Mei Okada (figure skater)

Mei Okada
Personal information
Native name
岡田 芽依
Born (2010-04-22) April 22, 2010
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Height1.52 m (5 ft 0 in)
Figure skating career
Country Japan
CoachMie Hamada
Skating clubKinoshita Academy
Began skating2015
Medal record
Figure skating: Women's singles
Junior Grand Prix Final
Bronze medal – third place2025–26 NagoyaWomen's singles

Mei Okada (岡田 芽依, Okada Mei; born April 22, 2010) is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2025–26 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, a four-time Junior Grand Prix series medalist, and the 2025–26 Japan junior bronze medalist.

Personal life

Mei Okada was born on April 22, 2010 in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.[1] Around 2019, she and her family moved to Nishio but despite that, Okada continued making the two-hour trip to Nagoya for her training until 2026 when she moved to Uji, Kyoto.[2][3]

She is named after the character, Mei Kusakabe, from My Neighbor Totoro. In reference to that, Okada often carries a Totoro tissue box with her to competitions.[4]

Her figure skating idols are Mao Asada and her former training mate, Miyabi Oba.[5] As hobbies, she enjoys cooking and nail art.[1][6]

In 2026, Okada enrolled at Chukyo University Chukyo High School.[7]

Career

Early years

Okada began learning how to skate in 2015 at the age of five at the encouragement of her mother, who was a fan of Mao Asada. She subsequently began training at the Meito Figure Skating Club under coaches, Yuko Monna, Rina Horie, and Haruka Oshima.[5][2][1]

She made her junior national debut at the 2023–24 Japan Junior Championships.[8]

2024–25 season: Junior international debut

Okada started her season by making her junior international debut on the Junior Grand Prix series, winning bronze at 2024 JGP Thailand and at 2024 JGP Slovenia.[8] With these results, Okada was named as the second alternate for the 2024–25 Junior Grand Prix Final.[9]

In November, Okada competed at the 2024–25 Japan Junior Championships. She placed twenty-first in the short program but rebounded with a third-place free skate to move up to eighth place overall. With this result, Okada was invited to compete at the senior national championships the following month, where she placed eighteenth overall.[8][10]

2025–26: Junior Grand Prix Final silver

Okada began her season by competing Junior Grand Prix circuit, winning gold at 2025 JGP Latvia. "I was third place twice last year [on the Junior Grand Prix]," she stated in an interview following this result. "So this season I have set my goal as going to the [Junior Grand Prix] Final. And especially because it's going to be in my hometown so that gives me extra motivation."[6] Okada then went on to win the silver medal at 2025 JGP Thailand behind teammate, Mao Shimada.[11]

Okada's results on the Junior Grand Prix series allowed her to qualify for the 2025–26 Junior Grand Prix Final in her hometown of Nagoya, Japan.[12]

In November, Okada competed at the 2025–26 Japan Junior Championships where she won the bronze medal behind Mao Shimada and Mayuko Oka.[13] With this result, Okada was invited to compete at the senior national championships.[14]

The week after, Okada competed at the 2025–26 Junior Grand Prix Final where she placed second in the short program and fifth in the free skate to win the bronze medal overall behind Mao Shimada and Kim Yu-seong. During her free skate, Okada attempted a triple Axel for the first time in international competition but she fell on it and it marked as under-rotated.[15]

Moving up to the senior level to compete at the 2025–26 Japan Championships at the end of December, Okada finished the event in fourteenth place.[8]

Selected to compete at the 2026 World Junior Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, Okada placed a disappointing twenty-fourth in the short program after her triple loop was deemed as landed on the quarter, popping the first part of her planned triple flip-triple toe combination into a single, and falling on the second part of that combination.[16] She rebounded with a stronger free skate, however, placing fifth in that competition segment and moving up to tenth place overall.[8]

In April, it was announced that Okada had transferred to the Kinoshita Academy in Uji, Kyoto, where she would be coached by Mie Hamada.[17][3][18]

Programs

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2026–2027
[19]
2025–2026
[1]
2024–2025
[20]
  • Nine
    by Maury Yeston
    • Unusual Way
      performed by Nicole Kidman
    • Be Italian
      performed by Fergie
      choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto
2023–2024
[21]

Competitive highlights

Competition placements at senior level [8][22]
Season 2024–25 2025–26
Japan Championships 18th 14th
Competition placements at junior level [8][22]
Season 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
World Junior Championships 10th
Junior Grand Prix Final 3rd
Japan Championships 14th 8th 3rd
JGP Latvia 1st TBD
JGP Slovenia 3rd TBD
JGP Thailand 3rd 2nd

