Tim Koleto

Tim Koleto
Koleto and Komatsubara at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup
Full nameTimothy Koleto
Other namesTakeru Komatsubara (小松原 尊)
Born (1991-06-17) June 17, 1991 (age 32)
Kalispell, Montana, United States
Height1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
Country Japan
PartnerMisato Komatsubara
CoachMarie-France Dubreuil
Patrice Lauzon
Romain Haguenauer
Rie Arikawa
Cathy Reed
Skating clubMontreal International School of Skating
Began skating1998
Highest WS
  • 28th (ice dance, 2021)
Medal record
Representing  Japan
Figure skating: Ice dancing
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Beijing Team
World Team Trophy
Silver medal – second place 2019 Fukuoka Team
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Osaka Team

Timothy Koleto (小松原 尊, Komatsubara Takeru, born June 17, 1991) is an American-born ice dancer who became a Japanese citizen in 2020. He and his wife, Misato Komatsubara, are the 2020 NHK Trophy gold medalists and four-time Japanese national champions. Together, they also earned a bronze medal from the team event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Earlier in his career, Koleto competed with partner Yura Min for South Korea, winning the 2014 national title and placing tenth at the 2014 Four Continents. He also competed with Thea Rabe for Norway.

Personal life

Koleto was born June 17, 1991, in Kalispell, Montana.[1] He married Misato Komatsubara in January 2017 in Okayama, Japan.[2][3] On Jun 1, 2023, Koleto came out as bisexual via Instagram.[4]

Koleto became a Japanese citizen on November 19, 2020.[5] Upon becoming a Japanese citizen, Koleto legally adopted the Komatsubara surname. Japanese law requires couples to share a surname, and he felt that "to be Japanese but ask my wife to change to a foreign surname I thought was quite strange."[6] He chose the personal name Takeru after consulting his mother-in-law about what name she would have used if she had had another child.[6] He studies and speaks Japanese.[7]

Career

Early years

Koleto began learning to skate in 1998.[1] He worked with trainers in his hometown.

He placed 6th in the junior men's category at the 2012 U.S. Championships. In June 2012, he dislocated his knee and partially tore his hamstring and lateral collateral ligament while practicing a triple Axel jump .[8] During practice in December, he twisted his ankle and tore the tibiofibular ligament.[8]

Partnership with Min

2013–14 season

Koleto switched to ice dancing and teamed up with Yura Min in April 2013.[9] They placed 9th at the 2013 Ukrainian Open in December 2013. They were the only senior ice dance team competing at the 2014 South Korean Championships, and they won with a score of 105.49. Representing South Korea, the duo placed tenth at the 2014 Four Continents Championships. They placed tenth at the 2014 Bavarian Open.

2014–15 season

They placed eighth at an ISU Challenger Series event, the 2014 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. They finished fifth at their last event together, the International Cup of Nice in October 2014. They were coached by Igor Shpilband and Greg Zuerlein in Novi, Michigan.[10]

Partnership with Rabe

Koleto had tryouts with Norway's Thea Rabe in November 2014 in Lyon, France, and the following month in Novi, Michigan.[11] They agreed to skate together for Norway. In May 2015, Rabe moved to the United States to train with Koleto.[12] Igor Shpilband, Adrienne Lenda, Fabian Bourzat, and Greg Zuerlein coached the team in Novi, Michigan.[13]

2015–16 season

After being released by South Korea and sitting out one year, as required by the International Skating Union, Koleto became eligible to compete for Norway beginning October 20, 2015.[11] Making their international debut, Rabe/Koleto won the bronze medal at the Volvo Open Cup in November 2015. They placed 8th at both the Open d'Andorra and the CS Warsaw Cup. Despite qualifying to the 2016 European Championships, they decided to end their partnership a few weeks before the event.[12][14] They were Norway's first-ever ice dancing team.[11]

Partnership with Komatsubara

2016–17 season

Koleto teamed up with Misato Komatsubara following a tryout in Milan in April 2016.[2] They decided to train together in Milan under Barbara Fusar-Poli.[15] They received the bronze medal at the 2016–17 Japan Championships in December 2016.[16]

