Olympic Gold Medalists Miura and Kihara Announce Retirement from Figure Skating
Japanese figure skating pair Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have announced their retirement from competitive skating at the end of the current season. The duo, known affectionately as 'Riku-Ryu,' made history by winning the gold medal in pairs figure skating at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in February 2026. This victory marked Japan's first-ever Olympic medal in the pairs discipline. After moving up from fifth place in the short program to claim gold, the skaters expressed no regrets, stating they gave their all during their careers. Formed in 2019, the pair achieved significant success, including a seventh-place finish at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, a World Championship title in 2023, a silver medal in 2024, and another world title in 2025. In their announcement via social media, Miura and Kihara thanked fans for years of support and indicated they would pursue new challenges to promote pairs skating in Japan. Miura hails from Hyogo Prefecture, while Kihara is from Aichi Prefecture. Their retirement marks the end of a dominant era for Japanese pairs skating on the international stage.
Wire timeline
Olympic Gold Medalists Miura and Kihara Announce Retirement from Figure Skating
Japanese figure skating pair Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have announced their retirement from competitive skating at the end of the current season. The duo, known affectionately as 'Riku-Ryu,' made history by winning the gold medal in pairs figure skating at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in February 2026. This victory marked Japan's first-ever Olympic medal in the pairs discipline. After moving up from fifth place in the short program to claim gold, the skaters expressed no regrets, stating they gave their all during their careers. Formed in 2019, the pair achieved significant success, including a seventh-place finish at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, a World Championship title in 2023, a silver medal in 2024, and another world title in 2025. In their announcement via social media, Miura and Kihara thanked fans for years of support and indicated they would pursue new challenges to promote pairs skating in Japan. Miura hails from Hyogo Prefecture, while Kihara is from Aichi Prefecture. Their retirement marks the end of a dominant era for Japanese pairs skating on the international stage.
The Mainichi