Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi: “The experience of overcoming the disappointment of the Olympics together and working hard as a team is something we want to cherish and carry forward into the future.”
Japanese pair Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi achieved a personal best and finished fourth at the World Championships, marking significant progress in their young partnership.
original source: Nikkansports 27th March 2026 by Daisuke Fujitsuka / Instagram
Yuna Nagaoka (20) and Sumitada Moriguchi (24) of Kinoshita Academy, finished in fourth place. They scored a personal best of 139.58 points in the free skate, ranking third in that segment. Following a strong short program (SP) where they placed fifth, they achieved a new personal best total of 209.13 points. Here’s a translation of their comments posted on Nikkansports.
Moriguchi reflected, “We’ve worked hard together, so I’m glad we were able to deliver a performance that rewarded that effort. I’m filled with honor and happiness.” Nagaoka added with a smile, “It was a free skate I truly enjoyed from the heart.”
Overjoyed, Moriguchi spun Nagaoka around in a hug as the packed audience applauded and the two laughed together. Just a month after finishing last at the Milan Olympics, they showed their growth with a performance that nearly reached the podium. Nagaoka said proudly, “I practiced with a strong determination to get revenge here. We overcame it.” Moriguchi added, “We were able to deliver a performance that made it all worthwhile.”
“We just focused on doing what we could.” Without worrying about the results, they concentrated on each element. They landed side-by-side triple jump combinations, and Nagaoka, thrown by Moriguchi, landed two throw triple jumps. They steadily accumulated points in the jump elements, which had been a challenge. Nagaoka said, “I truly enjoyed skating from the heart.”
In their Worlds debut last year, they finished 22nd out of 23 pairs. Nagaoka, feeling she was only causing trouble, even suggested breaking up the pair at the event. Moriguchi spent three days persuading her, saying, “I ’ll only skate pairs with you, Yuna.” After finishing last at the Olympics, Nagaoka again doubted herself, but Moriguchi replied, “That’s not true.” He knew how hard she worked – running every day on her own, never skipping core training even between practices. That’s why he urged her to have more confidence. Together, they overcame disappointment, leading to this day’s result.
As the next pair to follow in “RikuRyu’s” footsteps, they are aiming for the 2030 Olympics. Moriguchi said, “There are still things we can improve. I feel we have room to grow, and that makes me happy.”
In their Instagram post, the pair expresses gratitude for the support that helped them achieve fourth place at Worlds, viewing it as redemption after the Olympics and motivation for the future.
“World Championships in Prague.
Thank you so much for all the warm support!
We were able to finish fourth at the World Championships and achieve our revenge for the Olympics.
We’re truly happy to have also won the small medal for the free skate.
The experience of overcoming the disappointment of the Olympics together and working hard as a team is something we want to cherish and carry forward into the future.
It’s thanks to everyone who has supported us warmly, in both good times and bad, that we were able to achieve this result and feel this joy now. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
And thank you so much for all the cheers, gifts, letters, and messages as well!
The big 2025–2026 season has come to an end! We’ll rest our minds and bodies and, with renewed spirit, do our best again next season.”
Related topics: Sumitada Moriguchi, world championship, Yuna Nagaoka
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