“There’s so much more training we’ll need to do to reach our ultimate goal. I’m determined to keep working hard toward the 2030 Olympics.” Kihira and Nishiyama on their debut in ice dance
Kihira and Nishiyama Start in Ice Dance
original source: news.yahoo.co.jp dd. November 3d, 2025
Ice dance duo Rika Kihira and Shingo Nishiyama expressed determination to continue improving after falling short of qualifying for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in their debut competition. Despite a disappointing result, they remain optimistic and focused on their journey toward the 2030 Winter Olympics. Here’s a translation of their comments.
On the second day of the West Japan Figure Skating Championships doubling as a qualifying event for the Japanese Nationals, Rika Kihira and Shingo Nishiyama scored 77.13 points in their free dance, finishing with a total of 136.74 points, landing them in third place. With this result, the pair’s hopes for qualifying for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics have officially disappeared. However, both skaters remain determined to look ahead.
After concluding their debut competition as a pair, “Rikashin” wore expressions filled with frustration. Errors during the free dance, including mistakes in their lifts, prevented them from significantly increasing their score. When asked to evaluate their performance, Kihira gave herself a “50 out of 100.” She admitted, “We were able to do it during practice. We did the combination almost 99 out of 100 times in practice, but this time, we couldn’t execute it when it mattered.” Nishiyama echoed these sentiments, saying, “We have the ability to show something so much better, so the fact that we performed so poorly hurts even more.”
While the pair fell short of securing tickets to the Olympics, their motivation remains steadfast. Next week, they plan to return to their training base in Canada to continue refining their performance all the way up to the Nationals. Nishiyama expressed his resolve, stating firmly, “I really want to leave everything out there and make a mark.” Kihira, reflecting on the competition, said, “It hit me again how important it is to avoid mistakes,” vowing to further improve and push herself forward.
Although their debut did not turn out to be the perfect start, Nishiyama remained optimistic: “This isn’t the end for us. This is just the beginning. We’ll climb the steps one at a time from here.” Kihira adjusted her focus as well, declaring, “There’s so much more training we’ll need to do to reach our ultimate goal. I’m determined to keep working hard toward the 2030 Olympics in the French Alps.”
Their coach shared similar sentiments, attributing the team’s outcome to their short training period – having only been paired for about a month. Despite missing the selection criteria for international competitions set by the Japan Skating Federation and losing their chance to qualify for the Milan-Cortina Olympics, Kihira and Nishiyama remain firm in their commitment to their new challenge.
Kihira reflected on this disappointment, saying, “It’s incredibly frustrating, but even being here was a miracle.” Having already missed her opportunity to qualify for the Olympics in singles this season after withdrawing from the Chubu Championships, she embraced this new chapter with positivity. “Being able to work hard at something is a blessing. I will dedicate myself to my efforts, looking toward 2030,” she said, resolutely focused on the future.
Related topics: Rika Kihira, Shingo Nishiyama
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