2017–18 season

Making their international debut for Japan, Komatsubara/Koleto placed 8th at the CS Lombardia Trophy in September 2017. They finished tenth at their sole Grand Prix event, the 2017 NHK Trophy. The two won the silver medal in December at the 2017–18 Japan Championships. They placed tenth at the 2018 Four Continents Championships with a historic personal best score of 138.18. They placed fourth at the 2018 Toruń Cup.[16]

2018–19 season

In March 2018, Komatsubara/Koleto announced that they had moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to train under Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, and Romain Haguenauer at the Gadbois Centre.[17]

They won bronze at both of their ISU Challenger Series events, the 2018 CS Asian Open Trophy and 2018 CS US International Classic. They competed at two Grand Prix assignments, placing eighth at the 2018 NHK Trophy and eighth at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup.[16]

Following the 2018 Rostelecom Cup, they moved to Japan to train (coached by Rie Arikawa) in order for Koleto to meet a residency requirement for a future citizenship application.[7] At the 2018–19 Japanese Championships, they won the event after placing first in both segments. They placed ninth at the 2019 Four Continents Championships after placing ninth in both segments. Komatsubara/Koleto represented Japan at their first World Championships in 2019, held in Saitama, where they placed twenty-first in the rhythm dance, missing the free dance by one ordinal.[16]

To conclude the season, they participated in the 2019 World Team Trophy as part of Team Japan, which won the silver medal. Komatsubara/Koleto placed sixth of six competitors in each of their segments. Komatsubara served as the Japanese team captain.[18]

2019–20 season

Initially scheduled to begin the season at the 2019 CS Autumn Classic International, Komatsubara/Koleto withdrew early in the preseason as a result of Komatsubara having sustained multiple concussions that required her to take time away from training.[19] They later made their season debut at a different Challenger, the 2019 CS Asian Open, where they finished ninth.[20] On the Grand Prix, they were tenth out of ten teams at the 2019 Cup of China. They withdrew from the 2019 NHK Trophy.[16]

Returning to competition at the 2019–20 Japan Championships, they won their second consecutive national title.[21][22] Komatsubara/Koleto finished eleventh at the 2020 Four Continents Championships. They were assigned to compete at the 2020 World Championships in Montreal, but these were canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[23]

2020–21 season

With the pandemic continuing to affect international travel, the ISU opted to base the Grand Prix primarily on the geographic location of competitors. Komatsubara/Koleto were assigned to compete at the 2020 NHK Trophy in a field consisting only of three Japanese dance teams, including the newly debuted pairing of former national champion Kana Muramoto and former Olympic medalist singles skater Daisuke Takahashi. The event occurred a week after Koleto successfully obtained Japanese citizenship, making the team eligible to represent Japan at the Winter Olympics. He said it was "great to share this moment with the Japanese audience." They placed first in the rhythm dance by more than six points.[24] Winning the free dance as well, they took the title, the first Japanese dance team to win the NHK Trophy in its history.[25]

Competing at the 2020–21 Japan Championships, Komatsubara/Koleto placed first in the rhythm dance, four points ahead of Muramoto/Takahashi.[26] They won the free dance by almost twenty points, and took their third consecutive national title. Both the silver and bronze medalist teams made serious errors. Komatsubara/Koleto were named as Japan's representatives to the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm.[27] They placed nineteenth, making the free dance for the first time.[28] Komatsubara/Koleto's result qualified for a berth for a Japanese dance team at the 2022 Winter Olympics. They were the first Japanese team in 12 years to qualify directly from the World Championships.[29]

Komatsubara/Koleto finished the season at the 2021 World Team Trophy, where they placed fifth in both of their segments of the competition, and Team Japan won the bronze medal.[30][31][32]

2021–22 season

In preparing their programs for the Olympic season, Komatsubara and Koleto chose a free dance to John Williams's score for Memoirs of a Geisha. Komatsubara felt "there were pieces of our story, pieces of our road, all inside of this music and in this movie."[6]

Komatsubara/Koleto made their season debut at the 2021 Skate America, where they placed sixth.[16] At their second event on the Grand Prix, the 2021 NHK Trophy, they finished in seventh place, 7.30 points behind domestic rivals Muramoto/Takahashi. Koleto said afterward, "there were a lot of things that didn’t go as we wanted them," but expressed satisfaction at having achieved new personal bests. He said their goal was to score over 180 points at the national championships.[33]

