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Emi Watanabe

Japanese name
Kanji 渡部絵美
Kana わたなべ えみ
Emi Watanabe
Personal information
Full name Emi Kathleen Watanabe
Country represented Japan
Born (1959-08-27) August 27, 1959 (age 57)
Tokyo, Japan
Height 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in)

Emi Kathleen Watanabe (渡部 絵美 Watanabe Emi?, born August 27, 1959) is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She is the 1979 World bronze medalist and an eight-time Japanese national champion. She was the first skater to medal for Japan in ladies' singles at the World Championships.

Watanabe's father is Japanese, and mother is Filipino. She graduated from Golden Valley High School in Minnesota.

In the 1972–73 season, Watanabe won Japanese national titles on both the junior and senior levels. She then made her World Championship debut, finishing 17th.

In the 1975–76 season, Watanabe took bronze at the 1975 Skate Canada International and then won her fourth national title. She was assigned to the 1976 Winter Olympics and finished 13th. She was 17th in her final event of the season, the 1976 World Championships.

Watanabe broke into the World top ten at the 1978 World Championships, placing 8th. The next season, she won the bronze medal at 1979 Worlds, becoming the first Japanese lady to medal at the event.

In her final competitive season, Watanabe won gold at the 1979 NHK Trophy and then won her eighth national title. She placed 6th at the 1980 Winter Olympics. She ended her competitive career at the 1980 World Championships, where she placed 4th.


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