Daisuke Takahashi – Ice Dance, Olympics & Kana Muramoto

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The world has seen and loved many mesmerizing figure skaters. One of those is a Japanese figure skater Daisuke Takahashi.

Takahashi has won several notable medals in Olympics, World Championships, Grand Prix Final, and Japanese National Championships

Moreover, Takahashi is the first Japanese male to win the World Junior Championships, Grand Prix Final, and Senior World Championships. Daisuke is also the first Japanese male to win a GPF medal, World silver medal, and Olympic medal.  

Daisuke Takahashi
Daisuke Takahashi

Takahashi is also the first singles skater to represent Japan in three Winter Olympics to date. 

Furthermore, let’s dive deeper and know all about the figure skater champion Daisuke Takahashi’s early life, career, achievements, and net worth. But, first, here are some of Takahashi’s quick facts.  

Daisuke Takahashi | Quick Facts 

Full Name  Daisuke Takahashi
Birth Date March 16, 1986
Age   37 Years Old
Birth Place Kurashiki, Okayama
Nickname Zeus
Religion Not Available
Nationality Japanese
Education Kansai University
Horoscope Pisces
Father’s Name Not Disclosed 
Mother’s Name Kiyoto Takahashi
Siblings Three
Height 5’5″ (1.65m)
Weight Not Available
Build Athletic
Shoe Size Not Available
Eye Color Brown
Hair Color Black
Marital Status Unmarried
Girlfriend    Not Disclosed
Children None
Profession Figure Skater
Began Skating   1994
Partner Kana Muramoto
Coach   Marina Zoueva
Former Coach   Utako Nagamitsu
Takeshi Honda
Nikolai Morozov
Net Worth $7 Million
Awards and Achievements 2010 World Champion
5x National Champion, etc.  
Social Media Instagram
Merch Daisuke Takahashi – Dare Mo Shiranai Takahashi Daisuke DVD
Last Update March, 2024

 

Daisuke Takahashi | Early Life, Family, & Education 
Japanese figure skater Daisuke Takahashi was born on March 16, 1986, in Kurashiki, Okayama. His mother’s name is Kiyoto Takahashi, and Daisuke is the youngest sibling among his three elder brothers. 

Moreover, information regarding Daisuke’s father and details of his brother’s are unavailable. 

Daisuke started figure skating when he was only eight years old. After a skating rink was built near his house, he and his mother went to watch the skaters at the rink, and eventually, Takahashi enrolled in a figure skating club.

However, his mother planned to enroll him in the ice hockey club, but Daisuke didn’t like the protective gear worn in ice hockey, and instead, he enlisted in the figure skating club.

After registering, Daisuke had a successful career as a junior. He won the 2002 World Junior Championships during his first and only appearance in World Junior Championships. Thus, Daisuke is the first Japanese male who won a title in the World Junior Championships.

Age, Height, and Body Measurements

Daisuke turned 37 years old in 2024. Moreover, Takahashi possesses an athletic physique and stands at the height of 5’5″ (1.65m). 

According to Daisuke’s birthdate, he falls under the sun sign of Pisces. People with Pisces as their sun sign are known for their generosity and creativity. 

Education 

Moving on to Takahashi’s educational background, he attended Kansai University with a former Japanese competitive figure skater Nobunari Oda. 

Moreover, the details regarding Daisuke’s high school are unavailable. 

Daisuke Takahashi | Career and Profession 

Senior Debut

After winning the 2002 World Junior Championships, Daisuke turned senior for the 2002–2003 season.

He struggled during the first few years with consistency in his senior career. Moreover, after he attended university in Osaka, the university authorities built a rink for the elite skaters in their university. 

During the 2005 Four Continents Championships, Takahashi won the bronze medal and proceeded towards the 2005 World Championships as the Japanese team’s second-ranked figure skater. 

Daisuke Takahashi
Daisuke skating 

Furthermore, after Takeshi Honda had to withdraw from the qualifiers due to an injury, Daisuke participated in the 2006 Winter Olympics qualifiers and became the 15th rank holder.

Issue during the Japanese Championships

During the 2005–2006 season, Nobunari Oda appeared as a challenger for the Olympic spot as both of them had good Grand Prix seasons.

Likewise, during the 2005–2006 Japanese Championships, Nobunari became the winner and was qualified enough for the one Olympic spot left. After that, however, the authorities took Oda’s gold medal back as there was an error in the event’s computer system, which calculated the score. 

