Tetsuya Isozaki

Position: Skipper
Born: April 1992
Hometown: Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

He began sailing at Lake Kasumigaura in the 3rd grade of elementary school, initially competing in the Optimist class through junior high. He represented Japan twice at the World Championships in the class.
For high school, he left home to attend Fukuoka Daiichi High School to focus on sailing, where he primarily competed as a crew. During his high school years, he claimed victories at national competitions such as the National Sports Festival and JOC Cup, and represented Japan in numerous international events, including the Youth Worlds and the Asian Games.

He went on to enroll at Japan University of Economics, where he began full-scale competition in the 470 class. Though he started as a top-level crew, winning both the individual and team titles at the All-Japan Intercollegiate Championships in his first year, he was forced to switch to the skipper position in his third year due to team circumstances.
Despite the sudden change, he quickly rose as a top-level skipper, finishing 4th at the All-Japan 470 Championship that same year—an unusually rapid ascent in the Japanese sailing scene.

After graduation, he launched a campaign for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He won a gold medal at the 2017 Princess Sofia Trophy and a silver medal at the 2018 World Championships, in addition to collecting medals at various World Cup and Asian-level events.
He was considered a top contender for Japan’s Olympic team, but narrowly missed selection and stepped away from Olympic sailing in disappointment.

After some time away, while competing in the Snipe class and keelboats, he decided to make a comeback, setting his sights on the Paris 2024 Olympics. He resumed campaigning in the now mixed-gender 470 class.
From the beginning of his return, he delivered strong results and was selected to the national team. At the 2023 World Championships, just one year into his comeback, he placed 3rd, securing a medal alongside the gold-winning Okada-Yoshioka team in what would become one of the most competitive regattas in history. That pair later went on to win silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

At the 2024 World Championships—the selection regatta for the Paris Olympics—he led the fleet for the first four days, but struggled on day five in strong winds and narrowly missed both the gold medal and a spot on the Olympic team.
However, due to his world-class skill, he continued to serve as a key training partner to the Okada-Yoshioka team, contributing to their silver medal performance and honing his own skills in the process.

For the LA 2028 Olympics campaign, he has teamed up with Ayaka Ito, a designated athlete under the Japan Sailing Federation’s HOPE Development Program.
Drawing on his vast experience and skill, he is determined to bring Japan its first-ever Olympic gold medal in sailing.

(Photo: Kazushige Nakajima / Text: T.N.)