Japanese · Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan · Born 16 March 1986Daisuke Takahashi is a Japanese figure skater who became the first Japanese man to win a World Championship title and an Olympic medal, later returning to competition in ice dance.
Daisuke Takahashi made history at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics by winning bronze to become the first Japanese man ever to medal in Olympic figure skating, a breakthrough he followed weeks later by claiming Japan's first-ever men's World Championship title in Turin. He became the first Japanese man to win the World Junior Championship in 2002, and after a difficult early transition to senior competition, developed into one of the most artistic and technically bold skaters of his generation, known for an expressive, flamenco-influenced style. Takahashi won the Four Continents Championship in 2008 and again in 2011, and reached the pinnacle of his career at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, winning bronze to become the first Japanese man ever to medal in Olympic figure skating. Weeks later, he capped an extraordinary season by winning the World Championship in Turin, again a first for a Japanese man in the sport's history. Takahashi went on to win the 2012-13 Grand Prix Final and five Japanese national titles before finishing sixth at the Sochi 2014 Olympics and initially retiring from singles that year. He staged a singles comeback in 2018 hoping to qualify for the 2022 Olympics, before making an unusual late-career pivot into ice dance in 2020 with partner Kana Muramoto, competing internationally in the discipline until his final retirement in 2023 — a rare and celebrated second act for one of Japanese figure skating's most influential pioneers.
First Japanese man to win an Olympic figure skating medal and a World Championship title
How They Played
Artistic, expressive skater known for flamenco-influenced choreography and bold technical content
Lasting Impact
A pioneering figure who established Japanese men's figure skating on the world stage, paving the way for Yuzuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno
Career Honours
- Olympic bronze, men's singles (2010)
- World Champion (2010)
- First Japanese man to win a World Championship title
- First Japanese man to win the World Junior Championship (2002)
- 2x Four Continents champion (2008, 2011)
Japanese Athletes