Milano Cortina 2026: Riku Miura, Ryuichi Kihara Clinch Japan’s 1st Gold in Pairs Figure Skating, Rebounding from Disappointing Short Program

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:15 JST, February 17, 2026

MILAN — Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara on Monday made a stunning comeback from their disappointing short program performance, winning gold in pairs figure skating in Milan. It was Japan’s first Olympic title in the category.

It was also the duo’s second medal in the Milano Cortina Games, after they helped Japan take silver in the team event on Feb. 8.

Their win brought Japan’s haul at the 2026 Winter Games to 18 medals, tying Japan’s Winter Games record, set at the 2022 Beijing Games.

Miura and Kihara placed fifth in the short program on Sunday, after Kihara lost his balance when lifting Miura. But they scored a record 158.13 points in free skating to come from behind and win with 231.24 points.

The night after the short program, Kihara “couldn’t sleep and couldn’t stop crying.” But he was able to execute a gratifying, record-setting performance in free skating. “Riku-chan helped me recover,” said Kihara, 33, showing his appreciation for his 24-year-old partner.

The two met in 2019 when Miura was looking for a new partner after splitting with her previous one. From former figure skater Misato Komatsubara, an expert in ice dancing, she sought advice about Kihara, who was already highly regarded for his experience and skills. And he had already been to the Olympics.

The two skated together for the first time in July 2019, and they surprised each other. “I skated in my own timing, but we synchronized perfectly,” Miura recalled. “We were in synch from the first step,” said Kihara.

Since then, the two have based themselves in figure-skating powerhouse Canada, where they have practiced hard. Initially, Kihara, nine years older than Miura, took the lead in and outside the rink. But eventually, Miura began expressing her opinions and the pair helped each other to improve.

During practice before the free skating performance on Monday, Kihara was still crying, unable to hit reset on his emotions. Seeing Kihara so troubled, Miura told him: “It’s not over yet. We’ve worked so hard.”

This encouraged Kihara. “I shouldn’t give up now. I’ll go on the attack,” he told himself before the free skating.

After the final pair finished skating, an announcement echoed through the venue: “Riku Miura, Ryuichi Kihara, the champions!” The two hugged each other in joy.