Miura, Kihara Mark Major Milestone in Japan’s Pairs Skating History

Milan, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–The gold medal victory of Japanese figure skating pair Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara at the Milan-Cortina Olympics marked a significant milestone in the country’s pairs skating history. On Monday, Miura, 24, and Kihara, 33, won Japan’s first Olympic medal of any color in pairs skating since the country first took part in the event at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics. They came back from fifth place in the short program the previous day. In Japan, pairs skating used to be less popular than singles skating, with fewer athletes in the discipline. This was primarily due to the limited training environment. A lack of coaches forced skaters to train abroad. There were also few domestic ice rinks for practicing acrobatic moves. Kihara made his Olympic debut, with a different partner, at the 2014 Sochi Games. He also competed in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games but could not advance to the free skating program. The ongoing Milan-Cortina Games marked his fourth Olympic appearance. Initially a singles skater, Kihara was invited by the Japan Skating Federation to try out for the pairs competition due to his solid skating skills and sincere personality. This offer may have also suggested that Kihara would unlikely find success in the singles competition. Yoshiko Kobayashi, a skating official in charge of training pairs skaters, visited Kihara’s family to persuade them to let him transition to pairs skating. At the time, Kihara’s father told Kobayashi, “Just don’t pull the ladder away.” Japan began training pairs skaters in earnest in 2011, and after 15 years, the efforts bore fruit. Miura and Kihara’s gold medal “made a turning point in the Japanese figure skating world,” said Yosuke Takeuchi, training director of the Japan Skating Federation. While the number of people trying pairs skating remains limited, some skaters are positive about transitioning to the pairs category. More people also have favorable views of the discipline. “Our efforts will become meaningful if more people want to try it,” Kihara said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]