Detailed results

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [8]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS195.822025–26 Junior Grand Prix Final
Short program TSS68.382025 JGP Latvia
TES39.312025 JGP Latvia
PCS29.542026 World Junior Championships
Free skating TSS127.612025–26 Junior Grand Prix Final
TES69.092025–26 Junior Grand Prix Final
PCS60.162025 JGP Thailand

Senior level

Results in the 2024–25 season [8]
Date Event SP FS Total
P Score P Score P Score
Dec 19–22, 2024 Japan 2024–25 Japan Championships 16 61.28 19 118.48 18 179.76
Results in the 2025–26 season [8]
Date Event SP FS Total
P Score P Score P Score
Dec 18–21, 2025 Japan 2025–26 Japan Championships 18 60.43 12 124.86 14 185.29

Junior level

Results in the 2023–24 season [8]
Date Event SP FS Total
P Score P Score P Score
Nov 17–19, 2023 Japan 2023–24 Japan Championships (Junior) 16 51.41 14 101.58 14 152.99
Results in the 2024–25 season [8]
Date Event SP FS Total
P Score P Score P Score
Sep 11–14, 2024 Thailand 2024 JGP Thailand 3 57.58 4 118.38 3 175.96
Oct 2–5, 2024 Slovenia 2024 JGP Slovenia 2 68.34 3 122.59 3 190.93
Nov 15–17, 2024 Japan 2024–25 Japan Championships (Junior) 21 49.72 3 124.79 8 174.51
Results in the 2025–26 season [8]
Date Event SP FS Total
P Score P Score P Score
Aug 20–23, 2025 Latvia 2025 JGP Latvia 1 68.38 1 121.29 1 189.67
Sep 9–13, 2025 Thailand 2025 JGP Thailand 2 65.95 2 125.04 2 190.99
Nov 22–24, 2025 Japan 2025–26 Japan Championships (Junior) 2 65.07 3 123.24 3 188.31
Dec 4–7, 2025 Japan 2025–26 Junior Grand Prix Final 2 68.21 5 127.61 3 195.82
Mar 3–8, 2026 Estonia 2026 World Junior Championships 24 53.70 5 124.07 10 177.77

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Mei OKADA: 2025/2026". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 7, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "フィギュア次世代スター候補・岡田芽依選手に密着　リンクと自宅の往復100km、母の献身的な支え". Nagoya TV. Nagoya TV. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 "木下アカデミーに移籍した岡田芽依　新たな環境で見つけたいことは　【ブルームオンアイス】". Kyodo News. Kyodo News. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "【フィギュア】JGP初V岡田芽依「信じられなかった」地元開催のファイナルへ「手応えある」". Nikkan Sports. Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 "【フィギュア】岡田芽依、ジュニアGPデビュー戦３位「うれしかった」憧れは15歳年上の大庭雅". Nikkan Sports. Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 ""The Final is my goal!" - Mei Okada (JPN) - Women Winner Interview - #JGPFigure Riga Cup 2025". YouTube. Skating ISU. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "ジュニアの女子有望株である岡田芽依と上薗恋奈がフィギュアの強豪・中京大中京高に進学". Chunichi. Chunichi. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "JPN–Mei Okada". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2024/2025 - Junior Women". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "The follow junior skaters have qualified for Senior Nationals". X. Skate Japan News. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "2025 JGP Bangkok - Junior Womens Final Results". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2025/2026 - Junior Women". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "2026 Japanese Junior Nationals - Junior Womens Final Results". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Update: Following the results of Junior Nationals, the following Junior skaters have been invited to compete at Nationals". X. Skate Japan News. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final - Junior Women's Free Skate Scores" (PDF). International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "ISU Figure Skating World Junior Championships Tallinn 2026 - Junior Women Short Program" (PDF). International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "岡田芽依、木下アカデミー所属に　名東FSCから移籍　今春から愛知・中京大中京高通信制課程". Kyodo News. Kyodo News. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "【フィギュア】岡田芽依「上を目指せるように」名東FSC→木下アカデミーへの移籍理由語る". Nikkan Sports. Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "岡田 芽依 Mei OKADA". Fuji TV. Fuji TV. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Mei OKADA: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on February 15, 2025.
  21. ↑ "全日本ジュニア選手権2023　(11/17-19)" (PDF). Fuji TV. Fuji TV. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  22. 1 2 "Mei OKADA: Competition Results". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
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