Kyoko Ina

Kyoko Ina
Ina and Zimmerman in 2001.
Born October 11, 1972
Tokyo, Japan
Height 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in)
Figure skating career
Country United States
Partner John Zimmerman
Skating club SC of New York
Retired 2002
Medal record
Representing United States
Pairs' Figure skating
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Nagano Pairs
Four Continents Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Salt Lake City Pairs
Silver medal – second place 2000 Osaka Pairs

Kyoko Ina (伊奈 恭子, Ina Kyōko, born October 11, 1972) is an 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 Winter 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 and 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.

Skating career

Ina started skating at the rink at Rockefeller Center at the age of three or four. 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 practicing a triple twist, Ina's arm hit Dungjen's forehead, fracturing the browbone above his right eye. Their partnership ended following that season.

Ina teamed up with John Zimmerman in 1998. 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. They later trained under Moskvina and Igor Moskvin in Hackensack, New Jersey.

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 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. Ina was led to believe by the agent that the test could be rescheduled for the following day, 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. 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. 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.

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 currently coaches in New York.

Ina was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2018.

Programs

With Zimmerman

Season Short program Free skating
2001–02
2000–01
  • Truman Show
  • Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
    by Sergei Rachmaninov

With Dungjen

Season Short program Free skating
1997–98
    1996–97
      1995-96 Slaughter on 10th Avenue

      Competitive history

      GP: Champions Series / Grand Prix

      Pair skating with Zimmerman

      International
      Event 1998–99 99–2000 2000–01 2001–02
      Olympics 5th
      Worlds 9th 7th 7th 3rd
      Four Continents 2nd 3rd
      GP 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

      Pair skating with Dungjen

      International
      Event 91–92 92–93 93–94 94–95 95–96 96–97 97–98
      Olympics 9th 4th
      Worlds 12th 8th 6th 4th
      GP Lalique 5th 6th
      GP Nations Cup 2nd 3rd 4th 3rd
      GP NHK Trophy 4th 3rd
      GP Skate America 2nd 5th 4th 2nd
      GP Skate Canada 3rd
      Continents Cup 2nd
      Piruetten 3rd
      Schäfer Memorial 1st
      National
      U.S. Champ. 7th 5th 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st 1st

      Single skating for the United States

      International
      Event 88–89 89–90 90–91 91–92 92–93 93–94 94–95 95–96 96–97
      World Junior Championships 5th
      NHK Trophy 6th
      Nebelhorn 1st
      National
      U.S. Champ. 1st J 7th 8th 10th 4th 11th
      J = Junior level

      Single skating for Japan

      Event 1986–87
      World Junior Championships 8th
      Japanese Junior Championships 1st