# Sena Takahashi

Sena Takahashi (高橋星名, Takahashi Sena, born 29 January 2010) is a Japanese figure skater. He is a two-time ISU Junior Grand Prix medalist, the 2024–25 Japanese Junior national silver medalist, and the 2022–23 Japanese Advanced Novice national champion.

## Personal life

Takahashi was born on January 29, 2010, in Kanagawa, Japan. As a hobby, he enjoys cooking.
His figure skating idol is Cha Jun-hwan, who he got to meet at the Japanese ice show, Dreams on Ice, in 2024.

## Career
### Early career

Takahashi began figure skating in 2014. While in attendance at the 2017–18 Japan Championships, Takahashi met Mie Hamada and soon moved from Kanagawa to Takatsuki, Osaka to train under her at the Kansai University Skating Club.
Takahashi debuted at the 2019–20 Japan Basic Novice Championships, where he finished twenty-seventh. Following that season, Hamada moved to Uji, Kyoto to coach at the Kinoshita Academy Kyoto Ice Arena and Takahashi would relocate as well to continue being coached by Hamada.
Going on to compete at the 2020–21 Japan Basic Novice Championships, Takahashi finished fifth.

### 2021–22 season

Debuting as an advanced novice skater, Takahashi won the bronze medal at the 2021–22 Japan Advanced Novice Championships and was given the opportunity to compete at the 2021–22 Japan Junior Championships, where he placed ninth.

### 2022–23 season

Starting his season at the 2022–23 Japan Advanced Novice Championships, Takahashi won the gold medal. He would go on to compete at the 2022–23 Japan Junior Championships, where he finished ninth.
As the advanced novice champion, Takahashi was invited to perform in the gala at the 2023 World Team Trophy.

### 2023–24 season

Competing at the 2023–24 Japan Junior Championships, Takahashi finished eighth. With this placement, he was selected to compete at the senior level championships, where he finished twentieth.

### 2024–25 season

Making his international debut on the 2024–25 ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, Takahashi won the gold medal at 2024 JGP Latvia. Following the event, Takahashi expressed his shock at the result. “I never ever would have expected to win. Everything is new for me and the first time and I just came here to have the most possible fun and I did. I was very nervous ahead of my skate. Last season I was injured a lot and also not yet good enough for the JGP so that’s why this is my first season on the JGP." He would go on to compete at 2024 JGP Poland, where he won the short program but faltered in the free skate, placing sixth in that segment of the competition, but managed to hang onto second place overall. With these placements, Takahashi qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final.
In late November, Takahashi competed at the 2024–25 Japan Junior Championships, where he won the silver medal behind Rio Nakata. This result ensured his qualification to compete at the senior championships.
At the 2024–25 Junior Grand Prix Final in Grenoble, France, Takahashi placed sixth of the six competitors in the short program after missing his opening triple axel and failing to perform his jump combination. However, he managed to deliver a strong free skate, landing all his jumps cleanly. He would place third in that competition segment and climb to fourth place overall. Following the event, Takahashi would admit to being "very anxious and nervous" during the short program but that he was pleased with his free skate performance, saying, "I'm happy because I didn't give up until the end... Time just flew by, and I was having so much fun that I was concentrating." Two weeks later, Takahashi finished fourteenth at the 2024–25 Japan Championships and was subsequently named to the World Junior team.
At the 2025 World Junior Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, Takahashi concluded the season by placing ninth at the event.

## Programs

| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
| 2024–2025 | This Is Me (from The Greatest Showman) by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, & Rob Mathes performed by Keala Settle choreo. by Kana Muramoto | The Four Seasons Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, RV 315 11 L'estate: I. Allegro Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315, L'estate (Summer): Ill. Prest Concerto No. 4 in F Minor, RV297, L'inverno: II. Largo Concerto No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 8, RV 297, Winter: I. Allegro non molto Violin Concerto in F minor, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297, 11 L'inverno (Winter) by Antonio Vivaldi choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto | The Greatest Show (from The Greatest Showman) by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, & Rob Mathes performed by Hugh Jackman, Keala Settle, Zac Efron, & Zendaya |
| 2023–2024 | Tucker: The Man and His Dream The Car of Tomorrow – Today! Lone Bank Loan Blues Toast of the Town by Joe Jackson choreo. by Cathy Reed | Les Misérables Prologue (Look Down) / At the End of the Day I Dreamed a Dream / Lovely Ladies / Who Am I? Bring Him Home / Finale: Do You Hear the People Sing? (Reprise) (Look Down) / At the End of the Day by Claude-Michel Schönberg performed by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra & Seann Alderking choreo. by Cathy Reed | |
| 2022–2023 | Tucker: The Man and His Dream The Car of Tomorrow – Today! Lone Bank Loan Blues Toast of the Town by Joe Jackson choreo. by Cathy Reed | Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | Crocodile Rock by Elton John |

## Competitive highlights

JGP: Junior Grand Prix
International: Junior :
| Event | 21–22 | 22–23 | 23–24 | 24–25 |
| World Junior Championships | | | | 9th |
| Junior Grand Prix Final | | | | 4th |
| JGP Latvia | | | | 1st |
| JGP Poland | | | | 2nd |
| National |||||
| Japan | | | 20th | 14th |
| Japan Junior | 12th | 9th | 8th | 2nd |

## Detailed results

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System :
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
| Total | TSS | 229.66 | 2024 JGP Latvia |
| Short program | TSS | 81.05 | 2024 JGP Latvia |
| Short program | TES | 44.91 | 2024 JGP Latvia |
| Short program | PCS | 37.05 | 2024 JGP Poland |
| Free skating | TSS | 148.61 | 2024 JGP Latvia |
| Free skating | TES | 75.01 | 2024 JGP Latvia |
| Free skating | PCS | 73.60 | 2024 JGP Latvia |

### Senior level

2024–25 season :
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| December 19–22, 2024 | 2024–25 Japan Championships | 8 77.87 | 17 131.92 | 14 209.79 |
| 2023–24 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| December 20–24, 2023 | 2023–24 Japan Championships | 19 68.28 | 22 123.49 | 20 191.77 |

### Junior level

2024–25 season :
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| February 25–March 2, 2025 | 2025 World Junior Championships | 7 76.85 | 11 139.60 | 9 216.45 |
| December 5–8, 2024 | 2024–25 Junior Grand Prix Final | 6 61.83 | 3 142.57 | 4 204.40 |
| November 15–17, 2024 | 2024–25 Japan Junior Championships | 1 79.28 | 4 133.71 | 2 212.99 |
| September 25–28, 2024 | 2024 JGP Poland | 1 80.25 | 6 118.17 | 2 198.42 |
| August 28–31, 2024 | 2024 JGP Latvia | 1 81.05 | 1 148.61 | 1 229.66 |
| 2023–24 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| November 17–19, 2023 | 2023–24 Japan Junior Championships | 9 62.93 | 7 126.05 | 8 188.98 |
| 2022–23 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| November 25–27, 2022 | 2022–23 Japan Junior Championships | 8 60.79 | 9 118.37 | 9 179.16 |
| 2021–22 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| November 19–21, 2021 | 2021–22 Japan Junior Championships | 17 53.45 | 9 109.71 | 12 163.16 |