# Rika Hongo

Rika Hongo (Japanese: 本郷理華; born September 6, 1996) is a Japanese retired competitive figure skater who is a two-time (2015–16) Four Continents bronze medalist, 2014 Rostelecom Cup champion, 2015 Finlandia Trophy champion and 2014–15 Japanese national silver medalist.

## Personal life

Rika Hongo was born on September 6, 1996, in Sendai, Japan. Her mother, Yuko, is a former figure skater. Her father is from the United Kingdom. In 2015, Hongo attended Chukyo University.

## Career
### Early years

Hongo began skating in 2001. She moved to Nagoya at age nine to train under coach Hiroshi Nagakubo. Shizuka Arakawa was named as an influence in a 2006 report.

### 2012–2013 season

Hongo debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in the 2012–13 season. She won a silver medal in Courchevel, France and placed fifth in Croatia. Along with Satoko Miyahara, she was selected to represent Japan at the 2013 World Junior Championships in Milan, Italy. Hongo placed seventh in the short program, tenth in the free skate, and finished ninth overall.

### 2013–2014 season

Hongo started the 2013–14 season with a fourth-place finish at JGP Mexico and then won a bronze medal at JGP Belarus. At the 2014 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, she placed eleventh in the short program, seventh in the free skate, and eighth overall. Making her senior international debut, Hongo won gold at the 2014 Triglav Trophy, her final event of the season.

### 2014–2015 season

Hongo began the 2014–15 season with gold at the Asian Open and then bronze at the 2014 Finlandia Trophy, an ISU Challenger Series event. Making her senior Grand Prix debut, she finished fifth at the 2014 Skate Canada International after placing fifth in the short program and free skate. At her second Grand Prix event, the 2014 Rostelecom Cup, Hongo won the gold medal ahead of Russia's Anna Pogorilaya by 4.57 points after placing second in the short program and winning the free skate. Hongo was first alternate to the Grand Prix Final and was later called on to compete after qualifier Gracie Gold withdrew with a foot injury. She finished sixth overall after placing fifth in the short and free programs.
At the Japan Championships, Hongo won the short program and placed second in the free skate, winning the silver medal behind Satoko Miyahara and earning her first medal at Japanese Nationals. At the 2015 Four Continents, she placed third in the short and long programs, capturing the bronze medal behind gold medalist Polina Edmunds and silver medalist Miyahara.
Hongo made her senior worlds debut at the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai, where she earned personal bests in all segments of the competition. She finished sixth overall after placing fifth in both segments.

### 2015–2016 season

Hongo began her season by winning both segments in a domestic competition called the Summer Cup, held in Shiga prefecture, Japan. Two months later, she outscored Yulia Lipnitskaya by 15.12 points to win gold at a Challenger Series event, the 2015 CS Finlandia Trophy, where she obtained a personal best total score of 187.45 points. Hongo then won silver at 2015 Cup of China, but placed fifth at 2015 Rostelecom Cup, and as a result, did not qualify for the Grand Prix Final. She placed 4th at the Japan Championships.
Ranked 4th in the short and 5th in the free, Hongo came away with the bronze medal at the 2016 Four Continents in Taipei, behind Satoko Miyahara and Mirai Nagasu. She finished 8th at the 2016 World Championships in Boston.

### 2016–2017 season

Hongo finished 4th at the 2016 CS Autumn Classic International and 6th at her first GP event of the season, 2016 Skate Canada International. She placed 5th at both of her December competitions, the 2016 Cup of China and the Japan Figure Skating Championships.
Hongo replaced the injured Satoko Miyahara at the 2017 Four Continents Championships, finishing 10th.

### 2017–2018 season

Hongo began her season with a silver medal at the 2017 CS Ondrej Nepela Trophy.

### 2019–2020 season

Hongo decided to take a hiatus from skating, despite having had a new “Ghost in the Shell”-themed free skate choreographed for her by Shae-Lynn Bourne in May 2019. It was unknown whether she would return to competitive skating.

### 2020–2021 season

Hongo competed at the Chubu Regionals, a qualifier for the 2020–21 Japan Championships and placed second behind Mako Yamashita and ahead of Rin Nitaya. She finished first in the free skate. She later placed eighteenth at the Japan Championships.
Hongo announced her retirement from competitive skating on June 15, 2021.

### Post-competitive career

In the spring of 2023, Hongo was cast to play Bon Clay in the summer show, One Piece on Ice.

