Jump to content

Yuka Orihara

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yuka Orihara
Orihara/Pirinen performing their free dance at the 2024 World Championships
Other names折原 裕香
紀藤 裕香
Born (2000-06-26) June 26, 2000 (age 24)
Tokyo, Japan
HometownHelsinki, Finland
Height1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
Figure skating career
Country Finland (since 2019)
 Canada (2018–2019)
 Japan (until 2018)
PartnerJuho Pirinen (since 2019)
Lee Royer (2018–2019)
Kanata Mori (2016–2018)
CoachMaurizio Margaglio
Neil Brown
Skating clubHelsinki FSC
Began skating2006

Yuka Orihara (折原 裕香, Orihara Yuka, born 26 June 2000) is a Japanese ice dancer who competes for Finland. With her current partner, Juho Pirinen, she is the 2019–20 Finnish national champion and a three-time Finnish national silver medalist (2021–24).[1]

Personal life

[edit]

Orihara was born on June 26, 2000 in Tokyo, Japan.[2] Her mother, Shizuko, is a known costume designer in Japan, who in addition to designing her daughter's figure skating costumes, has also designed costumes for several known Japanese skaters including Yuzuru Hanyu,[3] Shoma Uno,[4] Kaori Sakamoto,[5] Wakaba Higuchi,[6] and Marin Honda.[7][8][9]

She originally competed under the name Yuka Kito (紀藤 裕香, Kito Yuka) before deciding to compete under her mother's last name in 2016.[8][10][11]

In 2019, Orihara graduated from Renaissance High School in Daigo, Ibaraki, Japan.[12][13] She is multilingual and able to communicate in Japanese, English, and Finnish fluently.[14][15]

Career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

Orihara began figure skating in 2006 at the age of six. While skating for Japan, she represented Musashino Senior High School.[16][11] Originally a singles skater, she competed at the 2012–13 and 2014–15 Japan Junior Championships, finishing fifteenth and fourteenth respectively.[17]

In 2016, after deciding that she wanted to give ice dance a try, Orihara teamed up with Kanata Mori. The duo would skate together for two seasons.[18][10] Orihara/Mori would win silver at the 2016–17 Japan Junior Championships and go on to place fourth on the senior level at the 2016–18 Japan Championships. Their final competition together was the 2018 Mentor Toruń Cup, where they finished eleventh.[18]

Due to the lack of training rinks to practice ice dance in Japan, Orihara decided to move to British Columbia, Canada after a Japanese skating coach introduced her to Canadian ice dance coaches, Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe. Soon after, she would team up with Canadian ice dancer, Lee Royer.[13][19] Together, they compete at the 2019 Canadian Junior Championships where they finished fifth. Unfortunately, their partnership would soon dissolve after only one season together.[20]

Partnership with Pirinen

[edit]

2019–20 season

[edit]
Orihara/Pirinen performing their rhythm dance at the 2020 European Championships

In spring 2019, Finland-based Italian ice dance coach, Maurizio Margaglio, who is acquainted with Orihara's then coaching team, contacted them, requesting that Orihara travel to Helsinki to have a try-out with his then partnerless student, Juho Pirinen. Orihara agreed to this request and following a successful tryout, she soon moved to Finland to train with Pirinen.[15][8]

Deciding to represent Finland, the duo made their international debut at the 2019 CS Lombardia Trophy, where they finished eleventh. They then continued competing on the 2019–20 ISU Challenger Series, finishing fifth at the 2019 CS Warsaw Cup and seventh at the 2019 CS Finlandia Trophy.[21] Orihara/Pirinen would also win bronze at the 2019 Volvo Open Cup and the 2019 Santa Claus Cup.[1]

With top Finnish ice dancing team, Turkkila/Versluis not competing at the 2019–20 Finnish Championships, Orihara/Pirinen won the event by over forty points.[22]

Selected to compete at the 2020 European Championships in Graz, Austria, the duo came in eighteenth place. They then closed their season with a fifth-place finish at the 2020 Egna Dance Trophy.[21][1]

2020–21 season

[edit]

Although Orihara/Pirinen were assigned to make their Grand Prix series debut at the 2020 Internationaux de France, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23]

The duo would not compete for the rest of the season.[1]

2021–22 season

[edit]

Competing on the 2021–22 ISU Challenger Series, Orihara/Pirinen finished fifteenth at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy and twelfth at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy. They would follow it up with a fourth-place finish and a gold medal at the 2021 Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur and the 2021 NRW Trophy, respectively.[21][1]

In December, Orihara/Pirinen won the silver medal at the 2021–22 Finnish Championships. They would end their season with another silver medal at the 2022 International Challenge Cup.[1]

2022–23 season

[edit]
Orihara/Pirinen in their free dance ending pose at the 2022 Finlandia Trophy

Beginning their season on the 2022–23 ISU Challenger Series, Orihara/Pirinen placed fourth at the 2022 CS Nepela Memorial and sixth at the 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy. They subsequently finished fourth at the 2022 Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur.[21][1]

Debuting on the 2022–23 Grand Prix series, the duo finished eighth at the 2022 NHK Trophy and seventh at the 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo.[21][1]