Thus, Daisuke won the gold medal. Eventually, the Japanese Skating Federation divided the international assignments between Takahashi and Oda. As a result, Oda got a chance to represent Japan in the World Championships, and Takahashi got the Olympic spot. 

Daisuke Takahashi
Takahashi (middle) winning the Japanese Championships

Furthermore, during the 2006 Winter Olympics, initially, Daisuke was in a good position, but later, he had weak free skating and became eight overall in the tournament. 

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ISU Ranking 

During the 2006 Skate Canada International, Takahashi won a silver medal, and in the 2006 NHK Trophy, he won the gold medal.

Likewise, Daisuke qualified for the Grand Prix Final and grabbed the silver medal there as well. Unfortunately, Takahashi was ill during the Grand Prix, but he still managed to grab the silver medal. 

Similarly, Daisuke won the Japanese Championships second time in a row, participated in Winter Universiade, and won there. 

Takahashi grabbed the third position in the short program and first in the free skating category of the 2007 World Championships. Daisuke also won a silver medal and became the first Japanese male to win a silver medal in the World Championships

The ISU ranked Takahashi as the first figure skater in the world in the next season above Brian Joubert.

However, Daisuke’s win in the Winter Universiade wasn’t eligible to calculate world ranking as Brian couldn’t participate in that particular tournament because he was not a University student.

Thus, Daisuke came second in the world ranking.

Change of Coach 

Daisuke won the gold medal in both Grand Prix Tournaments of season 2007 and 2008 and won a silver medal at Grand Prix Final. 

After a few weeks, Daisuke also moved on to win his third consecutive Japanese national title and became part of the Four Continents and Worlds teams. Likewise, he set a new record in his total score and free skating under the ISU Judging System, winning the 2008 Four Continents Championships. 

Daisuke was one of the favorite figure skaters going into the 2008 World Championships. However, he ended the game with a disappointing free skating performance since he fell while attempting the second quad toe. Also, he tripped while doing a triple loop and triple Axel.

Daisuke Takahashi
Daisuke (left) with the Grand Prix Final Silver Medal

Takahashi tried to attempt an extra combination to bring out something in his performance, but it became an invalid attempt and did not make it to his total counting. 

Moreover, in May 2008, Daisuke announced that he had parted ways with Nikolai Morozov, his former co-coach of several years. Morozov explained his parting ways by stating that he could not coach Daisuke because of Daisuke’s new agent. 

Thus, Daisuke continued to train under jump coach Takeshi Honda and coach Utako Nagamitsu in Osaka, Japan.

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Injury 

Furthermore, Daisuke was about to participate in the 2008 NHK Trophy and 2008 Cup of China for the 2008–2009 Grand Prix season. 

Unfortunately, he had to withdraw from his participation after sustaining a torn ACL in his right knee on October 31, 2008, a few days before his first event.

Reportedly, Daisuke had to undergo surgery to repair his right meniscus and eventually missed the 2008–2009 season. However, after a bolt was inserted into Daisuke’s right knee, he returned to the ice in April and started practicing again in June.

Thus, after his recovery from the surgery and regular training, Daisuke began the Olympic season and participated in the 2009 Finlandia Trophy. Eventually, he won the tournament. 

Moreover, for the 2009–2010 Grand Prix season, Takahashi competed in the 2009 Skate Canada International and grabbed the second position. Daisuke also participated in the 2009 NHK Trophy and grabbed the fourth position. 

During those tournaments, his placements made him eligible to compete in the Grand Prix Final, and during the final round, Daisuke led the short program with his career-best score of 89.95. However, he came fifth overall, including fifth in the free skating category. 

Daisuke Takahashi
Daisuke during 2010 World Championships

Takahashi won the 2009–2010 Japanese Championships, which became his fourth national title win. Similarly, he recorded a 247.43 score and grabbed a bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics, making him the first Japanese to win an Olympic medal in the men’s figure skating category. 

Likewise, Daisuke went on to win the gold medal at the 2010 World Championships and became the first Asian male to win during a world championship. 

After Injury Accomplishments 

Moreover, for the 2010-2011 Grand Prix season, Daisuke participated in the Skate America and NHK Trophy. He came first at the 2010 NHK Trophy with 234.79 points. Likewise, he also won the 2010 Skate America even after he had some errors during his short program and free skating.