The 2021–22 Japan Championships, the final national qualification event for the 2022 Winter Olympics, pitted Komatsubara/Koleto against Muramoto/Takahashi for the second time that season. They won the rhythm dance, and finished second in the free dance to win the title overall, and were subsequently named to the Japanese Olympic team.[34]

Komatsubara/Koleto began the 2022 Winter Olympics as the Japanese entries in the rhythm dance segment of the Olympic team event. They placed seventh in the segment, securing four points for Team Japan.[35] They finished fifth of the five dance teams in the free segment, taking six points for Japan. The Japanese team ultimately won the bronze medal, making the podium for the first time in the history of the team event.[36] In the dance event, Komatsubara/Koleto finished twenty-second in the rhythm dance.[37]

2022–23 season

After placing seventh at the 2022 CS U.S. Classic, Komatsubara/Koleto were seventh as well at the 2022 Skate Canada International. They finished ninth at the 2022 NHK Trophy.[16]

Komatsubara/Koleto won the silver medal at the 2022–23 Japan Championships, finishing behind Muramoto/Takahashi. Komatsubara said "we are disappointed about the result, but we had a lot of fun."[38]

At the 2023 Four Continents Championships, Komatsubara/Koleto finished sixth in the rhythm dance and seventh overall, remaining ahead of their domestic rivals in both segments.[39] They then finished fourth at the International Challenge Cup.[40]

Programs

With Komatsubara

Season Rhythm dance Free dance Exhibition
2023–2024
[41]
2022–2023
[42] 		The Fifth Element:
2021–2022
[43]
2020–2021
[44][45]
2019–2020
[46]
2018–2019
[47]
  • Tango: El Sol Sueno
    by Gidon Kremer
  • Tango: Sueno de Barrilete
    by Susana Rinaldi
    choreo. by Marie-France Dubreuil, Romain Haguenauer
Short dance Free dance Exhibition
2017–2018
[1][2][48]
2016–2017

[48]

With Rabe

Season Short dance Free dance
2015–2016
[13][11]

With Min

Season Short dance Free dance
2014–2015
[10][8]
2013–2014
[49]
  • Quickstep: Kap'n Kid
  • Foxtrot: Un mate in luca
    by Raphael Gualazzi
  • Quickstep: Kap'n Kid

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series

With Komatsubara for Japan

International[16]
Event 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24
Olympics 22nd
Worlds 21st C 19th
Four Continents 10th 9th 11th 7th
GP Cup of China 10th
GP NHK Trophy 10th 8th WD 1st 7th 9th TBD
GP Rostelecom 8th
GP Skate America 6th
GP Skate Canada 7th
CS Asian Open 3rd 9th WD
CS Autumn Classic WD
CS Lombardia 8th
CS U.S. Classic 3rd 7th
CS Warsaw Cup WD
Challenge Cup 4th
Toruń Cup 4th
National[50]
Japan Champ. 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd
Western Sect. 2nd 1st 1st
Team events
Olympics 3rd T
World Team Trophy 2nd T
6th P		 3rd T
5th P
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Event cancelled
T = Team result; P = Personal result. Medals awarded for team result only.

With Rabe for Norway

International[51]
Event 2015–16
CS Warsaw Cup 8th
Volvo Open Cup 3rd
Open d'Andorra 8th

With Min for South Korea

International[52]
Event 2013–14 2014–15
Four Continents Champ. 10th
CS Nebelhorn Trophy 8th
Bavarian Open 10th
Cup of Nice 5th
Ukrainian Open 9th
National
South Korean Champ. 1st

Men's singles

National[53]
Event 07–08 08–09 09–10 10–11 11–12 12–13
U.S. Championships 11th N 10th J 6th J
Midwestern Sectionals 4th N 3rd J 1st J 5th
Southwestern Regionals 5th N 7th N 2nd N
Levels: N = Novice; J = Junior

Detailed results

With Komatsubara for Japan

ISU personal best scores highlighted in bold. Historic (i.e., before the 2018–19 season) ISU personal best scores highlighted in bold and italicized.

