ODDS and EVENS | For Miho Takagi, Winning Medals is the Hallmark of Her Outstanding Career

If someone told you days before the 2010 Vancouver Olympics that Miho Takagi, who was 15 at the time, would become one of Japan's greatest Olympians, you would've expressed doubt. Of that, I'm certain.

But more than a decade and a half later, the veteran speed skater continues to accomplish impressive feats on the ice.

In the women's 500 meters at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday, February 15, Takagi placed third behind the Netherlands' Femke Kok (36.49 seconds, an Olympic record) and Jutta Leerdam (37.15). With a time of 37.27, Takagi claimed her ninth Olympic medal, more than any other Japanese female athlete. It was Takagi's second bronze medal of the 2026 Winter Games. She also finished third in the 1,000 on February 9.

*Miho Takagi's ninth Winter Olympic medal, bronze in the 500 meters on February 15. (©KYODO)*

And Takagi will likely add to that total in Italy. Up next: the team pursuit on Tuesday night. After that, the 31-year-old will lace up her skates for the women's 1,500, and the final is on Friday night (starting Saturday at 12 AM JST).

The Hokkaido Prefecture native, who was 35th in the 1,000 and 23rd in the 1,500 at the 2010 Olympics, returned eight years later to the quadrennial global sports extravaganza. And she departed from South Korea with a bronze medal (in the 1,000), a silver (in the 1,500) and a gold (in team pursuit).

In this columnist's view, 2018 marked the beginning of Miho Takagi's ascent to Olympic stardom. Looking back, her experience in 2010 was, well, a necessary learning experience.

At the 2022 Beijing Games, Takagi collected more medals than any other Japanese athlete. Her medal haul consisted of three silver (500, 1,500 and team pursuit) and gold (1,000).

A 9th Olympic Medal for Miho Takagi

On Sunday night, Takagi raced in the fourth of 15 pairings in the women's 500 in Milan.

"She smoothly navigated the corners and powered through the final straight," The Sankei Shimbun reported.

Her time for the first 100 meters (10.40 seconds) was fourth-best among 29 participants, and it set the tone for Takagi's solid effort.

It wasn't spectacular, but it proved to be fast enough to secure Takagi another Olympic medal.

"I didn't think that my time would be [fast] enough," she told reporters at Milano Speed Skating Stadium before adding, "I thought it was right on the edge."

Indeed, it was. Italy's Serena Pergher placed fourth in 37.30 seconds.

As it turned out, Takagi was delighted to secure the bronze medal.

"My ranking dropped one spot from the Beijing Olympics, but I didn't expect things to go this smoothly this time," she was quoted as saying by Sports Hochi. "I'm genuinely happy to have secured a medal."

Miho Takagi Pushes Herself

Clearly, Takagi is her own biggest critic. And that has helped her become one of her chosen sport's top stars.

"Yesterday, I felt my skating wasn't quite fitting together," Takagi, who began skating at age 5, told reporters after Sunday's 500-meter competition wrapped up. "The fact that I was able to improve from there to this level is very big for me."

She added, "What I worked on with intention had a positive effect, and I think that will carry into the individual (1,500-meter) event and team pursuit."

Aiming for Olympic Glory in the 1,500

Before Italy's Olympics commenced, Miho Takagi issued a challenge to herself, targeting victory in the 1,500.

"My biggest target this time is the 1,500," Miho Takagi said in the run-up to the Milan Cortina Games, according to Nippon.com. "I want to give everything I have [in this event] at the Olympics and finally win the gold."

In the same article, the speed skater elaborated on why winning the 1,500 in the Olympics is her top objective.

"It's not just a goal because I think it might be attainable," she was quoted as saying. "Winning the 1,500 meters has been important to me for a long time. I'm determined not to lose in that event more than any other."

A Model of Consistency

Miho Takagi has demonstrated her speed skating prowess again and again at the Olympics. She's also been a prolific winner on the ISU Speed Skating World Cup circuit and in ISU World Single Distance Speed Skating Championships over the past decade.

Most notably, Takagi has won five straight World Cup season titles in the 1,500 and six overall.

At the world championships, she's collected 16 medals, including six gold (highlighted recently by back-to-back titles in the 1,000 in 2024 and '25).

And remember, she'll be back in the spotlight twice more at the Milan Cortina Olympics ― in team pursuit and the 1,500. At this point, 16 years after her Olympic introduction, there's no doubt that Miho Takagi has left her mark on speed skating.

Author: Ed Odeven

Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.