Furthermore, during the 2010–2011 Japanese Championships, Daisuke won the bronze medal and eventually won the 2011 Four Continents Championships.

Similarly, at the 2011 World Championships, Takahashi grabbed the third position in the short program and finished overall with the fifth position.

During the 2011 World Championships free skating category, a screw of his boot came loose during his first element. However, the Japanese team was able to fix it within three minutes allocated by the rules, and Takahashi resumed his performance.

On May 19, 2011, Daisuke underwent surgery to remove a bolt in his right knee, which was placed during his surgery in late 2008.

After the surgery, he stated-

“It is thinner around my knee, but I feel much better now that there is nothing inside my body. I might just imagining it, but it feels much lighter.”

The road towards the highest score in ISU 

Furthermore, Daisuke spent two weeks in August 2011 working with ice dancing specialists Romain Haguenauer, Olivier Schoenfelder, and Muriel Boucher-Zazoui in Lyon, France, for the preparation of the 2011-2012 season. 

In an interview, Takahashi stated-

“I wanted to enhance my skating technique, not because I was bad in it but I think Olivier is the best and love the way he skates.”

Moreover, at the 2011 Skate Canada International, Daisuke obtained a score of 84.66 in the short program category and 153.21 in the free skating category, leading to winning the bronze medal 237.87 combined score. 

Daisuke Takahashi
Takahashi during 2011 NHK

Similarly, Takahashi recorded his new personal best score of 90.43 at the 2011 NHK Trophy and took the lead in the short program category over teammate Takahiko Kozuka with a 10.66 lead point. 

Likewise, Daisuke won the gold medal with a combined total score of 259.75 points and became eligible for the Grand Prix Final, grabbing the second position at the Final.

During the Japanese Championships, Daisuke grabbed the first position with a score of 96.05 after the short program and came in third place in the free skating category with 158.38 points.

Thus, with his total score of 254.60, Daisuke won his fifth national title and became eligible to compete at the 2012 World Championships, where he grabbed the silver medal

However, the French crowd in the competition believed that Daisuke deserved the gold medal over Patrick Chan. Still, Takahashi stated that he was satisfied with the result, and he didn’t expect this win as per his off-season surgery.

Daisuke Takahashi
Daisuke (left) with a silver medal during the 2012 World Championships

Takahashi’s short program score of 94.00 set the highest new record under the ISU Judging System. This win was his first win against Patrick Chan after the 2010 World Championships.

Grand Prix 2012–2013 

During the 2012 Japan Open, Daisuke presented his new free skating for the season, which was his first time performing two quad jumps in his free skating after his injury.

As a result, he grabbed the first position in the men’s event, and the Japanese team won the gold medal

Moreover, Takahashi won the silver medal at the 2012 Cup of China. Similarly, he won his second silver medal at the 2012 NHK Trophy, another Grand Prix event.

After winning at both Grand Prix events, Daisuke qualified for his seventh Grand Prix Final tournament. 

Daisuke grabbed the first position in the short program and third in the free skating, plus winning his first Grand Prix Final gold medal. Thus, Takahashi became the first Japanese male to win a gold medal at the Grand Prix Final.

Likewise, Daisuke became part of the Japanese team competing at the 2013 Four Continents Championships and 2013 World Championships.

He achieved the fourth position in the short program and eighth in free skating while finishing seventh overall at the Four Continents Championships.

Daisuke came in the fourth position in the short program and eighth in free skating at the World Championships, achieving the sixth position. 

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Retirement 

Furthermore, during the 2013–2014 ISU Grand Prix season, Daisuke came in the fourth position at the 2013 Skate America and won the 2013 NHK Trophy.

Likewise, he achieved the fourth position in the short program and fifth in free skating at the Japanese Championships while securing a fifth overall position. Thus, becoming part of the Sochi Olympic team.

Moreover, Daisuke secured the fourth position in the short program and sixth in the free skating category at the Olympics. In addition, he achieved a sixth overall position with a total score of 250.67.

Takahashi was originally about to participate in the 2014 World Championships, but he didn’t participate in the tournament due to a knee injury. In October 2014, Daisuke announced his retirement from competitive skating.

However, Daisuke announced his intention to return to competitive skating during the 2018–2019 season. After his return, Takahashi grabbed the second position at the Japanese championships.

