Hazuki Watanabe

Hazuki Watanabe (渡部 葉月, born 7 August 2004) is a Japanese artistic gymnast. She is the 2022 World Champion on the balance beam. She was part of the bronze medal winning team at the 2022 Asian Championships. Additionally she represented Japan at the inaugural Junior World Championships.

Early life Watanabe was born in Mie, Japan in 2004.

Career 2019 Watanabe competed at the 2019 City of Jesolo Trophy where she helped Japan finish fifth as a team. She was later selected to compete at the inaugural Junior World Championships alongside Shoko Miyata and Chiaki Hatakeda; they finished eleventh as a team.

2022 Watanabe competed at the Asian Championships where she helped Japan finish third as a team. Later in the year Watanabe was selected to represent Japan at the 2022 World Championships alongside Shoko Miyata, Kokoro Fukasawa, Ayaka Sakaguchi, Chiharu Yamada, and Arisa Kasahara; she was initially the alternate. However, Kasahara later withdrew from the team due to injury and Watanabe was added to the main team. While at the World Championships, Watanabe helped Japan finish seventh as a team, and individually, she qualified for the balance beam final. During the balance beam final, Watanabe won gold, becoming the third Japanese gymnast to win the world title on balance beam, after Keiko Tanaka-Ikeda and Urara Ashikawa.

Competitive history +Competitive history of Hazuki WatanabeYearEvent 2019 City of Jesolo Trophy 5 13 All-Japan Championships 9 NHK Trophy 6 Junior World Championships 11 All-Japan Junior Championships 7 All-Japan Team Championships 7 2020 All-Japan Senior Championships 42 2021 All-Japan Championships 22 NHK Trophy 21 All-Japan Event Championships 6 All-Japan Team Championships 13 5 2022 All-Japan Championships 4 NHK Trophy 4 Asian Championships World Championships 7 2023 DTB Pokal Team Challenge 5 DTB Pokal Mixed Cup All-Japan Championships 2026 NHK Trophy 18