15:29 JST, February 18, 2026

Spontaneous applause erupted from the arena and teammates who were cheering on the pair shed tears. It was a breathtaking performance and comeback victory that enveloped the audience in profound emotion.

The team of Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara has won the pairs gold medal in figure skating at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Japan’s first-ever medal in the event.

Although they placed fifth in the short program, they scored the highest points ever recorded in the free skate, clinching the top spot with a comeback victory. The image of the two embracing after their performance with a thousand emotions was very impactful.

During the short program, a mistake occurred midway through a lift when their timing was off, causing them to lose their balance significantly. Miura encouraged a tearful Kihara, saying: “It’s not over yet. We’ve built up something together.”

Their theme for this season’s free skate is to “carve out our own destiny.” They increased their concentration to the limit, delivering their performance full of spirit. They definitely pried open the door to their destiny with their own hands.

The pair was formed in 2019. Miura, who had dissolved her previous partnership, was seeking a new partner, while Kihara was considering retirement from the sport. When they skated together, their chemistry was perfect from the very first moment.

The meeting of the so-called Riku-Ryu pair was surely fate. Since then, while overcoming injuries and other challenges respectively, they further deepened their bond and trust. At this Olympic Games, they also contributed as key scorers in the team event for Japan, helping secure the silver medal.

In Japan, pairs figure skating has received less attention, and has long been considered a “weak point” partly because of Japanese skaters’ physical disadvantages compared to Western competitors. Miura and Kihara deserve a heartfelt round of applause for their achievements and efforts in elevating the event in Japan to the world’s top level.

While this Olympic Games has brought such joy, it has also provided many scenes that have made clear how difficult it is to win at the Olympics.

American figure skater Ilia Malinin, dubbed the “Quad God,” faltered in his free skate, finishing eighth in the men’s singles event. Many people likely felt they saw the demons that haunt the Olympics as they witnessed the reigning champion make unbelievable mistakes, perhaps due to pressure.

The ski jumping men’s super team event also ended in an unexpected conclusion. Late in the event, Ren Nikaido’s big jump put Japan in second place. However, the competition was cut short due to bad weather just before Japan’s ace Ryoyu Kobayashi was about to jump.

As a result, Nikaido’s big jump was not officially recorded, and Japan ended in sixth place based on the results in the previous rounds. Kobayashi’s comment — “I wanted to jump” — betrayed his disappointment. The combined emotions of joy and regret speak volumes about the weight of the quadrennial major stage.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 18, 2026)

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