Rio Noro
| Rio Noro 野呂 里桜 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Noro representing Japan at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics | |||
| Born |
15 May 2004 Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan | ||
| Height | 164 cm (5 ft 5 in) | ||
| Weight | 58 kg (128 lb; 9 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| WJIHL team | Daishin IHC | ||
| National team | Japan | ||
| Playing career | 2018–present | ||
|
Medal record | |||
Rio Noro (野呂里桜, Noro Rio; born 15 May 2004) is a Japanese ice hockey player and member of the Japanese national team. She has played with Daishin Ice Hockey Club in the Women's Japan Ice Hockey League (WJIHL) and the All-Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship since 2018.
International play
Noro represented Japan in the girls' ice hockey tournament at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne, where she scored the gold medal winning goal against Sweden.[1][2]
As a junior player with the Japanese national under-18 team, she participated in the Division 1 Group A tournament of the IIHF U18 Women's World Championship in 2022. Her one goal and four assists ranked seventh of all tournament players in point scoring and helped Japan achieve promotion to the U18 Top Division.[3]
Noro made her debut with the senior national team at the IIHF Women's World Championship in 2023 and she has gone on to represent Japan at the World Championship tournaments in 2024 and 2025.
The IIHF Asia Championship tournaments have served to showcase Noro's offensive skill. She ranked second of all tournament players for scoring in both 2025 and 2026, contributing to Japan's gold medal victories at both events.[4]
Personal life
Noro and her twin sister, Riri, were born on 15 May 2004 in the city of Kushiro in Japan's northern most prefecture of Hokkaido. Both Rio and Riri began playing ice hockey at five years of age and have played together on the same teams throughout their careers.[5]
Career statistics
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Japan | YOG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2022 | Japan | WC18 D1A | 1st | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2023 | Japan | WC | 7th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | Japan | WC | 8th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2025 | Japan | AC | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2025 | Japan | AWG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2025 | Japan | OGQ | Q | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2025 | Japan | WC | 7th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2026 | Japan | AC | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2026 | Japan | OG | 9th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
References
- ^ "Japanese women become first Asian team to win ice hockey gold in Olympic event". Olympic Council of Asia. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ Steiss, Adam (21 January 2020). "Japan get its golden moment". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship – Scoring Leaders" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Schram, Carol (7 November 2025). "Japan, China record Day 2 shutouts at 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's Asia Championship". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Bellino, Risa (9 December 2025). "アイスホッケー 野呂里桜・野呂莉里姉妹". Olympics.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2 January 2026.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com
- Rio Noro at Olympics.com
- Rio Noro at Olympedia
- Rio Noro at InterSportStats
- Rio Noro at Team Japan (in Japanese) (in English)
- Rio Noro at Milano Cortina 2026