Mai Murakami

Murakami was born in Sagamihara, Japan and began gymnastics when she was two years old. She attended university at the Nippon Sport Science University in Tokyo.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fig-gymnastics.com/publicdir/athletes/bio_detail.php?id=31166|title=MURAKAMI Mai|website=www.fig-gymnastics.com|access-date=2018-09-19}}

Murakami made her senior debut at the 2012 National Championships where she placed eleventh in the all-around. She was not named to the 2012 Olympic team.{{cite web |title=Japan Names Women's Olympic Team |url=https://www.flogymnastics.com/articles/5047154-japan-names-womens-olympic-team |website=FloGymnastics |publisher=FloSports, Inc. |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=6 May 2012}} Murakami competed at the 2012 Stuttgart World Cup where Japan finished second to Russia.{{cite web |title=2012 Stuttgart World Cup |url=https://www.flogymnastics.com/results/5995987-germany-shocks-russia-in-qualifying-competition-at-the-stuttgart-world-cup/2293 |website=FloGymnastics |publisher=FloSports, Inc. |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=1 December 2012}}

Murakami competed at the 2013 City of Jesolo Trophy where she won bronze with the Japanese team and placed 22nd in the all-around.{{cite web |title=6° Trofeo Città di Jesolo |url=https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/w_13jesolo_teamaa.pdf |website=USA Gymnastics |publisher=Federazione Ginnastica d'Italia |accessdate=17 July 2019 |language=Italian }} She finished third in the all-around at both the National Championships and the NHK Cup. She finished fourth on the floor exercise at the 2013 World Championships.{{cite web |url=http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/worlds/2013/wag/ef4fx.pdf |title=44th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Floor Exercise Final Women |date=6 October 2013 |website=Gymnastics Results |publisher=FIG |accessdate=16 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040343/http://www.gymnasticsresults.com/worlds/2013/wag/ef4fx.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.plus-blog.sportsnavi.com/jpngym/article/2132 |script-title=ja:第45回世界体操選手権＆第17回アジア競技大会・日本代表 |language=Japanese |trans-title=45th World Gymnastics Championship & 17th Asian Games, Japan Representatives |date=6 July 2014 |website=Japan Gymnastics Association |accessdate=16 August 2014 |archive-date=8 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608115858/http://www.plus-blog.sportsnavi.com/jpngym/article/2132 |url-status=dead }}

Murakami competed at the 2014 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships placing fourth with the team, sixth on floor, seventh on bars and beam, and ninth in the all-around.{{cite web |title=2014 Pacific Rim Championships Team Results |url=https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/w_14pacrim_teamaa.pdf |website=USA Gymnastics |accessdate=17 July 2019 |pages=1, 3 }}{{cite web |title=2014 Pacific Rim Championships Session WAG Senior Finals |url=https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/w_14pacrim_eventfinals.pdf |website=USA Gymnastics |accessdate=17 July 2019 |pages=2–4 }} She placed sixth in the all-around at the National Championships and fourth at the NHK Cup.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2014 Japanese Championships Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2014/05/09/2014-japanese-championships-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=9 May 2014}}{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2014 NHK Trophy Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2014/06/08/2014-nhk-trophy-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=8 June 2014}} At the All Japan Championships, she won gold on floor and silver on vault.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2014 All-Japan Event Championships Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2014/07/06/2014-all-japan-event-championships-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=6 July 2014}} She was then selected to compete at the 2014 World Championships along with Asuka Teramoto, Yu Minobe, Natsumi Sasada, Wakana Inoue, and Azumi Ishikura, and they finished in eighth place.{{cite web |title=45th ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in Nanning (CHN) Women's Team Final |url=https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/w_14worlds_teamfinal.pdf |website=USA Gymnastics |publisher=FIG |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=8 October 2014}} After the World Championships Murakami finished the season by placed fifth in the all-around at the Glasgow World and winning vault and floor at the Toyota International.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=Larisa Iordache is All-Around Champion in Glasgow |url=https://thegymter.net/2014/12/06/larisa-iordache-is-all-around-champion-in-glasgow/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=6 December 2014}}{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2014 Toyota International Report and Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2014/12/18/2014-toyota-international-report-and-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=18 December 2014}}

