Rika Kihira and Shingo Nishiyama: “It’s a miracle we’ve come this far in just two and a half months. Next season, we will definitely win at Nationals.”
Rika Kihira and Shingo Nishiyama on their debut season.
original source: Nikkansports 22nd. December 2025
Rika Kihira and Shingo Nishiyama, who placed fourth in ice dance at the Japanese nationals, reflected on their rapid progress as a new team and expressed determination to improve and aim for victory next season. Here’s a translation of their comments.
The manager account for the pair known as “Rikashin” – Rika Kihira (23) and Shingo Nishiyama (23) – who finished fourth in ice dance at the Japanese Nationals, was updated by the December 22nd, and an interview video with the two was shared in the Stories.
Alongside a photo of the two together, the post read, “The Japanese Nationals have finished! Thank you for your support.” They expressed gratitude for the encouragement, adding, “We formed our team at the end of September, so it’s only been three months until Nationals. Kihira and Nishiyama did their best! Our overall placement was fourth. If you look only at the ranking, you might think, ‘Huh?’ but considering the journey these two have taken, I think you could really feel the hope and potential they showed at Nationals.” Reflecting on the past three months, they wrote, “We’ve been moving at super speed, so we’ll take a break for a while starting tomorrow. See you at next year’s Nationals (and the qualifying rounds before that)!” thus wrapping up the season.
In the Stories, Kihira commented, “I’m frustrated because I made mistakes in places where I don’t usually make them in practice,” and expressed her hopes for the new season: “I want everyone to see a completely transformed us next season.” Nishiyama also vowed to come back stronger, saying, “It’s a miracle we’ve come this far in just two and a half months. Next season, we will definitely win.”
Related topics: Rika Kihira, Shingo Nishiyama
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