Ryuichi Kihara: “I realized I was the one who was nervous. I was confident, but when I watched the video, I thought, ‘Oops.’”
Olympic gold medalists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara shared behind-the-scenes stories from the Milano-Cortina Games on a TV show, revealing moments of tension and humor during their performances.
original source: sponichi.co.jp dd. 7th March 2026
Riku Miura (24) and Ryuichi Kihara (33) who won Japan’s first-ever gold medal in pairs figure skating at the Milano-Cortina Olympics, appeared on TBS’s “Ousama no Brunch” on March 7th, where they shared episodes from the Milano Olympics. Here’s a translation of their comments.
Comedian Kei Mukai of the trio Panther talked about his own group’s dynamic, saying, “Sometimes during a performance or a skit, I think, ‘Come on, be funnier!’ or ‘That comeback was weak,’ and we fix things later. Do you ever feel that way about each other when you’re performing?” he asked.
Kihara immediately replied, “Yes, yes, I do.” Miura charmingly exclaimed,”What? You do?” making the studio burst into laughter.
Kihara explained, “Sometimes we end up doing things differently than usual. The pattern changes, or I notice there’s more force than usual. At the Olympics, right at the start of the free program, I felt Riku was a bit stiff, so I thought maybe she was nervous. But later, Riku-chan told me, ‘Ryuichi, you started moving earlier than usual,’ and when we watched the video, it was true – I was the one who started early.” This revelation drew more laughter in the studio. Shingo Fujimori of the comedy duo Oriental Radio quipped, “Maybe you were the one who was nervous, after all.”
Kihara reflected, “I realized I was the one who was nervous. I was confident, but when I watched the video, I thought, ‘Oops.’ I reflected on that.”
Related topics: Olympic Games, Riku Miura Ryuichi Kihara
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