In 2007, Richard Gauthier was searching for a
pair skating partner for Japanese skater
Narumi Takahashi.
Bruno Marcotte recommended Mervin Tran, who agreed to come to
Montreal,
Quebec for a tryout. Takahashi/Tran began training together in July 2007. During their career together, they trained in
St. Leonard and received funding from the Japanese skating association.
2007–2008 season Takahashi/Tran made their international debut on the
2007–08 ISU Junior Grand Prix series, placing 12th and 6th at their events. They won the
Japan Junior Championships and earned a trip to
2008 Junior Worlds, where they placed 15th.
2008–2009 season Takahashi/Tran placed 4th at their first Junior Grand Prix event. They won the bronze medal at their second event, qualifying them for the
2008-2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, where they placed 7th. They won the senior title at the
2008–09 Japanese Championships. At the
2009 Junior Worlds, they placed 7th.
2009–2010 season Takahashi/Tran began their season on the
Junior Grand Prix circuit. They won the bronze medal at their first event and gold at their second event, which qualified them for the
2009–10 JGP Final. They also debuted on the senior Grand Prix series with an 8th-place finish at NHK Trophy. They won silver at the JGP Final and at the
Junior World Championships. They became the second pair representing Japan to medal at an
ISU Championships (
Yuko Kavaguti /
Alexander Markuntsov were the first pair when they won silver in
2001).
2010–2011 season During the
2010–11 season, Takahashi/Tran won silver medals at their
JGP events and qualified for the
JGP Final. They won gold at the event, becoming the first pair representing Japan to win the title. They also won their first medals on the senior Grand Prix series, a bronze at
2010 NHK Trophy, and then silver at
2010 Cup of Russia. As a result, they were first alternates for the
senior Grand Prix Final. They won the bronze medal at the
2011 Junior Worlds. They also made their senior
World Championships debut, finishing 9th.
2011–2012 season During the
2011–2012 season, Takahashi/Tran placed fourth at their first
Grand Prix assignment, the
2011 Skate Canada International, and then won the silver medal at their second event,
2011 NHK Trophy. In November 2011, Tran said he was considering pursuing Japanese citizenship in order to allow the couple to compete at the Olympics but said it was a difficult decision because it would mean giving up his Canadian citizenship. They became the first Japanese pair to qualify for the senior
Grand Prix Final. At the
2012 World Championships, Takahashi/Tran placed third in both programs and won the bronze medal. They became the first pair to medal for Japan at a senior World Championships. They placed third at the
2012 World Team Trophy. In April 2012, Tran said he would continue to consider an application for Japanese citizenship and the president of the Japanese Olympic Committee said he was "willing to make a special request (on behalf of Tran) to the government if necessary." In May 2012, a government official said it would be difficult to naturalize Tran because he had never resided in Japan.
2012–2013 season In April 2012, Takahashi dislocated her left shoulder while practicing a lift. After five or six recurrences, she decided to undergo surgery on October 30. As a result, the pair withdrew from their Grand Prix events, the
2012 Cup of China and
2012 NHK Trophy. They said they would miss about four to six months. On December 18, 2012, the Japanese Skating Federation announced that the pair had ended their partnership. == Partnership with Purich ==