Tatsuya Tsuboi

2.1. Early Career and Novice Level

Tsuboi commenced his skating journey at the age of three, inspired by his elder sister. By the age of seven, he had formalized his engagement with the sport. During the 2013-14 season, Tsuboi achieved a notable second-place finish in the B class at the Japan Novice Championships, securing a podium spot. In the summer of the 2015-16 season, he successfully mastered the double Axel jump and various triple jumps. He went on to place third in the A class at the Japan Novice Championships that season, earning a recommendation to compete at the Japan Junior Championships, where he finished fourteenth. In January 2016, he also participated in the NHK Trophy Special Exhibition held at Morioka Ice Arena, marking five years since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

2.2. Junior Career

The 2016-17 season saw Tsuboi acquire proficiency in five types of triple jumps (excluding the Axel) and the triple-triple combination jump during the summer. Despite sustaining a right wrist fracture in October, he continued to develop. He placed fifth at the Japan Junior Championships, which earned him his first recommendation to compete at the Japan Championships at the senior level. There, he successfully executed a triple toe loop-triple toe loop combination, advancing to the free skating segment where he finished eighth, ultimately placing tenth overall with 187.03 points. In February, he secured second place by a narrow margin at the National Middle School Skating Competition. His international junior debut came in March at the Coupe du Printemps, where he earned a silver medal.

In the 2017-18 season, Tsuboi made his ISU Junior Grand Prix debut, placing fifth at both the 2017 JGP Belarus and 2017 JGP Italy. Despite an edge error on his triple flip in Belarus and a fall/under-rotation on a triple Axel attempt in both events, he showcased strong elements. At the Japan Junior Championships, he secured a bronze medal with 189.15 points. He later finished thirteenth at the senior-level Japan Championships. Tsuboi also achieved his first victory at the National Middle School Skating Competition and claimed gold at the Coupe du Printemps.

The 2018-19 season began with a setback as Tsuboi was not selected for the Junior Grand Prix series due to challenges with his jumps. However, he successfully landed his first triple Axel in competition in September, after two and a half years of dedicated practice. Despite withdrawing from the Chubu Championships due to foot pain, his previous podium finish at Japan Junior Championships allowed him to bypass the preliminary qualification. At the Nishinihon Championships, he overcame a missed Axel in the short program by landing two triple Axels in the free skate for the first time in competition, earning high GOE scores for his solo triple Axel. He finished second overall with 202.06 points.

Tsuboi's breakthrough came at the 2018-19 Japan Junior Championships, where he won his first national junior title with a total score of 222.79 points, narrowly defeating Shun Sato by 0.49 points. He landed two triple Axels in the free skate and expressed his determination to "make up" for missing the Junior Grand Prix. This victory earned him a spot at the 2019 World Junior Championships. At the 2018-19 Japan Championships (senior level), he finished seventh. His World Junior debut saw him finish fourteenth overall, which he described as "very disappointing" as he had aimed for over 230 points. Following this, he was invited to skate in the gala at the 2019 World Team Trophy.

The 2019-20 season was significantly impacted by injuries for Tsuboi. He sustained a right ankle injury in June, forcing him to withdraw from an ice show. Another injury, triggered by triple Axel practice, occurred in early September. Despite these setbacks, he competed at the Chubu Championships with a reduced program layout and placed third at the Nishinihon Championships, though he struggled with the triple Axel. At the Japan Junior Championships, he finished fourth, which secured him a fourth consecutive recommendation for the Japan Championships (senior level). However, just two weeks before the event, he twisted his ankle again. Despite his efforts to minimize strain during practice, he experienced severe right ankle pain during the six-minute warm-up at the Japan Championships and ultimately withdrew from the competition, personally addressing the audience on the ice. This ended his 2019-20 season prematurely.

Tsuboi resumed training in late January 2020 after withdrawing from the Japan Championships. By early April, he had regained his triple jumps, excluding the Axel and flip. Despite a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he resumed triple Axel practice in August, overcoming his fear of the jump that had previously led to injury. His return to competition at the September Chubu Championships, a qualifier for the Japan Junior Championships, saw him win with 199.25 points. He admitted experiencing flashbacks of his past injury during the six-minute warm-up but completed his comeback performance. At the Nishinihon Championships, he won with 216.53 points, successfully landing triple Axels in both the short program and free skating, prompting his coaches to say, "Welcome back." He received high program component scores, including an 8.0 for Skating skills. However, at the Japan Junior Championships, issues with new skates contributed to an unstable performance, resulting in a seventh-place finish and missing out on a Japan Championships senior recommendation. Following this, he took a three-month break from skating to focus on university entrance exams.

