Milano Cortina 2026: Japanese Speed Skater Miho Takagi Wins Her First Milano Cortina Medal, Has Sights on Next Race

By Kohei Tsukamoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:35 JST, February 10, 2026

Japan’s Miho Takagi, who boasts the most Olympic medals of any female Japanese speed skater, has added another honor to her list of achievements. On Monday, Takagi claimed bronze in the women’s 1,000 meters, her first event at the Milano Cortina Olympics in Milan.

The 31-year-old skater has won medals in three consecutive Games, with the latest being her eighth Olympic medal overall.

On Monday, Takagi was aiming for back-to-back golds in the 1,000 meters. She desperately chased Jutta Leerdam, 27, of the Netherlands, the silver medalist at the 2022 Beijing Games, in the final group. Leerdam delivered a decisive victory in the race and claimed gold in a new Olympic-best time, edging her Dutch counterpart Femke Kok into silver and leaving Takagi with bronze.

Takagi appeared disappointed after she crossed the finish line as Leerdam substantially pulled ahead in the race. But she then smiled and acknowledged the crowd’s cheers. “Having seen the color of the medal, I felt frustrated. I’m determined not to let things end like this in future races,” Takagi said.

Her approach of taking on ambitious challenges remains unchanged since when she competed in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and was called the “super middle schooler.” Upon entering Obihiro South Commercial High School in Hokkaido, she surprised her skating coach Shunichi Higashide, now 69, by declaring that she would compete in every event — sprint, middle distance and long distance. “That is why I need to train hard now,” she said to Higashide.

Takagi competed in each race by setting her own goals, prioritizing performance over event results. In her first year at high school, she beat Nao Kodaira, now 39, who had posted the national record the previous year, in the 1,000 meters at the all-Japan speed skating sprint championships. Yet, Takagi looked disappointed.

Conversely, in her third year at high school, Takagi made a fist pump after a 3,000-meter race at the all-Japan single distance championships despite having lost to a rival in a close battle.

“For Takagi, the benchmark was whether she could execute what she wanted in the race,” Higashide said.

After winning a gold and three silvers at the Beijing Olympics, Takagi formed a group called Team Gold with people including other speed skaters in Japan with good track records in middle and long distances. The name of the team also reflected their aspiration to win gold at the Milano Cortina Olympics.

Takagi has had many achievements since the Beijing Games. As of last season, she had won the overall title in the 1,500 meters for four consecutive seasons and in the 1,000 meters for three consecutive seasons at World Cup meets. In February 2024, she won in both the 1,000 and 1,500 meters at the world single distance championships. In January 2025, she recorded her 35th World Cup victory, setting a new Japanese record for most wins in individual events.

Even so, she imposed rigorous training on herself. Her interviews often included words of self-reflection even after winning races.

She also thoroughly researches her skating equipment. She has changed her skates just before a race.

Her meticulous approach is also seen outside the rink. She has requested adjustments to the menus her nutritionist prepared based on the content of the day’s practice and her level of fatigue.

Fellow skater Han Mei of China, 28, said she can never say that she will beat Takagi to win gold, given her stoicism in both training and daily life. Han also competed in the Monday’s race.

On Monday, Takagi once again broke her own record for the most medals won by a Japanese female athlete, yet she remains unfazed. “Those medals are already something in the past. I’m now focused on the race ahead,” she said.

She will compete in the 1,500 meters on Feb. 20, an event in which she finished with silver at the Beijing Olympics despite holding the world record. “There are still areas I need to improve for the race,” Takagi said.