18 Facts About Rio Nakata

Rio Nakata is bilingual, able to speak Japanese and English fluently.

Rio Nakata is currently a student at Wakamatsu Junior High School.

Rio Nakata began figure skating in 2011 at the age of three at a rink in Tokyo where his father, Makoto, coached at the time.

In summer 2022, Rio Nakata began training at the MF Figure Skating Academy in Chiba due to his father getting a coaching job there.

Rio Nakata went on to compete at the Japan Eastern Sectional Championships, winning the gold medal.

At those championships, Rio Nakata finished twenty-sixth in the short program and did not advance to the free skate segment of the competition.

Rio Nakata closed his season by winning silver on the junior level at the 2023 Triglav Trophy.

Rio Nakata went on to win gold on the junior level of the 2023 Tokyo Regionals and the silver medal at the 2023 Japan Eastern Sectional Championships.

Rio Nakata rebounded in the free skate, coming second in that segment and rising to fifth overall.

Rio Nakata admitted that the Youth Olympic short program had been a "big shock" that left him "pretty scared of the short program today," but was pleased with the result.

Rio Nakata won the silver medal overall, 1.44 points behind champion Seo Min-kyu of South Korea.

In preparation for the season, Rio Nakata requested that choreographer, Shin Yea-ji, create his free program to the music of Pirates of the Caribbean as a tribute to his father, who had previously skated to that music as a competitive figure skater.

Rio Nakata began the season by competing on the Junior Grand Prix series, winning silver at 2024 JGP Thailand and gold at 2024 JGP China.

At the Junior Grand Prix Final in Grenoble, France, Rio Nakata won the short program but was only fourth in the free skate due to popping a planned triple Axel and triple Loop in single jumps.

Rio Nakata would take bronze overall behind Jacob Sanchez of the United States and Seo Min-kyu of South Korea.

At the 2025 World Junior Championship in Debrecen, Hungary, Rio Nakata skated cleanly and scored a personal best, finishing second in that segment, only 0.64 points behind defending champion, Seo Min-kyu.

Rio Nakata won the free skate segment, scoring a new personal best of 162.95 and winning the gold medal overall.

Rio Nakata was invited to skate in the gala at the 2025 World Team Trophy as the World Junior champion.