Hazuki Watanabe

Japanese artistic gymnast

Hazuki Watanabe
渡部 葉月
Personal information
Nickname(s)Ha-chan, Haki
Country represented Japan
Born (2004-08-07) 7 August 2004 (age 19)
Mie Prefecture, Japan
HometownNagoya, Japan
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior International Elite
Years on national team2019–present (JPN)
ClubChukyo Gymnastics Club
Head coach(es)Hikaru Tanaka
Medal record
Women's artistic gymnastics
Representing  Japan
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Liverpool Balance beam
Asian Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Doha Team

Hazuki Watanabe (渡部 葉月, born 7 August 2004) is a Japanese artistic gymnast. She is the 2022 World Champion on the balance beam. She was part of the bronze medal winning team at the 2022 Asian Championships. Additionally she represented Japan at the inaugural Junior World Championships.

Early life

Watanabe was born in Mie, Japan in 2004.[1]

Career

2019

Watanabe competed at the 2019 City of Jesolo Trophy where she helped Japan finish fifth as a team. She was later selected to compete at the inaugural Junior World Championships alongside Shoko Miyata and Chiaki Hatakeda; they finished eleventh as a team.[2]

Vault
Uneven bars
Balance beam
Floor exercise

2022

Watanabe competed at the Asian Championships where she helped Japan finish third as a team.[3] Later in the year Watanabe was selected to represent Japan at the 2022 World Championships alongside Shoko Miyata, Kokoro Fukasawa, Ayaka Sakaguchi, Chiharu Yamada, and Arisa Kasahara; she was initially the alternate. However Kasahara later withdrew from the team due to injury and Watanabe was added to the main team. While at the World Championships Watanabe helped Japan finish seventh as a team and individually she qualified to the balance beam final. During the balance beam final Watanabe won gold, becoming the third Japanese gymnast to win the World title on balance beam after Keiko Tanaka-Ikeda and Urara Ashikawa.[4][5]

Competitive history

Year Event Team AA VT UB BB FX
Junior
2019 City of Jesolo Trophy 5 13
All-Japan Championships 9
NHK Trophy 6
Junior World Championships 11
All-Japan Junior Championships 7
All-Japan Team Championships 7 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Senior
2020 All-Japan Senior Championships 42
2021 All-Japan Championships 22
NHK Trophy 21
All-Japan Event Championships 6
All-Japan Team Championships 13 5
2022 All-Japan Championships 4
NHK Trophy 4
Asian Championships 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
World Championships 7 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2023 DTB Pokal Team Challenge 5
DTB Pokal Mixed Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)
All-Japan Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s)

References

  1. ^ "FIG Profile: Hazuki Watanabe". International Gymnastics Federation.
  2. ^ "1st FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. 28 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Favourites China Claim MAG, WAG Team and All-Around Titles". Asian Gymnastics Union. 16 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Gymnastics: Hazuki Watanabe becomes youngest Japanese female world champion". Kyodo News. 6 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Hazuki Watanabe becomes youngest Japanese woman to win title at artistic gymnastics world championships". The Japan Times. 7 November 2022.
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