Reina Matsusaka

Reina Matsusaka
松坂 玲奈
Country represented Japan
Born (2000-10-23) 23 October 2000 (age 24)
Kanagawa, Japan
DisciplineRhythmic Gymnastics
LevelSenior International Elite
Years on national team2023-
Medal record
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Representing  Japan
Summer Universiade
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Chengdu All-around
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Chengdu Clubs
Asian Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Tashkent Hoop
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Tashkent Team
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Tashkent All-Around
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Tashkent Clubs
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Tashkent Ribbon

Reina Matsusaka (born 23 October 2000) is a Japanese rhythmic gymnast.[1] She is the 2024 all-around Asian bronze medalist.

Personal life

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Matsusaka began rhythmic gymnastics at age 3 because her mother was a coach at a gymnastics club, and she began to be coached by her mother in middle school. In 2019, she enrolled at Tokyo Women's Junior College of Physical Education.[2]

Career

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At the All-Japan Intercollegiate Gymnastics Championships in August 2019, Matsusaka won bronze with the hoop and was 5th individually. At the All-Japan Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in October, she won silver with ball.[2]

Matsusaka debuted internationally several years later in 2023, when she competed in the Sofia International Tournament. She won bronze with ball and clubs and silver with hoop.[3] In the summer, she took part in the 2021 Summer World University Games in Chengdu and won bronze in the all-around behind Fanni Pigniczki and Khrystyna Pohranychna. She also won a bronze medal with clubs.[4][5] In October she was selected for the Asian Games. There she finished 4th in teams with the other Japanese gymnasts and 7th in the all-around final.[6]

The following year, she began her season by competing in Athens at the Aphrodite Cup. She was 6th in the all-around and won bronze with hoop and ribbon.[7][8] In April she competed in the World Cup in Baku, taking 15th place in the all-around, 17th with hoop, 13th with ball, 9th with clubs and 21st with ribbon.[9]

On May 3 she won the all-around bronze medal at the Asian Championships in Tashkent behind Elzhana Taniyeva and Takhmina Ikromova.[10] There was one Olympic berth available at the event, which went to Taniyeva. Although Matsusaka did not qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics, she said of the event, "Previously, I was not in a position where I could aim for the Olympics, so this has been a very fruitful year. I'm happy I was able to make the Olympics my goal."[11]

References

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  1. ^ "MATSUSAKA Reina - FIG Athlete Profile". www.gymnastics.sport. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  2. ^ a b Matsumoto, Reiko (2019-11-26). "東女体大・松坂玲奈「自分にしかできない演技を究めたい」" [Tokyo Women's College of Education - Matsuaka Reina: "I want to master a performance only I can give"]. 4years (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  3. ^ "2023 IT Sofia Senior Event Finals" (PDF). static.usagym.org.
  4. ^ mathieu (2023-07-30). "Chengdu University gymnasts win gold at their home gym". FISU. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  5. ^ "2021 Universiade Clubs Results". chengduresults.fisu.net. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Individual All-Around Finals" (PDF). 2022 Asian Games. October 7, 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2023.
  7. ^ "2024 Aphrodite Cup All-Around" (PDF). static.usagym.org.
  8. ^ "2024 Aphrodite Cup Event Finals" (PDF). static.usagym.org.
  9. ^ "2024 Baku World Cup" (PDF). agf.az.
  10. ^ "Спорт вокруг". sportvokrug.ru. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
  11. ^ "松坂玲奈、喜田未来乃は五輪出場ならず 初めて全種目逃す/新体操" [Matsuaka Reina and Kita Mirano will not participate in the Olympics]. サンスポ (in Japanese). 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2024-05-03.