“He Was Renting Skates at a Small Rink… Now He’s an Olympic Champion”: Ryuichi Kihara’s Comeback Is Leaving Fans Speechless

When Ryuichi Kihara saw his Olympic score appear on the screen, the emotion was too overwhelming to contain. He dropped to the ice in tears as the crowd roared, realizing that he and his partner Riku Miura had just made history by becoming the first Japanese pair team to stand on the very top of the Olympic podium. To many fans watching around the world, it looked like a perfect golden moment years in the making.

But behind that triumph was a journey few people knew about. Before reaching Olympic glory, Kihara had endured failed partnerships, painful injuries, and long periods where his future in figure skating seemed uncertain. At one point he even stepped away from elite competition, working quietly at a small ice rink in Aichi Prefecture, helping rent skates while wondering if his dream was already over. Yet one quiet decision brought him back to the ice — and ultimately to Olympic history. And now, as fans learn the full story behind his comeback, many are asking the same question: how close did the world come to never seeing this champion rise at all?

Pairs figure skaters Riku Miura (left) and Ryuichi Kihara with their medals during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan on Wednesday

After becoming Japan’s first figure skating pairs gold medalists at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara made a triumphant return to Japan on Wednesday, vowing to continue working together.

Of the 24 medals Japan won, a record for the nation at a Winter Games, the gold for Miura and Kihara was arguably the most memorable.

After a rare mistake by Kihara on a lift in the short program, the popular pair, dubbed Riku-Ryu, recovered to win the gold with a world-record 158.13 points in the free program.

The stirring victory won over the hearts of Japanese fans, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who wrote on X, “Watching the performance, it was as if two hearts became one and we were able to feel the trust you had in one another.”

Speaking to reporters at a news conference in Tokyo, the two faced a barrage of questions from reporters about their future plans.

The world championships will be held in Prague next month, and everyone wanted to know if a defense of their Olympic gold four years later in France is part of their plans.

Kihara said they haven’t had time to figure out their future competition schedule. Whatever that is, however, Miura vowed it will be together.

“I will retire when Kihara retires,” the 24-year-old Miura said. “I would never continue with someone else.”

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Japan first took part in Olympic pairs skating at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics. Since then, there were gold medals in men’s and women’s singles, but this year’s gold in pairs was a first.

Miura and Kihara first started skating together in 2019. Miura had dissolved her previous partnership and was seeking a new partner. Kihara was considering retirement after his career in men’s singles had stalled.

Their win in Italy proved that perseverance pays off.

“We won by coming through with a strong performance in the free program, and I learned the value not giving up in any situation at the Games,” Miura said.

In addition to their future skating plans, the two were also repeatedly asked about their relationship off the ice.

Kihara described it as “comrades in arms,” while Miura likened them to family as it feels natural for them to stay together.

Kihara decided to keep his fans guessing by simply saying “I’ll leave it to your imagination.”