Mai Mihara: “After difficult seasons in recent years, I wanted to enjoy skating and embrace being on the ice again.”
Mai Mihara Reflects on a Challenging but Promising Performance at the Kinki Championships
original source: Nikkansports, October 4th, 2025 / Nikkansports, October 5th, 2025 by Matsumoto Wataru
Mai Mihara finished second at the Kinki Championships, showcasing a blend of artistry and resilience as she continues her comeback from injuries. While reflecting on the challenges and successes of her performances, Mihara aims to improve ahead of the West Japan Championships and the pivotal All-Japan Championships in December. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Nikkansports.
On October 4th, Mai Mihara (26) opened the Kinki Championships by placing second after the short program. She scored 65.60 points, despite her second jump in a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination being downgraded to a double. All her jumps received positive grades of execution. With a 2.96-point gap from leader Saki Miyake, Mihara remained optimistic:
“I’m a little frustrated that the second jump turned into a double in the second half of my program,” Mihara admitted. “However, I’ve identified what I need to improve and am ready to pivot my focus to tomorrow.”
Mihara’s program features a reprise of “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence” from her 2022–23 season, a piece deeply meaningful to her. Reflecting on its significance, she said:
“After difficult seasons in recent years, I wanted to enjoy skating and embrace being on the ice again. Choreographer David Wilson created this program with the thought that it should reflect my skating journey. Each moment in practice and every note in the music resonates through my whole body. With each performance, these emotions grow stronger. I feel fortunate to skate to this music and pour my skating life into every moment, consciously and wholeheartedly.”
For Mihara, the Kinki Championships mark an early stepping stone toward the All-Japan Championships in December. Reflecting on the coming months, she shared: “The remaining days are precious. When I take my first pose in the short program and free skate at Nationals, and when I sit in the kiss-and-cry area alongside my coaches, I want to feel that all the hard work was worth it. I’m focused on making each day count so that I can move forward without regrets.”
On October 5th, Mihara also placed second in the free skate with 121.96 points, finishing with a total score of 187.56 points. Despite underrotations and a few unstable landings, Mihara reflected on her performance with determination:
“It was really touch and go out there. There were plenty of things to reflect on, but I tackled each challenge one by one and somehow managed to finish until the end.”
In the free skate, Mihara focused on executing a triple-triple jump combination. While an attempt the previous day in the short program resulted in a triple lutz-double toe loop sequence, she successfully completed the triple-triple in the free skate, though the second jump was underrotated.
“I absolutely wanted to include a triple-triple today,” Mihara emphasized. “As the music began, I was thinking about how to approach and take off for the jump, and I managed to execute with confidence, even if there was a slight underrotation. It’s an acceptable start. Now, I need to reflect on the underrotations and areas where the program’s flow broke, and focus on improving in practice. I especially want to work on polishing my free skate and increasing the overall quality of both my short and free programs.”
Mihara advances to the West Japan Championships, scheduled for October 31 to November 3 in Shiga, followed by the highly anticipated All-Japan Championships in December. With her sights set firmly on improvement, Mihara set a bold goal for her next competition:
“My target is to score over 200 points at West Japan,” she declared with determination.
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