In December, they won their second consecutive silver medal at the 2022–23 Finnish Championships. Orihara/Pirinen would then end their season by winning silver at the 2022 Bavarian Open and bronze at the 2022 International Challenge Cup.[21][1]

2023–24 season

[edit]

Orihara/Pirinen started the season by competing 2023–24 ISU Challenger Series, finishing sixth at the 2023 CS Nepela Memorial and at the 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy. They subsequently took gold at the 2023 Mezzaluna Cup.[21][1]

Going on to compete at the 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo, Orihara/Pirinen finished sixth. They then won silver at the 2023–24 Finnish Championships. Selected to compete at the 2024 European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, the duo finished tenth.[21][1]

With Finland having two berths for ice dance at the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Orihara/Pirinen would make their World Championship debut in March, coming in sixteenth place.[24][21]

2024–25 season

[edit]

Orihara/Pirinen began the season by competing on the 2024–25 ISU Challenger Series, finishing fourth at both the 2024 CS Budapest Trophy and the 2024 CS Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur.[21]

Programs

[edit]

Ice dance with Pirinen

[edit]
Season Rhythm dance Free dance Exhibition
2024–2025
[25]
2023–2024
[2]
2022–2023
[26]
  • My Jolly Sailor Bold
    by Ashley Serena
  • We're Sinking
    by E. Shepherd Stevenson & Christopher Lloyd
    choreo. by Neil Brown, Luca Lanotte, Matteo Zanni
2021–2022
[27]
2020–2021
[28]
2019–2020
[29]

Competitive highlights

[edit]
Orihara/Pirinen performing a spin during their free dance at the 2020 European Championships

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series

Ice dance with Pirinen for Finland

[edit]
International[21][1]
Event 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24 24–25
Worlds 16th
Europeans 18th 10th
GP Finland 7th 6th TBD
GP France C
GP NHK Trophy 8th 6th
CS Budapest 4th
CS Denis Ten Memorial WD
CS Finlandia 7th 12th 6th 6th
CS Lombardia 11th 15th
CS Ondrej Nepela 5th 4th 6th
CS Trophée Métropole Nice 4th 4th 4th
CS Warsaw Cup 5th
Bavarian Open 2nd
Challenge Cup 2nd 3rd
Egna Trophy 5th
Mezzaluna Cup 1st
NRW Trophy 1st
Santa Claus Cup 3rd
Volvo Open Cup 3rd
National[21][1]
Finnish Champ. 1st C 2nd 2nd 2nd

Ice dance with Royer for Canada

[edit]
National[20]
Event 18–19
Canadian Champ. 5th J

Ice dance with Mori for Japan

[edit]
International[18]
Event 16–17 17–18
Mentor Toruń Cup 11th
National[18]
Japan Champ. 2nd J 4th
Japan Eastern Sect. 2nd J 2nd

Women's singles for Japan

[edit]
International[30][17][31]
Event 12–13 12–13 14–15 15–16 16–17
Coupe du Printemps 9th A
National[32][17][31]
Japan Junior 15th 14th
Japan Eastern Sect. 11th J 3rd J 15th J 15th
Japan Novice 4th A
Tokyo Reg. 2nd A 7th J 3rd J 6th J 10th
Levels: J = Junior; A = Advanced Novice

Detailed results

[edit]

Ice dance with Juho Pirinen

[edit]
ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [1]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS 180.40 2024 CS Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur
Rhythm dance TSS 71.56 2021 CS Warsaw Cup
TES 41.40 2021 CS Warsaw Cup
PCS 31.04 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy
Free dance TSS 111.12 2024 European Championships
TES 62.82 2024 European Championships
PCS 48.30 2024 European Championships

ISU Personal best highlighted in bold.

