Print the Biography/Short

Sumire Kikuchi

Japan

SportSpeed Skating
FederationIDSSJPN21501199601
NOCJapan
Born15 Jan 1996
GenderWomen
OccupationAthlete, Office Worker
LanguagesJapanese
ResidenceJapan
Personal Bests
EventRecordDateLocation 
Personal Bests
  Event RecordDateLocation 
    1500m 2:08.61 13 Nov 2011 Erfurt  
Main Achievements
 
Main Achievements
World Single Distances Championships
Event  
World Single Distances Championships
    Team Pursuit 6 Laps   1    
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Club / TeamFuji Kyuko: Japan  
General Interest
General Interest
Famous relativesHer older sister Ayaka competed in speed skating at international level, and won gold in team pursuit at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. Her other older sisters Yuki and Moemi have both represented Japan in short track. Yuki competed at the Olympic Winter Games in 2018 and 2022, and Moemi won bronze in the 3000m relay at the 2017 World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Her sister Ayaka's husband Keiichiro Nagashima represented Japan in speed skating, winning silver in the 500m at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, and he has served as head coach of the Japanese national speed skating team. (SportsDeskOnline, 14 Feb 2023; hochi.news, 11 Sep 2021; nikkansports.com, 28 Oct 2021; Pyeongchang Entries, 2018; hochi.co.jp, 02 Sep 2017, 23 Oct 2020; nikkei.com, 04 Oct 2020)  
Awards and honoursIn 2014 she received the Nagano Prefecture Sports Honorary Award in Japan. (mainichi.jp, 26 Mar 2014)

She was a flag bearer for Japan at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. (minamiaiki.jp, 23 May 2012)

She received the Best New Athlete Award at the 2011 ABN Sports Grand Awards in Japan. (abn-tv.co.jp, 31 May 2014)
 
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Reason for choosing this sportHer older sister encouraged her to try the sport.  
Name of coachAyaka Kikuchi [sister], JPN; Eiji Kohara, JPN; Masatoshi Ito, JPN  
When and where did you begin this sport?She began speed skating with short track at age eight in Japan.  
Social Media
Social Media
www.facebook.com/sumire.kikuchi  
twitter.com/sumisatsu0115  
General Interest
General Interest
Other sportsShe has represented Japan in both short track and speed skating. She competed in short track at the Olympic Winter Games in 2018 and 2022, and made her speed skating World Cup debut in 2022. (SportsDeskOnline, 14 Feb 2023; fujitv.co.jp, 06 Aug 2020)  
Sporting philosophy / motto"Keep growing, keep progressing." (Athlete, 04 Nov 2018)  
HobbiesWatching animated films, reading manga. (Athlete, 13 Feb 2023)  
AmbitionsTo compete in both speed skating and short track at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (hochi.news, 23 Oct 2022)  
Other informationRETURN TO SPEED SKATING
She combined short track and speed skating at youth and junior international level, but began focusing on short track after finishing high school. In 2019 she took up speed skating again after joining the Fuji Kyuko club in Japan, which has both short track and speed skating teams. She focused on short track in the 2021/22 season, and also competed in the sport at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. However, she returned to speed skating after the 2022 Games with the aim of competing in both sports at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (hochi.news, 23 Oct 2022, 25 Sep 2021; number.bunshun.jp, 18 Jan 2020)
 
NicknamesSu (Athlete, 15 Nov 2023)  
Championships results
Year Competition Event Rank  
Championships results
    2022/2023 World Single Distances Championships Team Pursuit2  
    2023/2024 Four Continents Championships Team Pursuit2  
    2022/2023 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start12  
    2023/2024 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start13  
    2023/2024 World Single Distances Championships 1500m16  
World Cups
Year Competition Event Rank  
World Cups
    2022/2023 Calgary, AB Team Pursuit2  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification Mass Start9  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification Mass Start16  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification 1500m17  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 1000m20  
    2023/2024 World Cup Classification 1000m26  
    2022/2023 World Cup Classification 1500m34