Hirose Eriko

Jayce September 6, 2024 3 0

Character Introduction

Eriko Hirose (Japanese: ひろせえりこ , March 16, 1985), born Inomagawa-cho, Kawabe-gun, Hyogo Prefecture, is a Japanese female badminton player who announced her retirement in December 2014.

Eriko Hirose enrolled at Aomori Yamada High School in Aomori Prefecture, a well-known badminton powerhouse. During her first and second years of high school, she partnered with Yang Ailin, an international student from China, and won the women’s doubles event at the National High School Championships and the National High School Selection Tournament; in addition, she assisted the school in achieving two consecutive women’s team victories at the most important National High School Championships. In the women’s singles program, she was the runner-up in the 2002 National High School Championships and twice dominated the All-Japan Junior Badminton Championships.

In 2004, Hirose won her first All-Japan Badminton Championships and the National Ranking Tour Women’s Singles Championships, and in December of the same year, she defeated Lulan, Jeon Jae-juan, and Sara Ki Posana in the Indonesia Open, finishing second in the women’s singles, her best result since she began participating in international tournaments.

In April 2006, Eriko Hirose made her debut for Japan at the Uber Cup Women’s Badminton Team Championships in Tokyo/Sendai, where she was defeated by Dutch No.2 Jodie Melendijk in the last eight, leaving Japan with a 2-3 loss in total matches. Towards the end of the year, Hirose had the opportunity to represent the Japanese national team at the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, where she helped her team win the silver medal in the women’s team event, but only managed to reach the last eight in the women’s singles event.

In 2007, Eriko Hirose played at the Super Series level, reaching the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Super Series and the Singapore Super Series in the first half of the year. In July, Hirose, who was ranked No. 7 in the world at the time, suffered a ruptured right medial thigh muscle during the Philippine Open, which had a major impact on her participation in the Olympic Games Points Tournament; she also withdrew from the Japan Super Series, China Super Series and Russia Golden Grand Prix, which were held in the second half of the year.

In 2008, Hirose’s performance continued to slump, only reaching the quarterfinals of the India Golden Grand Prix in April, but eventually qualifying to represent Japan in the women’s singles event at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China in August. In the round of 16 against France’s Pi Hongyan, she lost 1-2 (21-12, 16-21, 21-6) in three sets, ending her first trip to the Olympics.

In March 2011, Eriko Hirose competed in the All England Premier Super Tournament, knocking out India’s Saina Neville in the quarter-finals and then defeating Bulgaria’s Petia Nedelchova in the semi-finals to reach the final, equaling the record of Japanese women’s badminton singles players who reached the final of the All England Open 32 years ago. Unfortunately, she faced China’s Wang Shixian in the final and eventually lost 0-2 (22-24, 18-21) to finish second.

In December 2014, at the age of 29, Eriko Hirose announced her retirement after the All Japan Comprehensive Badminton Championships, ending her 23-year career as an athlete.

In 2017, Eriko Hirose began coaching the Japan national badminton team’s B team.