Medalist (メダリスト) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsurumaikada. It has been serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Monthly Afternoon since May 2020, with its chapters collected in fourteen volumes as of January 2026. In North America, the manga is licensed for English release by Kodansha USA. An anime television series adaptation produced by ENGI aired from January to March 2025. A second season aired from January to March 2026. An anime film is set to premiere in Japan in 2027.
Medalist won the Next Manga Award in the print category in 2022, the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category in 2023, and the 48th Kodansha Manga Award in the same category in 2024.
Plot
Inori Yuitsuka, an 11-year-old girl in the fifth grade, dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater. While she practices in secret at her local ice rink, competitors her age are considered "too old" to begin seriously training; in addition, as her older sister's skating career ended in failure, her mother is resistant toward putting her through the same experience. A fateful meeting one day introduces her to Tsukasa Akeuraji, a former ice dancer on the edge of giving up competitive skating himself, and he agrees to become her coach and help her realize her dreams. Those around Inori soon learn she has immense natural talent for the sport and, together, the two strive toward Inori's ultimate goal of winning an