is an American-born ice dancer who became a Japanese citizen in 2020. He and his wife, Misato Komatsubara, are the 2020 NHK Trophy gold medalists and four-time Japanese national champions. Together, they also earned a bronze medal from the team event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Earlier in his career, Koleto competed with partner Yura Min for South Korea, winning the 2014 national title and placing tenth at the 2014 Four Continents. He also competed with Thea Rabe for Norway.
Personal life
Koleto was born June 17, 1991, in Kalispell, Montana. He married Misato Komatsubara in January 2017 in Okayama, Japan. On Jun 1, 2023, Koleto came out as bisexual via Instagram.
Koleto became a Japanese citizen on November 19, 2020. Upon becoming a Japanese citizen, Koleto legally adopted the Komatsubara surname. Japanese law requires couples to share a surname, and he felt that "to be Japanese but ask my wife to change to a foreign surname I thought was quite strange." He chose the personal name Takeru after consulting his mother-in-law about what name she would have used if she had had another child. He studies and speaks Japanese.
Career
Early years
Koleto began learning to skate in 1998. He worked with trainers in his hometown.
He placed 6th in the junior men's category at the 2012 U.S. Championships. In June 2012, he dislocated his knee and partially tore his hamstring and lateral collateral ligament while practicing a triple Axel jump . During practice in December, he twisted his ankle and tore the tibiofibular ligament.
Partnership with Min
2013–14 season
Koleto switched to ice dancing and teamed up with Yura Min in April 2013. They placed 9th at the 2013 Ukrainian Open in December 2013. They were the only senior ice dance team competing at the 2014 South Korean Championships, and they won with a score of 105.49. Representing South Korea, the duo placed tenth at the 2014 Four Continents Championships. They placed tenth at the 2014 Bavarian Open.
2014–15 season
They placed eighth at an ISU Challenger Series event, the 2014 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. They finished fifth at their last event together, the International Cup of Nice in October 2014. They were coached by Igor Shpilband and Greg Zuerlein in Novi, Michigan.
Partnership with Rabe
Koleto had tryouts with Norway's Thea Rabe in November 2014 in Lyon, France, and the following month in Novi, Michigan. They agreed to skate together for Norway. In May 2015, Rabe moved to the United States to train with Koleto. Igor Shpilband, Adrienne Lenda, Fabian Bourzat, and Greg Zuerlein coached the team in Novi, Michigan.
2015–16 season
After being released by South Korea and sitting out one year, as required by the International Skating Union, Koleto became eligible to compete for Norway beginning October 20, 2015. Making their international debut, Rabe/Koleto won the bronze medal at the Volvo Open Cup in November 2015. They placed 8th at both the Open d'Andorra and the CS Warsaw Cup. Despite qualifying to the 2016 European Championships, they decided to end their partnership a few weeks before the event. They were Norway's first-ever ice dancing team.
Partnership with Komatsubara
2016–17 season
Koleto teamed up with Misato Komatsubara following a tryout in Milan in April 2016. They decided to train together in Milan under Barbara Fusar-Poli. They received the bronze medal at the 2016–17 Japan Championships in December 2016.
2017–18 season
Making their international debut for Japan, Komatsubara/Koleto placed 8th at the CS Lombardia Trophy in September 2017. They finished tenth at their sole Grand Prix event, the 2017 NHK Trophy. The two won the silver medal in December at the 2017–18 Japan Championships. They placed tenth at the 2018 Four Continents Championships with a historic personal best score of 138.18. They placed fourth at the 2018 Toruń Cup.
2018–19 season
In March 2018, Komatsubara/Koleto announced that they had moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to train under Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, and Romain Haguenauer at the Gadbois Centre.
They won bronze at both of their ISU Challenger Series events, the 2018 CS Asian Open Trophy and 2018 CS US International Classic. They competed at two Grand Prix assignments, placing eighth at the 2018 NHK Trophy and eighth at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup.