Riku Miura
Native name三浦 璃来
Born (2001-12-17) December 17, 2001
Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Japan
HometownTakarazuka, Hyōgo
Height1.45 m (4 ft 9 in)
Figure skating career
CountryJapan Japan
PartnerRyuichi Kihara
CoachBruno Marcotte
Meagan Duhamel
Brian Shales
Skating clubOsaka SC
Began skating2006
Medal record
Representing  Japan
Pairs' figure skating
(with Kihara)
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2022 BeijingTeam
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 SaitamaPairs
Silver medal – second place2022 MontpellierPairs
Four Continents Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 Colorado SpringsPairs
Grand Prix Final
Gold medal – first place2022–23 TorinoPairs
World Team Trophy
Bronze medal – third place2021 OsakaTeam
Bronze medal – third place2023 TokyoTeam
Pairs' figure skating
(with Ichihashi)
World Team Trophy
Silver medal – second place2019 FukuokaTeam

Riku Miura (Japanese: 三浦 璃来; born December 17, 2001) is a Japanese pair skater. With her skating partner, Ryuichi Kihara, she is the 2023 World champion, 2022 World silver medalist, the 2023 Four Continents champion, the 2022–23 Grand Prix Final champion, a two-time ISU Grand Prix gold medalist, the 2021 CS Autumn Classic champion, and the 2020 Japanese national champion. They also are bronze medalists in the team event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

With her former skating partner, Shoya Ichihashi, she competed in the final segment at three World Junior Championships (2017–19).

Personal life

Miura was born in Takarazuka, Hyōgo.[1]

She enjoys doing karate in her spare time.[2] Her figure skating idol is Sui Wenjing.[3]

Career

Partnership with Ichihashi

Miura/Ichihashi at the 2017 World Junior Championships

With her skating partner, Shoya Ichihashi, she has represented Japan at four ISU Championships. The two finished tenth at the 2018 Four Continents Championships in Taipei, Taiwan, and at the 2018 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.[1] Their partnership ended in July 2019.[3]

Partnership with Kihara

2019–20 season: Debut of Miura/Kihara

In August 2019, it was announced that Miura had teamed up with Ryuichi Kihara and that the pair would train in Oakville, Ontario at the Skate Oakville Skating Club under Bruno Marcotte, Meagan Duhamel, and Brian Shales.[3][2]

Miura/Kihara made their international competitive debut at 2019 NHK Trophy, where they finished fifth.[4] They were the only pair competing at the 2019–20 Japan Championships and had two falls in the short program.[5] The free skate proved more successful, allowing them to claim the Japanese national title and assignments to the ISU championships in the second half of the season.[6]

After an eighth-place finish at the 2020 Four Continents Championships, Miura/Kihara were assigned to compete at the World Championships in Montreal, but these were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[7]

2020–21 season

Miura/Kihara were assigned to compete at the 2020 Skate Canada International, but this event was cancelled due to the pandemic.[8] Making their season debut at the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, they placed tenth.[9] They finished the season at the 2021 World Team Trophy, where they finished third in both segments, helping Team Japan to the bronze medal.[10][11][12]

2021–22 season: Beijing Olympics and World silver

Miura/Kihara spent the period after the World Team Trophy training in Japan and the United States before returning to Canada in September upon the reopening of the borders. They began their season at the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International, where they won both segments of competition and set new personal bests to take the gold medal overall.[13]

At their first Grand Prix assignment of the season, the 2021 Skate America, Miura/Kihara again scored new personal bests in both segments of competition, as well as overall. Despite placing third in both the short program and the free skate, due to shifting ordinals from their competitors, the team won the silver medal between Russian competitors Tarasova/Morozov in first and Boikova/Kozlovskii in third. Their medal marks the first medal for Japan in the pairs event on the Grand Prix circuit since 2011.[14][15] Competing at the 2021 NHK Trophy at home for their second event, they were third in both programs to take the bronze medal. They finished less than four points behind silver medalists Tarasova/Morozov, a gap more than accounted for by jump and throw errors by Miura. She noted training issues and expressed dissatisfaction that she had been unable to fix the problem but that they were nevertheless satisfied to have achieved their goal of winning a medal.[16] Miura/Kihara's results qualified them to the Grand Prix Final, but it was subsequently cancelled due to restrictions prompted by the Omicron variant.[17]

Due to the Omicron variant, Miura/Kihara did not travel to Japan to participate in the 2021–22 Japan Championships but were instead named directly to the Japanese Olympic team. They began the 2022 Winter Olympics as the Japanese entries in the Olympic team event. They placed fourth in the short program, securing seven points for the Japanese team.[18] They placed second in the free skate, securing nine points for the Japanese team, which went on to win the bronze medal. This was the first time that Japan had taken a medal in the team event, and Miura/Kihara's presence as a strong pair team was widely cited as the biggest factor in Japan's increased competitiveness.[19] In the pairs event, Miura doubled her triple jump attempt in the short program, as a result of which they placed eighth in the segment.[20] In the free skate, they finished fifth in the segment, rising to seventh place overall.[21]

