Japanese Figure Skating Duo Wins Historic Olympic Gold After Emotional Comeback

Japanese figure skaters Ryuichi Kihara and Riku Miura overcame a devastating fifth-place finish in their short program to claim Japan's first-ever Olympic pairs skating gold medal. The emotional victory came after Kihara skated through tears, supported by his partner following their earlier setback.

MILAN, Feb 16 – Japanese figure skater Ryuichi Kihara revealed he performed through constant tears during his historic Olympic comeback, as he and skating partner Riku Miura delivered Japan’s inaugural pairs figure skating gold medal with an emotionally charged performance Monday.

The accomplished duo, who hold two world championship titles, faced heartbreak after placing fifth in Sunday’s short program following a costly lift mistake. However, they bounced back with a commanding free skate routine set to the Gladiator theme that their coaching team described as fueled by determination, faith, and seven years of perseverance.

The 33-year-old Kihara admitted he arrived at practice still emotionally affected by their previous performance and unable to move past the error.

“I couldn’t stop crying since this morning, I just couldn’t bounce back from yesterday’s mistake, I really couldn’t snap out of it, the tears kept flowing … even on the ice I couldn’t stop crying,” he explained, though he credited the overwhelming support from others with helping him regain focus.

“Riku, my coach, my friends in Japan… everyone around me sent me messages of support. Everyone said it’s not over yet… Normally I’m the stronger one but this time around Riku really supported me,” Kihara added.

His 24-year-old partner Miura explained that witnessing Kihara’s emotional state motivated her to step up as the team’s anchor.

“Ryuichi has been crying since this morning, and so I felt like I needed to be strong and support him and help him focus,” Miura stated.

The skating partnership, which began in 2019, arrived at the Olympics as top contenders following their victory at December’s Grand Prix Final in Nagoya and their first-place finish in the pairs portion of the team competition, where they contributed to Japan’s silver medal.

However, their journey has been marked by significant physical challenges. Kihara has dealt with ongoing back problems, while Miura has consistently competed despite a shoulder that frequently dislocates. During the 2025 Japan Championships, she popped her shoulder back into place during warmups after it dislocated, then went on to achieve a personal-best short program score.

Their free skate routine embodied these battles through its themes of warfare, endurance, and victory.

Performing to Andrea Bocelli’s rendition of music from the “Gladiator” film score, the pair executed each element with the precision that had eluded them the day before, their movements reflecting the toughness that has characterized their collaboration.

“We made a huge mistake yesterday but for the past seven years we’ve worked so hard … we have grown over the last seven years,” Miura reflected, explaining their mindset to “forget what happened yesterday and start from scratch.”

This groundbreaking gold medal represents another significant achievement for Japan in a sport traditionally controlled by European and North American teams. Prior to earning world silver in 2022, Japan had not reached a major ISU pairs podium for ten years.

Kihara, who broke down emotionally after completing their routine, admitted they hadn’t anticipated winning the top prize.

“We knew that the last group was filled with amazing skaters, and so we honestly didn’t think that we would win gold tonight,” he shared. “It’s a little bit of a disbelief … that we’re able to get a medal for Japan pair skating for the first time ever.”