Keiichiro Nagashima
Encyclopedia
Keiichiro Nagashima (長島 圭一郎 Nagashima Keiichirō, born 20 April 1982) is a Japanese
long track speed skater
specialising in the sprint distances 500 and 1000 metres. Nagashima has won two World Cup
races and has three Japanese domestic titles.
sprint event in Nagano in December 2004. Before that, he had several fourth-place finishes in Japanese Championships, getting pipped to the third place in the October 2004 2 × 500 metre Championship by then world-record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu
.
The Nagano races were the first sprint races of the season, and in his debut race Nagashima finished third, 0.05 seconds behind joint winners Shimizu and Jeremy Wotherspoon
. However, he failed to keep up this performance in the rest of the season's races; his best placing in the other races was 13th in Erfurt, and though he was not relegated to the B division on 500 metres, he finished 18th in the overall World Cup and did not qualify for the World Single Distance Championships. He finished seventh in the 100 metre World Cup, however, after taking fifth place in Heerenveen. During this season, Nagashima also won the 500 metres at the Universiade
in Innsbruck.
Nagashima started the 2006 season by winning his first domestic medal, taking bronze at the Japanese 2 × 500 championships, 0.610 points behind Joji Kato
. Once more Nagashima was selected for the World Cup circuit, finishing in the top ten four times. Nagashima went home in December, forgoing the sprint World Cup race in Inzell like many of his compatriots, to win the Japanese sprint championships held in the last weekend of December 2005, tallying 141.985 points to finish just over 0.05 points ahead of silver medallist Yusuke Imai. The 500-metre-record-holder and Japanese champion, Kato, did not participate. However, at the World Sprint Championships in Heerenveen a month later, Imai was well ahead of Nagashima; Nagashima finished 22nd in the overall classification and was not in the top ten on any distance. Nagashima did beat Kato and Shimizu, however.
Nagashima then travelled to Turin and the 2006 Winter Olympics
, but failed to place in the top ten, ending 13th as the third best Japanese skater, nearly 1.5 points behind winner Joey Cheek
on the 2 × 500 metres. On the 1,000 metres, he was 32nd out of 37 finishers, nearly three seconds behind the winner. He finished the season by placing 18th in the final World Cup race, thus ending 14th in the overall 500 metre World Cup standings despite not turning up for the Inzell and Collalbo sprints.
The 2007 season
started well for Nagashima, who has won four important races. First, he won both the 2 × 500 and the 1000 metre events at the Japanese Single Distance Championships in October, thus allowing him to go to Thialf
, Heerenveen
for the opening World Cup races. He won both 500 metre races, thus leading the World Cup overall standings, though his times (35.10 and 35.24) were well behind the track record at the time (34.82, Lee Kang-Seok
). He also achieved his best placing on the 1000 metres, with 12th in the first race.
He represented Japan
at the 2010 Winter Olympics
, and he won silver at Men's 500 metres.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
long track speed skater
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
specialising in the sprint distances 500 and 1000 metres. Nagashima has won two World Cup
Speed Skating World Cup
The Speed Skating World Cup is a series of international speed skating competitions, organised yearly by the International Skating Union since the winter of 1985–86. Every year during the winter, a number of competitions on a number of different distances are held...
races and has three Japanese domestic titles.
Career
Nagashima spent three years competing in domestic Japanese races before getting selected for the World CupSpeed Skating World Cup
The Speed Skating World Cup is a series of international speed skating competitions, organised yearly by the International Skating Union since the winter of 1985–86. Every year during the winter, a number of competitions on a number of different distances are held...
sprint event in Nagano in December 2004. Before that, he had several fourth-place finishes in Japanese Championships, getting pipped to the third place in the October 2004 2 × 500 metre Championship by then world-record holder Hiroyasu Shimizu
Hiroyasu Shimizu
Hiroyasu Shimizu is a Japanese speed skater. He has an Olympic Gold medal from 1998 in the 500m and his win made him a hero in his home country. He currently holds the world record for the 100m speed skating event in 9.43 seconds...
.
The Nagano races were the first sprint races of the season, and in his debut race Nagashima finished third, 0.05 seconds behind joint winners Shimizu and Jeremy Wotherspoon
Jeremy Wotherspoon
Jeremy Lee Wotherspoon is a Canadian speed skater, widely recognized as one of the greatest speedskating sprinters of all time....
. However, he failed to keep up this performance in the rest of the season's races; his best placing in the other races was 13th in Erfurt, and though he was not relegated to the B division on 500 metres, he finished 18th in the overall World Cup and did not qualify for the World Single Distance Championships. He finished seventh in the 100 metre World Cup, however, after taking fifth place in Heerenveen. During this season, Nagashima also won the 500 metres at the Universiade
2005 Winter Universiade
The 2005 Winter Universiade, the XXII Winter Universiade, took place in Innsbruck, Austria....
in Innsbruck.
Nagashima started the 2006 season by winning his first domestic medal, taking bronze at the Japanese 2 × 500 championships, 0.610 points behind Joji Kato
Joji Kato
is a Japanese speedskater specialised in the sprinting distance 500 metres. At the age of 17 he became the first junior speedskater to skate the 500 metres below 35 seconds....
. Once more Nagashima was selected for the World Cup circuit, finishing in the top ten four times. Nagashima went home in December, forgoing the sprint World Cup race in Inzell like many of his compatriots, to win the Japanese sprint championships held in the last weekend of December 2005, tallying 141.985 points to finish just over 0.05 points ahead of silver medallist Yusuke Imai. The 500-metre-record-holder and Japanese champion, Kato, did not participate. However, at the World Sprint Championships in Heerenveen a month later, Imai was well ahead of Nagashima; Nagashima finished 22nd in the overall classification and was not in the top ten on any distance. Nagashima did beat Kato and Shimizu, however.
Nagashima then travelled to Turin and the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
, but failed to place in the top ten, ending 13th as the third best Japanese skater, nearly 1.5 points behind winner Joey Cheek
Joey Cheek
+William Joseph Cheek is an American speed skater and former inline speed skater...
on the 2 × 500 metres. On the 1,000 metres, he was 32nd out of 37 finishers, nearly three seconds behind the winner. He finished the season by placing 18th in the final World Cup race, thus ending 14th in the overall 500 metre World Cup standings despite not turning up for the Inzell and Collalbo sprints.
The 2007 season
2007 in speed skating
The year 2007 in speed skating also includes events in the autumn of 2006, since they belong to the same long track speed skating season.-Chronology:...
started well for Nagashima, who has won four important races. First, he won both the 2 × 500 and the 1000 metre events at the Japanese Single Distance Championships in October, thus allowing him to go to Thialf
Thialf
Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the...
, Heerenveen
Heerenveen
Heerenveen is a town in the Heerenveen municipality of the province of Friesland , in the north of the Netherlands.- History :The town was established in 1551 by three lords as a location for the purpose of digging peat which was used for fuel, hence the name...
for the opening World Cup races. He won both 500 metre races, thus leading the World Cup overall standings, though his times (35.10 and 35.24) were well behind the track record at the time (34.82, Lee Kang-Seok
Lee Kang-Seok
Lee Kang-Seok is a speed skater from South Korea. He is the 2007 and 2009 World Champion for 500m. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the 500 m...
). He also achieved his best placing on the 1000 metres, with 12th in the first race.
He represented Japan
Japan at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Japan participated in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Ninety-four athletes participated in all sports except ice hockey. Japanese athletes earned five medals at the games, including three silver and two bronze, short of the 10-medal goal set by the Japanese Olympic...
at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, and he won silver at Men's 500 metres.