At the 2015 National Championships, Murakami struggled on beam and floor and placed tenth in the all-around.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2015 Japanese Championships Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2015/05/07/2015-japanese-championships-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=7 May 2015}} She placed eighth in the all-around at the NHK Cup, but at the Event Championships she won bronze on vault and gold on floor.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2015 Japanese Event Championships Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2015/06/29/2015-japanese-event-championships/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=29 June 2015}} Murakami was initially named an alternate for the World Championships, but an injury led to her joining the team. The Japanese team placed fifth, and she placed sixth in the all-around, the best finish by a Japanese woman in six years.{{cite web |title=46th ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, GLASGOW (GBR) Women's Team Final |url=https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/w_15worlds_teamfinal.pdf |website=USA Gymnastics |publisher=FIG |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=27 October 2015}}

Murakami competed at the American Cup where she placed sixth in the all-around.{{cite web |title=2016 AT&T American Cup |url=https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/americancup_results_2016.pdf |website=USA Gymnastics |accessdate=17 July 2019 |pages=2 }} She then won the all-around at the National Championships in addition to winning gold on floor and bronze on vault and beam.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2016 All-Japan Championships Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2016/04/01/2016-all-japan-championships-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=1 April 2016}} At the NHK Cup, she finished second in the all-around behind Asuka Teramoto, and she won gold on floor and silver on vault.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2016 NHK Trophy Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2016/05/04/2016-nhk-trophy-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=4 May 2016}} At the Event National Championships, she won gold on floor exercise and placed fourth on uneven bars.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2016 All-Japan Event Championships Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2016/06/07/2016-all-japan-event-championships-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=7 June 2016}} She was then named to represent Japan at the 2016 Summer Olympics along with Asuka Teramoto, Aiko Sugihara, Yuki Uchiyama, and Sae Miyakawa.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=Japan First to Name Olympic Team |url=https://thegymter.net/2016/06/07/japan-first-to-name-olympic-team/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=7 June 2016}}

Japan competed in the final subdivision of the qualification round, and they qualified seventh into the team final, and individually Murakami qualified ninth into the all-around and eighth on floor exercise.{{cite web |title=Artistic Gymnastics Women Qualification Results |url=https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2016/olympics/documents/wag/qual.pdf |website=Gymnastics Results |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=7 August 2016}} The team then finished fourth in the team final.{{cite web |title=Artistic Gymnastics Women's Team Final |url=https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2016/olympics/documents/wag/teamsfinal.pdf |website=Gymnastics Results |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=9 August 2016}} Murakami placed fourteenth in the all-around final with a score of 56.665.{{cite web |title=Artistic Gymnastics Women's Individual All-Around Final Results |url=https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2016/olympics/documents/wag/aafinal.pdf |website=Gymnastics Results |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=11 August 2016}} She then placed seventh in the floor exercise final with a score of 14.533.{{cite web |title=Artistic Gymnastics Women's Floor Exercise Final Results |url=https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2016/olympics/documents/wag/af4fx.pdf |website=Gymnastics Results |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=16 August 2016}}

Murakami won the all-around at the National Championships in addition to winning gold on beam and floor and winning silver on vault.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2017 All-Japan Championships Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2017/04/07/2017-all-japan-championships-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=7 April 2017}} She also won the all-around at the NHK Cup and won gold on beam and floor and bronze on vault and uneven bars. She was then automatically named to the World Championship team along with Aiko Sugihara.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=Murakami, Sugihara Named to Japan's Worlds Team |url=https://thegymter.net/2017/05/20/murakami-sugihara-named-to-japans-worlds-team/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=20 May 2017}} She then won silver on floor and placed fifth on vault at the Event National Championships.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2017 All-Japan Event Championships Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2017/06/25/2017-all-japan-event-championships-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=25 June 2017}}

