Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara: “We might have been able to push for higher scores, but last year we went overboard in similar situations. For now, I think this result is good enough.”
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara began their Olympic season with a victory at the Challenger Series Kinoshita Cup.
original source: Nikkansports, September 6th, 2025 by Daisuke Fujizuka / Nikkansports, September 7th, 2025 by Daisuke Fujizuka
Riku Miura (23) and Ryuichi Kihara (33) claimed victory in their first international competition of the season, scoring a free skate total of 143.00 points and a combined score of 222.94. This marks a strong beginning to their Olympic season as they prepare for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February 2026, where they aim for Japan’s first-ever pair skating medal. Here’s a translation of their comments posted on Nikkansports.
On the first day, Miura and Kihara delivered a commanding performance in the short program, skating to Paint It Black. They scored 79.94 points, narrowly missing their personal best of 80.99 achieved at the World Team Trophy in April. Reflecting on their performance, Miura remarked, “The summer’s training sessions went really well, and it feels reassuring to know it paid off.” Kihara added, “As a first outing, I think it was satisfying enough. Plus, I’m happy to have finished injury-free.”
However, the pair acknowledged areas for improvement, including missing levels on the lift and the back inside death spiral. Miura said, “These were the parts where we didn’t achieve full levels, so we plan to refine those ahead of the next competition.” Kihara also noted, “We might have been able to push for higher scores close to 80 points, but last year we went overboard in similar situations. For now, I think this result is good enough.”
During the free skate, Miura and Kihara debuted their new program to Gladiator. They delivered solid technical elements, including a triple twist, a combination jump sequence (side-by-side triple toe loop, double axel-double axel), and a throw triple flip. However, minor errors crept in during the second half of the performance – Miura struggled with the landing on a side-by-side triple salchow and fell during the throw triple loop. At the end of the routine, Kihara appeared exhausted, briefly resting on one knee at the ice’s edge.
Despite these mistakes, the pair still achieved an impressive free skate score of 143.00 points, showcasing their growth and capability for the season ahead. Miura reflected on the result, saying, “Even with a fall and a small error on the salchow, surpassing 143 points feels like significant progress. I believe achieving 145 points without any mistakes is within reach, so we’ll continue refining our performance.” Kihara added, “For a first event, this was very good. While there are aspects to work on, I’m glad we finished clean and surpassed what we achieved at last year’s World Championships.”
With their first international competition of the season behind them, Miura and Kihara are now preparing for Skate Canada (October 31–November 2) and the Finland Grand Prix (November 21–23). They’re focused on refining their performances and continuing to build confidence as they inch closer to their Olympic goals. Miura summarized her outlook: “Starting with 79 points in the short program gives us confidence to take this season day by day. We will aim for even higher results as the season progresses.”
Related topics: Riku Miura Ryuichi Kihara
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