Tetsuya Isozaki

Position / Skipper
Born: April 1992
Hometown: Ibaraki Prefecture

Started sailing on Lake Kasumigaura in the 3rd grade of elementary school, and was active in the Optimist class until junior high school. Represented Japan twice at the World Championships. In high school, he moved away from home to attend Fukuoka Daiichi High School on a sailing scholarship, mainly competing as a crew. During high school, he won the National Sports Festival and JOC Cup, and represented Japan at various international competitions such as the Youth Worlds and Asian Championships.
He then enrolled at Japan University of Economics and began seriously competing in the 470 class. From his first year, he won both the individual and team titles at the Intercollegiate Championships, establishing himself as one of the top-level student crews. In his third year, due to team circumstances, he was forced to switch positions to skipper, but soon showed promise, finishing 4th at the All Japan 470 Championships that same year. After switching positions, he quickly rose to Japan’s top ranks at an extraordinary pace.
After graduation, he launched a campaign aiming for the TOKYO2020 Olympics. He won a gold medal at the 2017 Princess Sofia Trophy and a silver medal at the 2018 World Championships, and collected multiple medals at World Cups and the Asian Games, making him a top contender for the Olympic team. However, he narrowly missed selection and retired from Olympic campaigning in disappointment.
After stepping away from Olympic sailing for a while, he continued to perform in the Snipe class and keelboats, and eventually decided to make a comeback for the PARIS2024 Olympics. He resumed his campaign in the 470 class, which had become a mixed-gender event. From the very start of his return, he produced strong results, earning selection to the national team and demonstrating his undiminished skill. Just one year after his return, he finished 3rd at the 2023 World Championships, battling it out at an unprecedentedly high level alongside the Okada/Yoshioka team, who later became PARIS2024 Olympic silver medalists.
At the decisive 2024 World Championships for Olympic selection, he held the lead for four days straight from the start but struggled on the fifth day in strong winds, missing out on both the gold medal and Olympic spot by a narrow margin. However, thanks to his world-class skills, he continued as a sailing partner for the Okada/Yoshioka team after the selection, helping them secure their silver medal while also refining his own abilities.
For the LA2028 Olympic campaign, he has reunited with Yurie Seki as his crew. The pair are once again stepping toward the dream stage that narrowly eluded them, aiming to become the first Japanese team to win an Olympic gold medal in sailing. They are a team bound by a strong bond and trust.
(Photo: Kazushige Nakajima / Text: T.N.)