le Corsaire Carmen Let's Get Loud
Thriller
Don Quixote 2013–2014 Don Quixote Miss Saigon Yozakura Oshichi 2012–2013 Samson and Delilah Swan Lake Don Quixote
Competitive highlights GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix
International Event 10–11 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19 20–21 Worlds 6th 8th 16th Four Continents 3rd 3rd 10th Final 6th Cup of China 2nd 5th Finland 10th NHK Trophy 7th Rostelecom 1st 5th Skate Canada 5th 6th 6th Autumn Classic 4th Finlandia 3rd 1st 16th Ondrej Nepela 2nd Asian Games 4th Asian Open 1st Challenge Cup 2nd Printemps 1st Triglav Trophy 1st International: Junior Junior Worlds 9th 8th Belarus 3rd Croatia 5th France 2nd Mexico 4th National Japan 5th 6th 2nd 4th 5th 6th 17th 18th Japan Junior 19th 3rd 1st Team eventsTeam Challenge Cup 3rd T7th P
Detailed results Senior level
Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only.
2020–21 season Date Event SP FS Total December 24–27, 2020 2020–21 Japan Championships 17 59.05 19 101.80 18 160.85 2018–19 season Date Event SP FS Total December 21–23, 2018 2018–19 Japan Championships 1755.93 16107.25 17163.18 November 2–4, 2018 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki 1151.11 7105.48 10156.59 October 4–7, 2018 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy 1546.54 1687.12 16133.66 2017–18 season Date Event SP FS Total February 22–25, 2018 2018 Challenge Cup 262.07 3106.72 2168.79 December 21–24, 2017 2017–18 Japan Championships 370.48 8127.14 6197.62 November 10–12, 2017 2017 NHK Trophy 465.83 7122.00 7187.83 October 27–29, 2017 2017 Skate Canada International 661.60 6114.74 6176.34 September 21–23, 2017 2017 CS Ondrej Nepela Trophy 266.49 2123.49 2189.98 2016–17 season Date Event SP FS Total Mar. 29 – Apr. 2, 2017 2017 World Championships 1262.55 18107.28 16169.83 March 10–12, 2017 2017 Coupe du Printemps 159.27 1103.29 1162.56 February 23–26, 2017 2017 Asian Winter Games 260.98 4100.39 4161.37 February 15–19, 2017 2017 Four Continents Championships 959.16 13108.26 10167.42 December 22–25, 2016 2016–17 Japan Championships 269.20 6125.08 5194.28 November 18–20, 2016 2016 Cup of China 663.63 6118.12 5181.75 October 28–30, 2016 2016 Skate Canada International 465.75 8105.44 6171.19 Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2016 2016 CS Autumn Classic International 460.33 4110.01 4170.34 2015–16 season Date Event SP FS Total Mar. 28 – Apr. 3, 2016 2016 World Championships 769.89 8129.26 8199.15 February 16–21, 2016 2016 Four Continents Championships 464.27 5117.51 3181.78 December 24–27, 2015 2015–16 Japan Championships 268.39 4124.89 4193.28 November 20–22, 2015 2015 Rostelecom Cup 663.45 5115.67 5179.12 November 6–8, 2015 2015 Cup of China 265.79 1129.97 2195.76 October 9–11, 2015 2015 CS Finlandia Trophy 165.75 1121.70 1187.45 2014–15 season Date Event SP FS Total March 23–29, 2015 2015 World Championships 562.17 5122.41 6184.58 February 15–19, 2015 2015 Four Continents Championships 361.28 3116.16 3177.44 December 26–28, 2014 2014–15 Japan Championships 166.70 2121.93 2188.63 December 11–14, 2014 2014–15 Grand Prix Final 561.10 5115.03 6176.13 November 14–16, 2014 2014 Rostelecom Cup 259.85 1118.15 1178.00 Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, 2014 2014 Skate Canada International 559.10 5112.37 5171.47 October 9–12, 2014 2014 CS Finlandia Trophy 352.11 3101.60 3153.71 August 7–10, 2014 2014 Asian Trophy 157.91 2110.98 1168.89
Junior level 2013–14 season Date Event Level SP FS Total April 2–6, 2014 2014 Triglav Trophy Senior 157.71 195.61 1153.32 March 10–16, 2014 2014 World Junior Championships Junior 1151.47 7106.41 8157.88 December 20–23, 2013 2013–14 Japan Championships Senior 759.25 6117.06 6176.31 November 22–24, 2013 2013–14 Japan Junior Championships Junior 352.84 1110.28 1162.12 September 25–28, 2013 2013 Junior Grand Prix Belarus Junior 550.10 594.87 3144.97 September 4–7, 2013 2013 Junior Grand Prix Mexico Junior 648.09 399.48 4147.57 2012–13 season Date Event Level SP FS Total Feb. 25 – Mar. 3, 2013 2013 World Junior Championships Junior 752.15 1090.47 9142.62 December 20–24, 2012 2012–13 Japan Championships Senior 656.61 4115.82 5172.43 November 17–18, 2012 2012–13 Japan Junior Championships Junior 355.47 3103.87 3159.34 October 22–25, 2012 2012 JGP France Junior 353.16 296.22 2149.38 October 3–6, 2012 2012 JGP Croatia Junior 645.93 495.04 5140.97 2010–11 season Date Event Level SP FS Total November 26–28, 2010 Japan Junior Championships Junior 19
References
External links