Nana Takagi

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Reason for choosing this sport	She was encouraged to take up the sport by her older brother.
When and where did you begin this sport?	She took up the sport in her second year of primary school in Obihiro, Japan.

Hero / Idol	Japanese speed skaters Joji Kato and Keiichiro Nagashima. (Athlete, 11 Dec 2013)
Famous relatives	Her younger sister Miho has also represented Japan in speed skating. She claimed gold in the team pursuit, silver in the 1500m and bronze in the 1000m at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (fujitv.co.jp, 12 Mar 2018; japantimes.co.jp, 30 Dec 2017; SportsDeskOnline, 07 Jan 2020)
Awards and honours	In 2018 she was presented with the Hokkaido Citizen Honorary Award and the Nagano Prefecture Citizen Honorary Award. (sportsbull.jp, 07 May 2018; yomiuri.co.jp, 04 Mar 2018) In 2014 and 2017 she was given an Excellence Award by the Japanese Olympic Committee [JOC]. (nidec-sankyo.co.jp, 18 May 2015; joc.or.jp, 08 Jun 2018)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Always smile." (Athlete, 27 Jan 2017)
Injuries	She missed the November 2021 World Cup event in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland, after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. (sponichi.co.jp, 11 Nov 2021) She injured her right knee during the 2016/17 season. The problem continued to affect her into the following season. (yahoo.co.jp, 10 Oct 2017; mainichi.jp, 21 Apr 2017)
Hobbies	Driving, reading. (fujitv.co.jp, 20 May 2020)
Most influential person in career	Her sister Miho Takagi. (fujitv.co.jp, 12 Mar 2018)
Milestones	She became the first Japanese female athlete to win multiple titles at the Olympic Winter Games when she claimed victory in both the team pursuit and mass start at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang. In 2015 she and her teammates Ayaka Kikuchi and Miho Takagi [her sister] became the first female Japanese skaters to win gold in team pursuit at the world single distances championships when they triumphed in Heerenveen, Netherlands. (OIS, 24 Feb 2018; SportsDeskOnline, 07 Jan 2020; japantimes.co.jp, 15 Feb 2015)
Other information	RETIREMENT She retired from speed skating in March 2022. "I was able to compete internationally until now because of my sister. I stood on the ice at the very last as Nana Takagi, not the older sister of Miho Takagi. I was really happy to make it. I became very excited to think about the second chapter of my life. I can't wait to dive into a new world." (ISU, 30 Jun 2022; jiji.com, 05 Apr 2022)