Following that, however, he declined offers of international tournaments. Upon retiring, he moved to Long Island, New York, where he reportedly enrolled in English classes. 

Doubles Career

Furthermore, Daisuke announced that he would end his competitive singles career and switch to ice dance with partner Kana Muramoto in September 2019.

Therefore, his final appearance in the singles competition was during the 2019–2020 Japan Championships. 

After the conclusion of his singles career, Daisuke began training with Muramoto under Marina Zoueva in Florida. 

Moreover, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grand Prix tournament was based primarily on geographic location.

Nevertheless, Muramoto and Takahashi traveled from Florida to Japan for their debut at the 2020 NHK Trophy. 

Muramoto and Takahashi grabbed the second position in the rhythm dance category and achieved the bronze medal altogether. 

Likewise, during their Japan Championships debut, Takahashi and Muramoto came second in the rhythm dance category. Also, they came in third place in the free dance category. Overall, Takahashi and Muramoto won the silver medal in the Japan Championships.

Learn more about his career and stats on isuresults.com.

Highlights

  • First Asian male skater to win the World Junior Championships
  • Bronze Medalist at the 2010 Winter Olympics
  • Gold Medalist at the 2010 World Championships
  • Two-time Silver Medalist at the 2007 and 2012 World Championship
  • Two-time Gold Medalist at the 2008 and 2011 Four Continents Championships

Daisuke Takahashi | Endorsements

After achieving a silver medal at the 2007 World Championship, Daisuke participated in many ice shows and media appearances in Japan. 

He performed in the Festa On Ice in South Korea in 2008. He was also on the guestlist for the French team’s show Stars sur glace, held in Paris, France.

Likewise, the Japanese Olympic Committee selected Daisuke as one of the JOC symbol athletes. In addition, JOC paid 20 million yen per year to Takahashi for his image rights. 

Similarly, after winning the 2010 World Championships, Daisuke presented himself as a guest on many TV shows and was an advertising spokesperson for the Japan Post and Use pesticides safely campaign

Daisuke Takahashi | Net Worth 

Takahashi is one of the most successful Japanese figure skaters in the world. He has won several championships and medals throughout his career.

Because of his accomplishments, Daisuke has also received various endorsement deals from Vogue Japan, AERA Magazine, etc. However, not much information is available regarding Daisuke’s career earnings. Looking back at his career, we can state that-

The presumable net worth of Daisuke Takahashi falls around $7 Million. 

Daisuke Takahashi | Girlfriend and Relationships 

Takahashi has yet to reveal information regarding his relationships with the public. There are no sources that state any information regarding his past or possible romantic relationships. 

Thus, we can state that Daisuke Takahashi is most probably single.

Despite popular belief, Kana Muramoto and Takahashi are nothing but partners on ice. Gorgeous Muramoto is also an ice dancer who is the bronze medalist from the 2018 Four Continents. 

Daisuke Takahashi | Social Media Presence 

Instagram155k Followers 

Common Queries about Daisuke Takahashi 

Did Daisuke Takahashi work with Morozov later? 

On June 15, 2012, Daisuke confirmed that he would resume working with Morozov as his advisory coach, and after he retired from his singles career, he started working with Marina Zoueva. 

Is Yuri on Ice based on Daisuke Takahashi?

The anime television series is based on multiple real-life figure skaters. So, some parts of it might be based on his life. 

Furthermore, the characters in the series are gay, so it might depict a figure skater who is gay. 

Have Daisuke Takahashi and Mao Asada performed together?

Yes, the pair have performed together and are very good friends. Although many speculate that the two are dating, Takahashi and Asada have not confirmed the rumor yet. 

Is Daisuke Takahashi the voice actor of Yoru?

No, Daisuke Takahashi is not the voice actor of Yoru. Daisuke Namikawa, a Japanese actor, singer, and voice actor, is the actual voice actor of Yoru in the video game Valorant. 

Aaditya Bhatta
Aaditya Bhatta

Aaditya Bhatta

Aaditya Bhatta is a dynamic writer and sports enthusiast, whose passion for both realms is reflected in his work. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Aaditya brings a unique perspective to his writing, captivating readers with his engaging content.

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Aaditya's journey as a writer and sports aficionado began at a young age when he discovered his passion for both pursuits. Throughout his academic and professional endeavors, Aaditya has honed his skills in content creation and sports analysis, immersing himself in the intricacies of the games he loves.

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