## Programs

| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
| 2020–2021 | The Song of My Brother (from Crash Landing on You) choreo. by Yuko Hongo | Reawakening from (Ghost in the Shell) by Kenji Kawai choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne | |
| 2019–2020 | Did not compete in this season | Did not compete in this season | Did not compete in this season |
| 2018–2019 | Battle Without Honor or Humanity by Tomoyasu Hotei choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne | Child of Nazareth by Maxime Rodriguez choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto | |
| 2017–2018 | Carmina Burana by Carl Orff choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne | Frida by Elliot Goldenthal choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne | Blackpink medley choreo. by Misha Ge |
| 2016–2017 | Carmina Burana by Carl Orff choreo. by Shae-Lynn Bourne | Reel Around The Sun by Bill Whelan choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto Lawrence of Arabia by Maurice Jarre choreo. by Akiko Suzuki | The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun by Celtic Woman |
| 2015–2016 | Incantation (from Quidam) by Benoit Jutras choreo. by Akiko Suzuki | Reel Around The Sun by Bill Whelan choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto | Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez |
| 2014–2015 | Le Corsaire by Adolphe Adam, Ludwig Minkus choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto | Carmen by Georges Bizet choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto | Let's Get Loud by Jennifer Lopez Thriller by Michael Jackson Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus |
| 2013–2014 | Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus | Miss Saigon by Claude-Michel Schönberg | Yozakura Oshichi by Fukumi Sakamoto |
| 2012–2013 | Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns | Swan Lake by Pyotr Tchaikovsky | Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus |

## Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix
International :
| Event | 10–11 | 12–13 | 13–14 | 14–15 | 15–16 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 20–21 |
| Worlds | | | | 6th | 8th | 16th | | | |
| Four Continents | | | | 3rd | 3rd | 10th | | | |
| GP Final | | | | 6th | | | | | |
| GP Cup of China | | | | | 2nd | 5th | | | |
| GP Finland | | | | | | | | 10th | |
| GP NHK Trophy | | | | | | | 7th | | |
| GP Rostelecom | | | | 1st | 5th | | | | |
| GP Skate Canada | | | | 5th | | 6th | 6th | | |
| CS Autumn Classic | | | | | | 4th | | | |
| CS Finlandia | | | | 3rd | 1st | | | 16th | |
| CS Ondrej Nepela | | | | | | | 2nd | | |
| Asian Games | | | | | | 4th | | | |
| Asian Open | | | | 1st | | | | | |
| Challenge Cup | | | | | | | 2nd | | |
| Printemps | | | | | | 1st | | | |
| Triglav Trophy | | | 1st | | | | | | |
| International: Junior ||||||||||
| Junior Worlds | | 9th | 8th | | | | | | |
| JGP Belarus | | | 3rd | | | | | | |
| JGP Croatia | | 5th | | | | | | | |
| JGP France | | 2nd | | | | | | | |
| JGP Mexico | | | 4th | | | | | | |
| National ||||||||||
| Japan | | 5th | 6th | 2nd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 17th | 18th |
| Japan Junior | 19th | 3rd | 1st | | | | | | |
| Team events ||||||||||
| Team Challenge Cup | | | | | 3rd T 7th P | | | | |

