Kyoko Ina

Kyoko Ina

Ina and Zimmerman in 2001.
Personal information
Country represented United States
Born (1972-10-11) October 11, 1972
Height 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in)
Partner John Zimmerman
Former partner Jason Dungjen
Former coach Tamara Moskvina, Igor Moskvin, Peter Burrows
Former choreographer Alexander Zhulin, Artur Dmitriev
Skating club SC of New York
Retired 2002

Kyoko Ina (伊奈 恭子 Ina Kyōko, born October 11, 1972) is a Japanese-American figure skater. With partner John Zimmerman, she is the 2002 World bronze medalist and a three-time (2000–2002) U.S. national champion. The pair also competed at the 2002 Olympics. With previous partner Jason Dungjen, Ina was a two-time (1997 & 1998) U.S. Champion and competed at the 1994 and 1998 Olympics.

Personal life

Kyoko Ina was born in Tokyo, Japan, but raised in New York. Her grandfather, Katsuo Okazaki, was an Olympic runner (and Japanese Foreign Minister between 1952 and 1954), her grandmother, Shimako Okazaki, was a tennis player, and her mother, Yoshi Ina, competed as a swimmer and a sculler.[1]

Skating career

Ina started skating at the rink at Rockefeller Center at the age of three or four.[1] She skated singles and pairs for Japan in the Junior ranks, but eventually decided to compete solely for the United States.

Her first American partnership was with Jason Dungjen from 1991 to 1998, under the coaching of Peter Burrows and Marylynn Gelderman in Monsey, New York. They placed 4th at the 1998 Winter Olympics but withdrew from the 1998 World Championships after an accident during a practice session – while practicising a triple twist, Ina's arm hit Dungjen's forehead, fracturing the browbone above his right eye.[2] Their partnership ended following that season.[3]

Ina teamed up with John Zimmerman. Initially, they were coached by Peter Burrows and Mary Lynn Gelderman in Monsey, New York and they also commuted to Stamford, Connecticut to work with Tamara Moskvina.[3] They later trained under Mosvkina and Igor Moskvin in Hackensack, New Jersey.[4]

Ina and Zimmerman are able to capitalize on their height difference and perform various difficult lifts. They won three U.S. Championships and competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics. They won the bronze medal at the 2002 World Figure Skating Championships.

Ina had not yet turned professional when, on July 18, 2002, the USADA chose to perform an out-of-competition doping test on her. The agent came to her home for an unscheduled test at 10:30 at night. Ina stated that she could not produce the urine sample because she had already prepared to go to sleep.[5] Ina was led to believe by the agent that the test could be rescheduled for the following day,[6] but she was later charged with refusing to take a doping test. She was suspended by the USADA because of this and faced fines. Despite what had been reported, Ina never faced suspension from the International Skating Union because the refused test was a national out of competition test.[7] Ina's case was further complicated because it was not clear at the time if she had or had not officially retired from competition at the time of the attempted test.[8] Ina eventually filed a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but later withdrew it. In the end, Ina accepted a two-year sanction from the USADA.[8]

Ina and Zimmerman skated with the Stars on Ice tour for many years. In 2010, Ina competed in the second season of the Canadian reality competition Battle of the Blades partnered with retired NHL player Kelly Chase.

Ina coaches in New Jersey.[9]

Programs

With Zimmerman

Season Short program Free skating
2001–2002
[4]		 Shine On You Crazy Diamond
by Roger Waters, Pink Floyd 		Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
by Sergei Rachmaninov
2000–2001
[10]		 Truman Show Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
by Sergei Rachmaninov

With Dungjen

Season Short program Free skating
1997–1998 Polovtsian Dances
by Alexander Borodin
1996–1997 Grand Canyon Suite

Competitive history

Pair skating with Zimmerman

Results[4][10]
International
Event 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02
Olympics 5th
Worlds 9th 7th 7th 3rd
Four Continents 2nd 3rd
Grand Prix Final 5th 4th
GP Cup of Russia 3rd 4th
GP Lalique 2nd 4th 3rd 2nd
GP Skate America 5th 5th 4th 2nd
GP Skate Canada 2nd
GP Sparkassen 2nd
National
U.S. Champ. 2nd 1st 1st 1st
GP = Grand Prix

Pair skating with Dungjen

Results[10][11]
International
Event 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98
Olympics 9th 4th
Worlds 12th 8th 6th 4th
CS Lalique 5th 6th
CS Nations Cup 2nd 3rd 4th 3rd
CS NHK Trophy 4th 3rd
CS Skate America 2nd 5th 4th 2nd
CS Skate Canada 3rd
Continents Cup 2nd
Karl Schäfer 1st
Piruetten 3rd
National
U.S. Champ. 7th 5th 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st 1st
CS = Became part of Champions Series in 1995–1996 (later Grand Prix)

Single skating for the United States

International
Event 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97
NHK Trophy 6th
Nebelhorn 1st
National
U.S. Champ. 1st J. 7th 8th 10th 4th 11th
J. = Junior level

Single skating for Japan

Event 1986–1987
World Junior Championships 8th
Japanese Junior Championships 1st

References

  1. 1 2 Pucin, Diane (February 7, 1998). "Welcoming The World For Ina, A Home Away From Home". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  2. ↑ "American pairs champions withdraw from worlds". Associated Press. canoe.ca. March 30, 1998.
  3. 1 2 Mittan, J. Barry (1998). "Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman". Archived from the original on January 11, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 "Kyoko INA / John ZIMMERMAN: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002.
  5. ↑ Rosewater, Amy (October 26, 2002). "PLUS: FIGURE SKATING; Ina Suspended For Not Taking Test". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Hiltzik, Michael A. (December 11, 2006). "Athletes see doping case appeals as futile exercise". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ↑ http://ww2.isu.org/news/inadoping.html
  8. 1 2 http://www.usfigureskating.org/event_story.asp?id=906
  9. ↑ Halonen, Lena; Jangbro, Eva Maria (December 5, 2011). "Kyoko Ina: "I don't think anyone ever really commits to coaching, it just sort of happens."". Absolute Skating. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 "Kyoko INA / John ZIMMERMAN: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 20, 2001.
  11. ↑ "Kyoko Ina & Jason Dungjen". Pairs on Ice. Archived from the original on April 2, 2008.

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