For the 2021-22 season, Tsuboi successfully gained admission to Kobe University. He resumed training in late February 2021, acknowledging that his strength and feel for the ice were "just barely there." With his university enrollment, he transitioned to a new coaching team consisting of Sonoko Nakano, Mitsuko Graham, and Sei Kawahara, who also coach prominent skaters like Kaori Sakamoto and Mai Mihara. In July, he attempted a quadruple Salchow jump for the first time in competition. At the Japan Junior Championships, he led after the short program with 81.05 points and secured a silver medal overall. At the senior-level Japan Championships, he placed ninth overall after successfully landing a quadruple Salchow in the free skate with a positive GOE, earning him a place at the World Junior Championships for the first time in three years.

The 2022 World Junior Figure Skating Championships were initially scheduled for March in Sofia, but were relocated to Tallinn in April due to the Omicron variant and the Russo-Ukrainian War, which also led to the ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes. Tsuboi placed fifth in the short program with a personal best score of 79.15 points. He then delivered a third-place free skate performance, climbing to third overall to clinch the bronze medal with 233.82 points. This marked Japan's first medal in the men's event since Yuma Kagiyama in 2020, and Tsuboi achieved his personal goal of scoring over 230 points. Throughout this season, Tsuboi demonstrated remarkable consistency in his short programs, never scoring below 70 points.

2.3. Senior Career

Tatsuya Tsuboi transitioned permanently to the senior level for the 2022-23 season and was named a Special Reinforced Athlete by the Japan Skating Federation. On June 20, 2022, he signed a sponsorship agreement with Sysmex Corporation. He made his Grand Prix debut with two assignments: the MK John Wilson Trophy (where he finished fifth) and the Grand Prix of Espoo (where he placed fourth, setting new personal bests in the free skate and overall, expressing "happiness" with his results). At the Japan Championships, he placed ninth. Tsuboi then competed at the 2023 Winter World University Games, securing a silver medal after placing second in both the short program and free skating, with a total score of 243.82 points.

In the 2023-24 season, Tsuboi received two Grand Prix assignments. He finished eighth at 2023 Skate America and ninth at the 2023 NHK Trophy. At Skate America, he fell on a quadruple Salchow in the short program but successfully landed a quad Salchow-triple toe loop combination and a solo quad Salchow in the free skate. Despite a fall on a three-jump combination from a triple Axel, he expressed finding a "breakthrough" for future performances. He concluded his season with a silver medal at the 2024 Challenge Cup, where he set an unofficial personal best of 254.81 points. Earlier, at the Japan Championships, he placed seventh with an unofficial personal best of 252.34 points.

The 2024-25 season saw Tsuboi start by placing fifth at the 2024 Asian Open Trophy. As a host pick at the 2024 NHK Trophy, Tsuboi delivered personal bests in all segments, placing third in both the short program (85.02 points) and free skate (166.50 points) to earn his first senior Grand Prix podium finish with a total of 251.52 points. He expressed his happiness with the result, stating, "I didn't even think that I would end up third. With the short and free program and free skating, I knew I had to do everything I can, put my best out there and give it my all. The day in day out efforts I've been making have paid off. This is my first podium in the senior Grand Prix series, so it's been a great confidence booster." In late December, at the 2024-25 Japan Championships, Tsuboi faced a challenging short program, placing fourteenth after an under-rotated quadruple Salchow and popping a triple Axel attempt. However, he executed a strong free skate, placing third in that segment and making a remarkable comeback to secure the bronze medal overall with 247.31 points, due to other skaters faltering. This result earned him selections for the Four Continents and World teams. At the 2025 Four Continents Championships in Seoul, South Korea, he finished fifth.

5.1. Summary of Achievements

Tatsuya Tsuboi has achieved several notable results throughout his figure skating career:

• Bronze medalist at the 2022 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
• Silver medalist at the 2023 Winter World University Games.
• Bronze medalist at the 2024 NHK Trophy.
• Bronze medalist at the 2024-25 Japan Figure Skating Championships.
• 2018-19 Japan Junior National Champion.
• Gold medalist at the 2018 Coupe du Printemps (Junior) and 2022 Bavarian Open (Junior).
• Silver medalist at the 2017 Coupe du Printemps (Junior), 2022 Coupe du Printemps (Senior), 2018 Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy (Junior), and 2024 International Challenge Cup (Senior).

5.2. Personal Bests

Tsuboi's highest scores officially recognized by the International Skating Union (ISU) are:

• Total score: 251.52 (2024 NHK Trophy)
• Short program: 85.02 (2024 NHK Trophy)
• Free skating: 166.50 (2024 NHK Trophy)
• Technical Element Score (SP): 48.47 (2024 NHK Trophy)
• Program Component Score (SP): 37.77 (2025 Four Continents Championships)
• Technical Element Score (FS): 89.28 (2024 NHK Trophy)
• Program Component Score (FS): 78.62 (2022 Grand Prix of Espoo)

5.3. Detailed Results