Photo: Extracted and retouched by バルバルディ;Original photo by HM 2001 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I'll be honest, I have a soft spot for skaters who win with brains as much as legs, and Nana Takagi is exactly that. Pyeongchang 2018 is where I fell for her: team pursuit gold, where she clicked into formation with her teammates like clockwork, and then the brand-new mass start, where she read the pack, sat back, and pounced to become its very first Olympic champion. That race is pure chess on ice, and she played it cold. It's wild that she shares a dinner table with Miho, one of the sport's biggest stars, yet carves out her own legend through patience and timing rather than raw speed. She comes off so calm and understated, but I'm convinced there's a stubborn, white-hot competitor underneath. Quietly, completely her own skater. I respect it enormously.
Story
The Woman Who Won Chess on Ice: Nana Takagi's Two Golds in Pyeongchang
Overview
Nana Takagi is a Japanese speed skater born on July 2, 1992, in Makubetsu, Hokkaido. She is best known for her remarkable double gold at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where she won in both the team pursuit and the inaugural mass start event. She is a recipient of the Medal with Purple Ribbon (Shiju Hosho), one of Japan's highest honors for achievement in the arts and sciences.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Nana Takagi
- Name (Japanese)
- 髙木菜那
- Reading
- たかぎ なな
- Born
- July 2, 1992 (age 34)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Monkey (申)
- Origin
- Makubetsu, Hokkaido, Japan
- Height
- 155 cm
- Occupation
- Speed skater
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Medal with Purple Ribbon (Shiju Hosho) — year unknown
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Nana Takagi born?
Born July 2, 1992 (age 34).
Where is Nana Takagi from?
Nana Takagi is from Makubetsu, Hokkaido, Japan.
What does Nana Takagi do?
Nana Takagi works as Speed skater.
How tall is Nana Takagi?
Nana Takagi is 155 cm.
Speed skater — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.