KANO Koki

Personal Information

Occupation Airline Worker, Athlete

Languages Japanese

Higher education Sports Science - Waseda University: Tokyo, JPN

License number 19121997001

Club

Upcoming Events

Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport? He began fencing in 2008.

Why this sport? He was involved in artistic gymnastics when he was younger, but switched sports after watching Japanese fencer Yuki Ota win a silver medal in individual foil at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He started out in foil before changing to epee while he was in high school after winning an epee tournament.

Club / Team Japan Airlines : Japan

Name of coach Oleksandr Gorbachuk [national], UKR

Handedness Right

International Debut

Year 2014

Competing for Japan

General Interest

Hobbies Watching video clips on the internet. (ontrip.jal.co.jp, 08 Oct 2021)

Most influential person in career His parents, and coach Hiromi Takahashi. (chunichi.co.jp, 22 Dec 2021)

Hero / Idol Japanese fencer Yuki Ota. (city.iwakuni.lg.jp, 12 Feb 2018)

Other sports He was involved in competitive artistic gymnastics for eight years before taking up fencing. (sportie.com, 19 Mar 2021; wasedasports.com, 18 Jul 2017)

Milestones He became the first fencer representing Japan in 45 years to win gold in individual epee at the Asian Games when he was victorious at the 2022 Games [which took place in 2023] in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China. (SportsDeskOnline, 24 May 2024; chunichi.co.jp, 26 Sep 2023)

Along with Kazuyasu Minobe, Masaru Yamada, and Satoru Uyama, he was part of the men's epee team that won Japan's first gold medal in any fencing discipline at the Olympic Games. They beat ROC in the final at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Apr 2022; mainichi.jp, 30 Jul 2021)

Ambitions To win gold in both team and individual epee at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (news.livedoor.com, 15 Apr 2024; nhk.jp, 23 Feb 2024)