Kyoko Ina (伊奈 恭子, Ina Kyōko, born October 11, 1972) is an American figure skater. With partner John Zimmerman, she is the 2002 World bronze medalist and a three-time (2000–2002) U.S. national champion. The pair also competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics. With previous partner Jason Dungjen, Ina was a two-time (1997 & 1998) U.S. champion and competed at the 1994 and 1998 Olympics.
Personal life
Kyoko Ina was born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in New York.[1] Her grandfather, Katsuo Okazaki, was an Olympic runner (and Japanese Foreign Minister between 1952 and 1954), her grandmother, Shimako Okazaki, was a tennis player, and her mother, Yoshi Ina, competed as a swimmer and a sculler.[2]
Skating career
Ina started skating at the rink at Rockefeller Center at the age of three or four.[2] She skated singles and pairs for Japan in the Junior ranks, but eventually decided to compete solely for the United States.
Her first American partnership was with Jason Dungjen from 1991 to 1998, under the coaching of Peter Burrows and Marylynn Gelderman in Monsey, New York. They placed 4th at the 1998 Winter Olympics but withdrew from the 1998 World Championships after an accident during a practice session – while practicing a triple twist, Ina's arm hit Dungjen's forehead, fracturing the browbone above his right eye.[3] Their partnership ended following that season.[4]
Ina and Zimmerman are able to capitalize on their height difference and perform various difficult lifts. They won three U.S. Championships and competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics. They won the bronze medal at the 2002 World Championships.
Ina had not yet turned professional when, on July 18, 2002, the USADA chose to perform an out-of-competition doping test on her. The agent came to her home for an unscheduled test at 10:30 at night. Ina stated that she could not produce the urine sample because she had already prepared to go to sleep.[6] Ina was led to believe by the agent that the test could be rescheduled for the following day,[7] but she was later charged with refusing to take a doping test. She was suspended by the USADA because of this and faced fines. Despite what had been reported, Ina never faced suspension from the International Skating Union because the refused test was a national out of competition test.[8] Ina's case was further complicated because it was not clear at the time if she had or had not officially retired from competition at the time of the attempted test.[9] Ina eventually filed a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but later withdrew it. In the end, Ina accepted a two-year sanction from the USADA.[9]