2024–2025 season
Date Event RD FD Total
November 8–10, 2024 2024 NHK Trophy 7
67.34 		6
107.94 		6
175.28
October 16–20, 2024 2024 CS Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur 4
71.24 		3
109.24 		4
180.48
October 11–13, 2024 2024 CS Budapest Trophy 5
70.25 		4
108.25 		4
178.50
2023–2024 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 18–24, 2024 2024 World Championships 17
68.66 		16
107.33 		16
175.99
January 8–14, 2024 2024 European Championships 10
68.59 		9
111.12 		10
179.71
December 10–14, 2023 2024 Finnish Championships 2
75.80 		2
110.47 		2
186.27
November 17–19, 2023 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo 7
69.52 		6
107.21 		6
176.73
October 20–22, 2023 2023 Mezzaluna Cup 1
73.76 		1
115.25 		1
189.01
October 4–8, 2023 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy 6
67.93 		4
106.80 		6
174.73
September 28–30, 2023 2023 CS Nepela Memorial 7
65.62 		6
105.91 		6
171.53
2022–2023 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 23–26, 2023 2023 International Challenge Cup 3
69.06 		2
108.11 		3
177.17
January 31–February 5, 2023 2023 Bavarian Open 2
72.52 		3
105.37 		2
177.89
December 16–18, 2022 2023 Finnish Championships 2
74.73 		2
106.44 		2
181.17
November 25–27, 2022 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo 8
69.13 		6
104.04 		7
173.17
November 18–20, 2022 2022 NHK Trophy 9
66.47 		8
101.98 		8
168.45
October 18–23, 2022 2022 Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur 4
64.50 		4
96.16 		4
160.66
October 5–9, 2022 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy 6
68.81 		6
101.36 		6
170.17
September 29–October 1, 2022 2022 CS Nepela Memorial 4
62.34 		3
102.98 		4
165.32
2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 24–27, 2022 2022 International Challenge Cup 2
65.31 		2
104.08 		2
169.39
December 17–19, 2021 2022 Finnish Championships 2
70.69 		2
105.63 		2
176.32
November 18–21, 2021 2021 CS Warsaw Cup 6
71.56 		5
105.21 		5
176.77
November 4–7, 2021 2021 NRW Trophy 3
60.79 		1
102.20 		1
162.99
October 20–24, 2021 2021 Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur 4
62.84 		6
92.38 		4
155.22
October 7–10, 2021 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy 13
61.18 		12
97.33 		12
158.51
September 10–12, 2021 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy 15
57.98 		16
86.82 		15
144.80
2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 7–9, 2020 2020 Egna Dance Trophy 5
70.76 		6
97.99 		5
168.75
January 20–26, 2020 2020 European Championships 16
64.49 		19
91.59 		18
156.08
December 2–8, 2019 2019 Finnish Championships 1
70.15 		1
102.75 		1
172.90
December 2–8, 2019 2019 Santa Claus Cup 2
70.16 		5
96.42 		3
166.58
November 5–10, 2019 2019 Volvo Open Cup 3
67.48 		3
96.86 		3
164.37
October 11–13, 2019 2019 CS Finlandia Trophy 7
62.19 		7
95.53 		7
157.72
September 19–21, 2019 2019 CS Nepela Memorial 5
67.01 		6
99.92 		5
166.93
September 13–15, 2019 2019 CS Lombardia Trophy 11
57.94 		10
90.54 		11
148.48

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Yuka Orihara / Juho Pirinen". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Yuka Orihara / Juho Pirinen: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023.
  3. ^ Orihara, Shizuko. "Costume for Yuzuru Hanyu". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  4. ^ Orihara, Shizuko. "Costume for Shoma Uno🎻". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  5. ^ Orihara, Shizuko. "Costume for Kaori Sakamoto". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  6. ^ Orihara, Shizuko. "Costume for Wakaba Higuchi". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  7. ^ Orihara, Shizuko. "Costume for Marin Honda". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b c 坂上, 武司. "国境を越える折原裕香　「五輪ドリームより、自分の可能性を信じて」". Asahi. Asahi. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  9. ^ Orihara, Shizuko. "Costume for Yuka Orihara/ Juho Pirinen". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  10. ^ a b "フィギュアスケート・夏のローカル大会で見つけた東京のホープ達【後編】". Walker Plus. Walker Plus. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "2016 National Junior - Junior Ice Dance - Final Results". Japan Skating Federation. Japan Skating Federation. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  12. ^ "ルネ高卒業したての折原裕香さんが新宿代々木キャンパスに遊びに来てくれました(^^)". Instagram. Rune Group. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b "練習拠点はカナダ、フィギュアスケーター折原裕香さん". Shinjuku Yoyogi Campus. Shinjuku Yoyogi Campus. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Catching Up with Finland's Orihara and Pirinen". Golden Skate. Golden Skate. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Yuka Orihara, 23, harkitsee luopuvansa Japanin kansalaisuudesta, jotta saisi Suomen passin – taustalla unelma olympialaisista". YLE. YLE. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  16. ^ "2014 JOCジュニアオリンピックカップ大会第83回全日本ジュニア選手権大会 - ジュニア女子 - 最終結果". Japan Skating Federation. Japan Skating Federation. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "Yuka Kito". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d "Yuka Orihara / Kanata Mori". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Profile – Yuka Orihara & Lee Royer". ice-dance.com.
  20. ^ a b "Yuka Orihara / Lee Royer". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Yuka Orihara / Juho Pirinen: Competition Results". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  22. ^ "2019/20 Finnish National Championships - Senior Dance". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  23. ^ "The ISU was informed of the cancellation of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating – Internationaux de France, that was scheduled to take place from November 13-15, 2020 in Grenoble (FRA)". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Entries for ISU Figure Skating and Synchronized Skating Championships 2024". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Yuka Orihara / Juho Pirinen: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 6 November 2024.
  26. ^ "Yuka Orihara / Juho Pirinen: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022.
  27. ^ "Yuka Orihara / Juho Pirinen: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022.
  28. ^ "Yuka Orihara / Juho Pirinen: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021.
  29. ^ "Yuka Orihara / Juho Pirinen: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 23 January 2020.
  30. ^ "|Japan Skating Federation Official Results & Data Site|". www.jsfresults.com. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  31. ^ a b "Yuka Orihara". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  32. ^ "|Japan Skating Federation Official Results & Data Site|". www.jsfresults.com. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yuka_Orihara&oldid=1256299229"