Haruna Murakami

is a Japanese figure skater. She currently competes in both the singles and pairs disciplines. With her partner in pairs, Sumitada Moriguchi, she is the 2022 JGP Poland I bronze medalist and the 2022–23 Japan champion at both the senior and junior levels. As a single skater, she is the 2021–22 Japan Novice A bronze medalist.

Personal life

Murakami was born on 30 July 2008 in Perth, Australia to a Chinese (Hong Kong) father and Japanese mother. She lived there for eight years and then moved to Japan to be coached by Mie Hamada.

Career

Early career

Murakami began figure skating in 2013.

She won the bronze medal at the 2021–22 Japan Novice Championships and placed twenty-fifth at the 2021–22 Japan Junior Championships.

2022–23 season: Partnership with Moriguchi

At the suggestion of her coach, Mie Hamada, Murakami decided to try pairs skating, teaming up with fellow Hamada student, Sumitada Moriguchi. While Hamada remained their singles coach, they were simultaneously coached by former Japanese pairs skater, Narumi Takahashi, while also working with Bruno Marcotte and Brian Shales. Murakami/Moriguchi made their debut as a pair team on the 2022–23 Junior Grand Prix, pacing fourth at the 2022 JGP Czech Republic and third at the 2022 JGP Poland I.

Competing at the 2022–23 Japan Junior Championships, Murakami/Moriguchi won the gold medal. Murakami also competed in the women's singles event, where she finished eighth.

Although initially listed as alternates to compete at the 2022–23 Junior Grand Prix Final in Turin, Italy, they were ultimately called up to compete due to the withdrawal of Canadian pair team Kemp/ Elizarov. At the Final, Murakami/Moriguchi placed fifth in the short program and third in the free skate, finishing in fourth place overall. They went on to compete at the 2022–23 Japan Championships, which they won after reigning national champions Miura/ Kihara were forced to withdraw due to flight delays. Murakami also competed in the women's singles event at Nationals and finished seventeenth.

Selected to compete at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Calgary, Alberta, Murakami/Moriguchi finished fourth after placing sixth in the short program and fourth in the free skate. Murakami went on to compete at the 2023 Triglav Trophy on the junior level, where she won the silver medal behind Mao Shimada.

Following the season, it was announced that Murakami/Moriguchi had parted ways due to Moriguchi no longer being age eligible to compete on the junior level and Murakami being age ineligible to compete on the senior level for another three years. Murakami stated that she planned to focus on singles skating for the following season.

2023–24 season

Murakami made her Junior Grand Prix debut as a singles skater at the 2023 JGP Austria, where she finished second in the short program, third in the free skate, and won the silver medal. She subsequently came thirteenth at the 2023 JGP Hungary.

At the 2023–24 Japan Championships, Murakami finished sixth at the junior level and nineteenth at the senior level.

Programs

Singles skating

With Moriguchi

Competitive highlights

''JGP: Junior Grand Prix''

Women's singles

With Moriguchi for Japan

Detailed results

Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

Single skating

Junior level

Pair skating

With Moriguchi

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Murakami, Haruna
2008 births
Japanese female pair skaters
Japanese female single skaters
Living people
Sportspeople from Kyoto
Japanese people of Chinese descent