“As the culmination of my 18-year competitive career, I will do my best at Nationals. I want to finish with a performance I’m satisfied with and a smile.” Mai Mihara announced her retirement at the end of this season
Mai Mihara announced her retirement from competitive figure skating at the end of this season
original source: Nikkansports 18th. December 2025
On December 18, the day before the start of the Japanese Nationals, Mai Mihara (26) announced that she will retire from competition at the end of this season. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on Nikkansports.
After official practice at Tokyo’s Yoyogi National Gymnasium, when asked if she would retire this season, she replied, “Yes.”
Before that question, Mihara reflected, “I’ve been skating while putting pressure on myself to see how far I can come back, and at the start of the season, I struggled with feelings that just wouldn’t go away. But now, as I prepare for my 11th Nationals, I’ve felt a strong sense of loneliness, so I hadn’t said it clearly before. But as I practiced every day, I kept telling myself, ‘Mai, you can do it.’ Now, with just a few days left, I want to give everything I have.”
Mihara began skating in second grade and belonged to the Kobe Club alongside her junior by one year, former world champion Kaori Sakamoto. She won the Four Continents Championships, a major ISU international event, twice, and claimed victory at the Grand Prix Final in 2022. She competed at the World Championships in 2017 and 2023, finishing fifth both times.
In 2015, she was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a rare disease affecting one in 10,000 people. She missed the entire 2019–20 season due to health issues and suffered a stress fracture in her right ankle in the 2023–24 season. Despite these setbacks, she continued to compete and returned to competition in August this season. This Nationals marks her 11th appearance.
On December 9, through her sponsor Sysmex’s Instagram, Mihara wrote, “The time I spend reading the precious letters I’ve received, the time I can practice with my teammates, and each wonderful moment I’ve experienced thanks to skating… I am truly blessed. From before this season began, I’ve felt more than ever the happiness and many feelings that are always with me. As the culmination of my 18-year competitive career, I will do my best to deliver my best performance at Nationals.”
She also revealed, “I made the decision to retire a little before posting on Instagram.” With a bright expression, she added, “I want to finish with a performance I’m satisfied with and a smile. Even after leaving competition, I want to stay on the ice, whether in shows or choreography, and give back in any way I can.”
Related topics: Mai Mihara
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