At the 2017 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, she qualified first into the all-around final, ahead of American gymnast Ragan Smith,{{cite web |title=47th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2017 Montréal (CAN) Women's Individual All-Around Qualification Results |url=https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2017/worlds/documents/wag/qaa.pdf |website=Gymnastics Results |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=3 October 2017}} but had a fall in the finals, and ended up in 4th place, one-tenth of a point behind the bronze medalist, Russia's Elena Eremina.{{cite web |title=47th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2017 Montréal (CAN) Women's Individual All-Around Final Results |url=https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2017/worlds/documents/wag/aaf.pdf |website=Gymnastics Results |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=6 October 2017}} She redeemed herself in the floor exercise finals, where she placed first ahead of Jade Carey and Claudia Fragapane.{{cite web |title=47th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2017 Montréal (CAN)Women's Floor Exercise Final Results |url=https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2017/worlds/documents/wag/af4fx.pdf |website=Gymnastics Results |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=8 October 2017}} She is Japan's first World gold medalist on this event, and Japan's second World gold medalist on any women's gymnastics event, after Keiko Tanaka-Ikeda won the gold on the balance beam in 1954. Afterward, she won gold on floor and bronze on vault at the Toyota International.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2017 Toyota International Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2017/12/10/2017-toyota-international-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=10 December 2017}}

Murakami finished second at the American Cup behind Morgan Hurd.{{cite web |title=2018 American Cup Meet Results |url=https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/americancup_results_2018.pdf |website=USA Gymnastics |accessdate=18 July 2019 |pages=2 |date=3 March 2018}} She then won the all-around at the Tokyo World Cup.{{cite web |last1=Lawrence |first1=Blythe |title=Trinity Thomas Wins Tokyo World Cup Silver And Secures U.S. Women The Season's Team World Cup Title |url=https://www.teamusa.org/News/2018/April/14/Trinity-Thomas-Wins-Tokyo-World-Cup-Silver-And-Secures-US-Women-The-Seasons-Team-World-Cup-Title |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415030511/https://www.teamusa.org/News/2018/April/14/Trinity-Thomas-Wins-Tokyo-World-Cup-Silver-And-Secures-US-Women-The-Seasons-Team-World-Cup-Title |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 15, 2018 |website=Team USA |publisher=United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=14 April 2018}} Then, she won the all-around at both the National Championships and the NHK Cup.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=Three-peat for Murakami at All-Japan |url=https://thegymter.net/2018/05/06/three-peat-for-murakami-at-all-japan/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=6 May 2018}}{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2018 NHK Trophy Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2018/05/21/2018-nhk-trophy-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=21 May 2018}} She won gold on balance beam and floor exercise at the Event National Championships.{{cite web |last1=Hopkins |first1=Lauren |title=2018 All-Japan Event Championships Results |url=https://thegymter.net/2018/07/08/2018-all-japan-event-championships-results/ |website=The Gymternet |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=8 July 2018}} At the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Doha, Qatar the Japanese team finished in sixth place.{{cite web |title=48th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Doha (QAT), 25 October – 3 November 2018 Women's Team Final Results |url=https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2018/worlds/documents/wag/teamsfinal.pdf |website=Gymnastics Results |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=30 October 2018}} Individually, she finished second in the all-around final, behind Simone Biles.{{cite web |title=48th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Doha (QAT), 25 October – 3 November 2018 Women's All-Around Final Results |url=https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2018/worlds/documents/wag/aafinal.pdf |website=Gymnastics Results |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=1 November 2018}} It was the first women’s all-around silver medal in Japan’s history. She then won the bronze medal in the floor exercise final behind Biles and Morgan Hurd.{{cite web |title=48th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Doha (QAT), 25 October – 3 November 2018 Women's Floor Exercise Final Results |url=https://gymnasticsresults.com/results/2018/worlds/documents/wag/af4fx.pdf |website=Gymnastics Results |accessdate=18 July 2019 |date=3 November 2018}}

