Yuko Kavaguti
| Yuko Kavaguti | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kavaguti and Smirnov at the 2015–16 Grand Prix Final
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| Alternative names | 川口 悠子 / Кавагути Юко | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented |
 Russia
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| Former country(ies) represented |
 Japan United States
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| Born |
20 November 1981 Funabashi, Chiba, Japan |
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| Residence | Saint Petersburg, Russia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Partner | Alexander Smirnov | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former partner |
Alexander Markuntsov (JPN) Devin Patrick (USA) |
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| Coach | Tamara Moskvina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former coach | Nikolai Velikov, Igor Moskvin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Choreographer | Peter Tchernyshev | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former choreographer | Alexander Matveev, Natalia Bestemianova, Tatiana Druchinina, Igor Bobrin, Ivan Kozlov | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skating club | Yubileyny Sport Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Began skating | 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World standing | 5 (As of 3 February 2015[update]) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season's bests |
7 (2012–2013) 4 (2011–2012) 4 (2010–2011) 3 (2009–2010) 4 (2008–2009) |
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| ISU personal best scores | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Combined total | 216.00 2015 Cup of China |
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| Short program | 76.02 2015 Mordovian Ornament |
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| Free skate | 143.55 2015 Cup of China |
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Medal record
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Yuko Kavaguti (also: Kawaguchi, Japanese: Kawaguchi Yūko (川口 悠子?), Russian: Юко Кавагути, born 20 November 1981) is a pair skater who has represented Japan and Russia in international competition. In 2006, she began competing with Alexander Smirnov for Russia. They are two-time European champions (2010, 2015), two-time World bronze medalists (2009, 2010), two-time ISU Grand Prix Final bronze medalists (11–12 and 15–16), and three-time Russian national champions (2008–2010).
In addition to her native Japanese, Kavaguti is also fluent in Russian and English. From 2003, she studied and majored in international relations at St. Petersburg State University, completing her degree in June 2007. Kavaguti has expressed interest in a career in international diplomacy following her skating career. In December 2008, she acquired Russian citizenship to qualify for a spot on that nation's Olympic team. Japan does not allow dual nationality, so she was obliged to give up her Japanese citizenship and may reapply to get it back only after ten years. When her family name was transliterated from Japanese to Russian and then into Latin characters, "Kawaguchi" became "Kavaguti".
Kavaguti began skating at the age of five because her mother was a fan of ice dancing. She originally competed as a singles skater for Japan, then switched to pairs after being inspired by the Russian pair skater Elena Berezhnaya at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Kavaguti decided to write to her coach Tamara Moskvina and due to Kavaguti's persistence, the renowned coach eventually agreed to train her. Kavaguti moved to Hackensack, New Jersey where Moskvina was coaching at the time.
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