Shizuka Arakawa

I poured all my strength into the Olympics, which was always the chief priority for me and I'm still in a situation where I can't relax.

I want to perform the way people might say they want to watch it again.

Many times I've thought about quitting. I'm happy I have continued.

We tend to be good at the things we like.

Profile / Biography

Shizuka Arakawa was born on December 29, 1981 in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan.  Shizuka Arakawa was the only child born to Koichi and Sachi Arakawa.

Shizuka Arakawa became interested in skating at the age of five and entered the Chibikko Skate School. When Shizuka Arakawa was seven years old, she began training with the former Olympian Hiroshi Nagakubo. At the age of eight, Shizuka Arakawa was landing triple-jump salchows. At the age of thirteen years old, she began to participate in the nationwide skating contests in Japan. She earned the junior title in 1994, 1995, and 1996.

At the age of sixteen, Shizuka Arakawa skated for the first time in the Olympic Winter Games.

In 2002, Shizuka Arakawa came in second place in the Japanese nationwide competition and because of that, she did not participate in the winter Olympics.

Shizuka Arakawa won many medals and trophies for her skating.

At the 2005, World Championships Shizuka Arakawa finished in ninth position and decided that she could not end her career this way. That event motivated her to train harder. Her effort paid of in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy, when Shizuka Arakawa won the first place in the women’s figure skating and brought the single gold medal won by the Japanese team home