“When we started pairs, there were no coaches in Japan. Having a base overseas is difficult. There’s also the language barrier, which made things tough. We want to eliminate those obstacles.”
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara held a retirement press conference, sharing their coaching ambitions and plans to promote pair skating as professionals.
original source: Nikkansports 28th April 2026 / Nikkansports 28th April 2026
Riku Miura (24) and Ryuichi Kihara (33) of the Kinoshita Group—held their retirement press conference at a Tokyo hotel on the 28th. Here’s a translation of their comments posted on Nikkansports.
When asked about their thoughts on becoming coaches in the future, they responded:
Miura said, “After retiring, I wanted to become a coach right away, but from this year, you have to obtain a coaching qualification that takes several years. There’s still so much I need to learn, and I think it will take time before I can coach. We had many coaches – our main coach Bruno, sub coach Meagan, and an ice dance coach. There were also many coaches who supported us along the way, so I want to become a coach who can not only teach technique but also support athletes mentally and be there for them.”
Kihara added, “For a while, I want to focus on activities that help people get to know pair skating. I think it will take time, and studying for coaching qualifications will probably take four or five years. I want to do what I can within that scope and keep learning. I’ve also experienced injuries, so I want to share those lessons with my students, as well as support them with nutrition and mental health. These days, you can’t win with just technique, so I want to pass on my experiences.”
Since obtaining coaching qualifications will take four or five years, Miura explained, “When we started pairs, there were no coaches in Japan. Having a base overseas is difficult. There’s also the language barrier, which made things tough. We want to eliminate those obstacles.”
Kihara also addressed the lack of pair skating coaches in Japan: “There are no pair coaches here. When I wanted to start pairs, I had to go abroad. That hurdle is getting higher. It will take a few years to become a coach, but I hope the first step for starting pairs can be taken in Japan. I think more athletes will want to try pairs.”
Related topics: Riku Miura Ryuichi Kihara
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