## Detailed results
### Senior level

Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only.
2020–21 season :
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| December 24–27, 2020 | 2020–21 Japan Championships | 17 59.05 | 19 101.80 | 18 160.85 |
| 2018–19 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| December 21–23, 2018 | 2018–19 Japan Championships | 17 55.93 | 16 107.25 | 17 163.18 |
| November 2–4, 2018 | 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki | 11 51.11 | 7 105.48 | 10 156.59 |
| October 4–7, 2018 | 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy | 15 46.54 | 16 87.12 | 16 133.66 |
| 2017–18 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| February 22–25, 2018 | 2018 Challenge Cup | 2 62.07 | 3 106.72 | 2 168.79 |
| December 21–24, 2017 | 2017–18 Japan Championships | 3 70.48 | 8 127.14 | 6 197.62 |
| November 10–12, 2017 | 2017 NHK Trophy | 4 65.83 | 7 122.00 | 7 187.83 |
| October 27–29, 2017 | 2017 Skate Canada International | 6 61.60 | 6 114.74 | 6 176.34 |
| September 21–23, 2017 | 2017 CS Ondrej Nepela Trophy | 2 66.49 | 2 123.49 | 2 189.98 |
| 2016–17 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| Mar. 29 – Apr. 2, 2017 | 2017 World Championships | 12 62.55 | 18 107.28 | 16 169.83 |
| March 10–12, 2017 | 2017 Coupe du Printemps | 1 59.27 | 1 103.29 | 1 162.56 |
| February 23–26, 2017 | 2017 Asian Winter Games | 2 60.98 | 4 100.39 | 4 161.37 |
| February 15–19, 2017 | 2017 Four Continents Championships | 9 59.16 | 13 108.26 | 10 167.42 |
| December 22–25, 2016 | 2016–17 Japan Championships | 2 69.20 | 6 125.08 | 5 194.28 |
| November 18–20, 2016 | 2016 Cup of China | 6 63.63 | 6 118.12 | 5 181.75 |
| October 28–30, 2016 | 2016 Skate Canada International | 4 65.75 | 8 105.44 | 6 171.19 |
| Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2016 | 2016 CS Autumn Classic International | 4 60.33 | 4 110.01 | 4 170.34 |
| 2015–16 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| Mar. 28 – Apr. 3, 2016 | 2016 World Championships | 7 69.89 | 8 129.26 | 8 199.15 |
| February 16–21, 2016 | 2016 Four Continents Championships | 4 64.27 | 5 117.51 | 3 181.78 |
| December 24–27, 2015 | 2015–16 Japan Championships | 2 68.39 | 4 124.89 | 4 193.28 |
| November 20–22, 2015 | 2015 Rostelecom Cup | 6 63.45 | 5 115.67 | 5 179.12 |
| November 6–8, 2015 | 2015 Cup of China | 2 65.79 | 1 129.97 | 2 195.76 |
| October 9–11, 2015 | 2015 CS Finlandia Trophy | 1 65.75 | 1 121.70 | 1 187.45 |
| 2014–15 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| March 23–29, 2015 | 2015 World Championships | 5 62.17 | 5 122.41 | 6 184.58 |
| February 15–19, 2015 | 2015 Four Continents Championships | 3 61.28 | 3 116.16 | 3 177.44 |
| December 26–28, 2014 | 2014–15 Japan Championships | 1 66.70 | 2 121.93 | 2 188.63 |
| December 11–14, 2014 | 2014–15 Grand Prix Final | 5 61.10 | 5 115.03 | 6 176.13 |
| November 14–16, 2014 | 2014 Rostelecom Cup | 2 59.85 | 1 118.15 | 1 178.00 |
| Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, 2014 | 2014 Skate Canada International | 5 59.10 | 5 112.37 | 5 171.47 |
| October 9–12, 2014 | 2014 CS Finlandia Trophy | 3 52.11 | 3 101.60 | 3 153.71 |
| August 7–10, 2014 | 2014 Asian Trophy | 1 57.91 | 2 110.98 | 1 168.89 |

### Junior level

2013–14 season :
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| April 2–6, 2014 | 2014 Triglav Trophy | Senior | 1 57.71 | 1 95.61 | 1 153.32 |
| March 10–16, 2014 | 2014 World Junior Championships | Junior | 11 51.47 | 7 106.41 | 8 157.88 |
| December 20–23, 2013 | 2013–14 Japan Championships | Senior | 7 59.25 | 6 117.06 | 6 176.31 |
| November 22–24, 2013 | 2013–14 Japan Junior Championships | Junior | 3 52.84 | 1 110.28 | 1 162.12 |
| September 25–28, 2013 | 2013 Junior Grand Prix Belarus | Junior | 5 50.10 | 5 94.87 | 3 144.97 |
| September 4–7, 2013 | 2013 Junior Grand Prix Mexico | Junior | 6 48.09 | 3 99.48 | 4 147.57 |
| 2012–13 season ||||||
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| Feb. 25 – Mar. 3, 2013 | 2013 World Junior Championships | Junior | 7 52.15 | 10 90.47 | 9 142.62 |
| December 20–24, 2012 | 2012–13 Japan Championships | Senior | 6 56.61 | 4 115.82 | 5 172.43 |
| November 17–18, 2012 | 2012–13 Japan Junior Championships | Junior | 3 55.47 | 3 103.87 | 3 159.34 |
| October 22–25, 2012 | 2012 JGP France | Junior | 3 53.16 | 2 96.22 | 2 149.38 |
| October 3–6, 2012 | 2012 JGP Croatia | Junior | 6 45.93 | 4 95.04 | 5 140.97 |
| 2010–11 season ||||||
| Date | Event | Level | SP | FS | Total |
| November 26–28, 2010 | Japan Junior Championships | Junior | | | 19 |