Murakami won a bronze medal in the all-around at the American Cup behind Americans Leanne Wong and Grace McCallum.{{cite web |title=Mai Murakami finishes third at American Cup |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2019/03/03/more-sports/gymnastics/mai-murakami-finishes-third-american-cup/#.XS8dQOhKjIU |website=The Japan Times |publisher=The Japan Times LTD |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=3 March 2019}} Murakami missed the NHK Cup due to a back injury, but because of this, Murakami was deemed ineligible to make the Japanese team for the World Championships.{{cite web |title=Mai Murakami, all-around silver medalist, ineligible for gymnastics worlds |url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019/06/10/mai-murakami-gymnastics-world-championships/ |website=NBC Sports |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=10 June 2019}} Murakami's petition was denied.{{cite web |title=Mai Murakami left out of the Worlds team selection |url=https://eng.gymnovosti.com/mai-murakami-left-out-of-the-worlds-team-selection/ |website=Gymnovosti |accessdate=17 July 2019 |date=8 June 2019}}

In February it was announced that Murakami would represent Japan at the Tokyo World Cup taking place on April 4.{{cite web|url=https://www.gymnastics.sport/site/news/displaynews.php?idNews=2809|title=Simone Biles heads star-studded field for Tokyo World Cup|work=International Gymnastics Federation|date=February 14, 2020}} However the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.{{cite tweet|number=1239945252183703553|user=FIG_media|date=March 17, 2020|title=Japan Gymnastics Association has decided to cancel the #Tokyo All-Around World Cup that was scheduled on 4–5 April 2020}} Murakami returned to competition in September at the All-Japan Senior Championships, where she won gold in the all-around. In addition, she performed well enough to win medals on each of the individual events, including two additional golds on vault and floor.{{Cite web|last=Hopkins|first=Lauren|date=September 22, 2020|title=2020 All-Japan Senior Championships Results|url=https://thegymter.net/2020/09/22/2020-all-japan-senior-championships-results/|access-date=September 22, 2020|website=The Gymternet}} She next competed at the All-Japan Championships in December.

In April 2021, it was announced that she, along with Hatakeda Hitomi, Hiraiwa Yuna and Sugihara Aiko, would represent Japan at Tokyo 2020 Olympics.{{cite web|url= https://thegymter.net/2021/05/15/murakami-hatakeda-hiraiwa-sugihara-named-to-japanese-olympic-team/ |date=15 May 2021|title= Murakami, Hatakeda, Hiraiwa, and Sugihara Named to Japanese Olympic Team |accessdate=19 July 2021}} The team finished in 5th place and Murakami finished 5th in the all-around.

On 2 August 2021, Murakami achieved a score of 14.166 for the individual women's floor event and won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (tied with Angelina Melnikova of ROC who also won bronze).{{Cite web|title=Artistic Gymnastics – Final Results|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/artistic-gymnastics/results-women-s-floor-exercise-fnl-000001-.htm|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-08-02|work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|language=en-us|archive-date=2021-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802082137/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/artistic-gymnastics/results-women-s-floor-exercise-fnl-000001-.htm}} She became the first female Japanese gymnast to win an individual medal at the Olympics. This was also only the second time that Japan had won an Olympic medal on any women's gymnastics event, since finishing 3rd in the team competition at the 1964 Olympics which were also held in Tokyo.

In October 2021, Murakami competed at the 2021 World Championships, where she won gold on the floor exercise and bronze on the balance beam. After this achievement, she announced her retirement from gymnastics.{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2021/10/25/more-sports/gymnastics/murakami-asahikawa-kitakyushu-worlds/|title=Retiring Mai Murakami ends career with gold at world championships|work=The Japan Times|date=October 25, 2021}}

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Category:1996 births

Category:Living people

Category:Japanese female artistic gymnasts

Category:Gymnasts at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic gymnasts for Japan

Category:World champion gymnasts

Category:Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Category:Gymnasts at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic medalists in gymnastics

Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Japan

Category:Nippon Sport Science University alumni

Category:Sportspeople from Sagamihara

Category:21st-century Japanese sportswomen