2023–2024 season
Date Event RD FD Total
November 24–26, 2023 2023 NHK Trophy TBD
2022–23 season
Date Event RD FD Total
February 23–26, 2023 2023 Challenge Cup 4
68.78 		5
97.92 		4
166.70
February 7–12, 2023 2023 Four Continents Championships 6
66.72 		8
98.99 		7
165.71
December 21–25, 2022 2022–23 Japan Championships 2
69.96 		2
105.14 		2
175.10
November 17–20, 2022 2022 NHK Trophy 8
66.65 		9
97.65 		9
164.30
October 28-30, 2022 2022 Skate Canada 7
68.88 		7
97.18 		7
166.06
September 13–16, 2022 2022 U.S.Classic 7
60.38 		7
95.56 		7
155.94
2021–22 season
Date Event RD FD Total
February 12–14, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics 22
65.41 		— 22
65.41
February 4–7, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics — Team event 7
66.54 		5
98.66 		3T
December 22–26, 2021 2021–22 Japan Championships 1
68.16 		2
110.01 		1
178.17
November 12–14, 2021 2021 NHK Trophy 7
68.13 		7
104.07 		7
172.20
October 22–24, 2021 2021 Skate America 7
63.56 		6
100.76 		6
164.32
2020–21 season
Date Event RD FD Total
April 15–18, 2021 2021 World Team Trophy 5
66.42 		5
100.82 		3T/5P
167.24
March 22–28, 2021 2021 World Championships 18
68.02 		20
99.79 		19
167.81
December 24–27, 2020 2020–21 Japan Championships 1
71.74 		1
103.49 		1
175.23
November 27–29, 2020 2020 NHK Trophy 1
70.76 		1
108.29 		1
179.05
2019–20 season
Date Event SD FD Total
February 4 – 9, 2020 2020 Four Continents Championships 11
61.45 		10
95.75 		11
157.20
December 18–22, 2019 2019–20 Japan Championships 1
63.79 		1
99.52 		1
163.31
November 8–10, 2019 2019 Cup of China 10
56.60 		10
88.75 		10
145.35
October 30 - November 3, 2019 2019 CS Asian Open Trophy 9
55.39 		9
86.70 		9
142.09
2018–19 season
Date Event RD FD Total
April 11–14, 2019 2019 World Team Trophy 6
60.93 		6
99.31 		2T/6P
160.24
March 18–24, 2019 2019 World Championships 21
60.98 		- 21
60.98
February 7-10, 2019 2019 Four Continents Championships 9
54.94 		9
94.20 		9
149.14
December 20–24, 2018 2018–19 Japan Championships 1
52.21 		1
100.39 		1
152.60
November 16–18, 2018 2018 Rostelecom Cup 8
52.99 		8
90.29 		8
143.28
November 9–11, 2018 2018 NHK Trophy 9
59.40 		8
94.87 		8
154.27
September 12–16, 2018 2018 CS US International Classic 4
53.42 		3
89.51 		3
142.93
August 1–5, 2018 2018 CS Asian Open Trophy 3
61.28 		2
93.47 		3
154.75
2017–18 season
Date Event SD FD Total
Jan. 30–Feb. 4, 2018 2018 Toruń Cup 4
58.90 		4
88.96 		4
147.86
January 22–28, 2018 2018 Four Continents Championships 10
52.45 		9
85.73 		10
138.18
December 20–24, 2017 2017–18 Japan Championships 2
56.65 		2
92.82 		2
149.47
November 10–12, 2017 2017 NHK Trophy 10
53.83 		10
78.58 		10
132.41
September 14–17, 2017 2017 CS Lombardia Trophy 9
49.80 		6
78.48 		8
128.28
2016–17 season
December 22–25, 2016 2016–17 Japan Championships 3
51.47 		3
73.85 		3
125.12

With Rabe for Norway

2015–16 season
Date Event SD FD Total
November 27–29, 2015 2015 CS Warsaw Cup 8
42.66 		8
65.14 		8
107.80
November 19–22, 2015 2015 Open d'Andorra 6
47.63 		8
61.31 		8
108.94
November 4–8, 2015 2015 Volvo Open Cup 4
47.96 		4
74.07 		3
122.03

With Min for South Korea

2014–15 season
Date Event SD FD Total
October 15–19, 2014 2014 International Cup of Nice 6
40.04 		4
68.84 		5
108.88
September 24–27, 2014 2014 CS Nebelhorn Tropy 8
40.10 		8
63.36 		8
103.46
2013–14 season
Date Event SD FD Total
January 29–February 2, 2014 2014 Bavarian Open 10
44.53 		10
65.68 		10
110.21
January 22–28, 2018 2014 Four Continents Championships 8
45.12 		10
66.11 		10
111.23
January 3–5, 2014 2014 South Korean Championships 1
41.64 		1
63.85 		1
105.49
December 18–20, 2013 2013 Ukrainian Open 8
41.26 		10
63.43 		9
104.69

References

  1. ^ a b c "Misato KOMATSUBARA / Timothy KOLETO: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 25, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Calder, Anne (July 7, 2017). "#TeamKoKo: A Journey to Love". ice-dance.com.
  3. ^ Harimaya, Takumi (May 27, 2017). "フィギュアスケート、小松原美里が入籍を報告 お相手はペアを組む選手". BuzzFeed Japan (in Japanese).
  4. ^ @timkoleto (June 1, 2023). "NIt's been in my Bi(o) for a while now, and on my heart quite a bit longer but… Happy Pride" – via Instagram.
  5. ^ Tim Koleto 小松原尊 [@Timkoleto] (November 19, 2020). "I'd wondered for years what this moment might feel like" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ a b c Yoshida, Hiro (February 5, 2022). "Komatsubara and Koleto: Forging Their Own Path". Europe on Ice.
  7. ^ a b ""Love Story" is not just a program for Misato Komatsubara/Tim Koleto (JPN)". International Skating Union. 19 December 2018. Archived from the original on 23 December 2018.
  8. ^ a b c Stevens, Ryan (October 16, 2014). "Interview With Tim Koleto". Skate Guard.
  9. ^ "Korean-American Pair Shine at Ice Dancing Cup". The Chosun Ilbo. November 26, 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Yura MIN / Timothy KOLETO: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d Thayer, Jacquelyn (November 6, 2015). "Rabe and Koleto Blazing a Trail for Norway". ice-dance.com.
  12. ^ a b Jarlsbo, Øystein (January 7, 2016). "Brudd for Norges isdanspar". Verdens Gang.
  13. ^ a b "Thea RABE / Timothy KOLETO: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016.
  14. ^ Lote, Arve (January 7, 2016). "Skulle blitt historiske – nå skiller de lag". Norwegian News Agency, NRK.
  15. ^ Castellaro, Barbara (30 August 2016). "Misato Komatsubara e Timothy Koleto, la nuova coppia di Danza si presenta". artonice.it (in Italian).
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  26. ^ Slater, Paula (December 26, 2020). "Defending champions Komatsubara and Koleto lead in ice dance at Japanese Nationals". Golden Skate.
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  29. ^ "Communication No. 2388". International Skating Union. April 1, 2021.
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  36. ^ Slater, Paula (February 7, 2022). "ROC wins Olympic figure skating team event". Golden Skate.
  37. ^ Penny, Brandon (February 12, 2022). "How it went down: Olympic ice dance begins with hip-hop/blues programs". NBC Sports.
  38. ^ Mitsuoka, Maria-Laura (December 24, 2022). "Muramoto and Takahashi claim first national title". Golden Skate.
  39. ^ Dombrowski, Judith (February 12, 2023). "Chock and Bates win third Four Continents title". Golden Skate.
  40. ^ Gallagher, Jack (February 27, 2023). "Japan Continues Domination with Medal Bonanza at Challenge Cup". Japan Forward.
  41. ^ Koleto, Tim. "2023/24 Free Dance". Twitter. Twitter. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
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  43. ^ "Misato KOMATSUBARA / Timothy KOLETO: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021.
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  48. ^ a b "小松原 美里 ／ ティム・コレト ｜ スケート∞リンク ～フジスケ～". フジテレビ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-06-10.
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  53. ^ "Timothy KOLETO". rinkresults.com.

External links