Days after the Olympics concluded, Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine, as a result of which the International Skating Union banned all Russian and Belarusian skaters from competing at the 2022 World Championships. As well, the Chinese Skating Association opted not to send athletes to compete in Montpellier. As those countries' athletes comprised the entirety of the top five pairs at the Olympics, this hugely impacted the field, and Miura/Kihara entered as medal favourites.[22] In the short program, Miura put a hand down after stepping out on their throw triple Lutz, but they finished third in the segment, taking a bronze small medal.[23] They had a rough free skate, with errors on both jumping passes and Miura falling on a throw triple loop. They also finished third in that segment but took the silver medal overall. They became the second Japanese pair team to win a World medal. Miura opined afterward, "now we secure the medal, but I don't think our performance was worth winning a medal today. We regret our performance today, so next season I want to push ourselves hard and to the very end, and we want to practice hard."[24] Their coach, Bruno Marcotte, countered that "I told them to look at their silver medals and think: 'This is the result of all the work you did, all the competitions, the year and a half that you had to stay in Canada, away from your families, because of COVID-19. These medals represent all of that.'"[25]

2022–23 season: World, Grand Prix Final, and Four Continents champions

In July, Miura injured her left shoulder while skating in a Japanese ice show during the off-season, which kept the pair from significant training until September. Despite this, Miura/Kihara managed to win gold at their first Grand Prix event, the 2022 Skate Canada International, becoming the first Japanese pair team ever to do so.[26][27] Their free skate program earned praise from Sleeping at Last, the artist of the program's music.[28] Weeks later, they competed at their second assignment, the 2022 NHK Trophy in Sapporo, winning the short program with a new personal best score, nearly 14 points clear of Americans Chan/Howe in second.[29] They won the free skate by a wide margin, with only two minor errors, winning their second Grand Prix gold and becoming the first Japanese team to win Japan's home Grand Prix event. These results qualified them for the Grand Prix Final.[30][31]

Miura/Kihara entered the Final in Turin as the top-seeded team and won the short program over American reigning World champions Knierim/Frazier by a 0.43 point margin, with the latter team having a jump error.[32] They won the free skate by a similarly narrow 0.87 point margin after Miura doubled an intended triple toe loop and Kihara put his hand down on their triple Salchow. Kihara lamented the latter mistake, saying it was "the first time in eight years" that he had done so. He added that "we were saved by the power of the audience." They were the first Japanese pair to both medal at and win the Grand Prix Final.[33][34]

Miura/Kihara were next scheduled to compete at the 2022–23 Japan Championships, but their travel from Canada to Japan was disrupted by the onset of a major winter storm, which resulted in their luggage being lost. Because of their lost skates, they were unable to compete at the championship, though the federation said they would still be considered for international assignments in the second half of the season.[35]

With principal rivals Knierim/Frazier not attending the 2023 Four Continents Championships in favour of Art on Ice shows, Miura/Kihara entered the event as heavy favourites for the gold medal.[36] Miura fell on a downgraded triple toe jump attempt in the short program, but the team still won that segment by a margin of 2.80 points over Canadians Stellato/Deschamps. Miura attributed the mistake to nervousness, but said she was pleased that even with the error they had scored over 70 points.[37][38] Miura/Kihara won the free skate as well, albeit narrowly over Chan/Howe, with some jump errors and Kihara visibly struggling with low oxygen levels due to the high mountain location in Colorado Springs. They won the gold medal, another first for a Japanese pair.[39][40]

The 2023 World Championships were held on home ice in Saitama, with Miura/Kihara enters as one of the title favourites. They won the short program by a wide margin over Knierim/Frazier, clearing the 80-point threshold for the first time in their careers, which Miura described as "our goal for this season" afterward.[41] They finished second in the free skate, Miura having doubled a planned triple jump and fallen on a throw, but remained comfortably in first place overall and took the gold medal.[42] Miura/Kihara became the first Japanese World pairs champions, as well as the first team to complete the "grand slam" in pairs in almost a decade.[43][42]

Miura/Kihara joined Team Japan for the 2023 World Team Trophy in Tokyo. They finished second in the short program after Miura had a difficult jump landing.[44] In the free skate, Miura doubled her planned triple jump, and they finished second in that segment as well. Team Japan won the bronze medal overall.[45]

2023–24 season

Miura/Kihara started the year at the 2023 CS Autumn Classic International, winning the silver medal.[46]

Programs

Miura and Ichihashi at the 2017 World Junior Championships

With Kihara

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2023–2024
[47]

2022–2023
[48]

2021–2022
[49]
2020–2021
[50]
2019–2020
[2]

With Ichihashi

Season Short program Free skating
2018–2019
[51]
2017–2018
[52]
  • Warsaw Concerto
    by Richard Addinsell
2016–2017
[53]
  • Miss Saigon
    by Claude-Michel Schönberg

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Pairs with Kihara

International[54]
Event 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24
Olympics7th
WorldsC10th2nd1stTBD
Four Continents8th1stTBD
GP FinalC1st
GP NHK Trophy5th3rd1stWD
GP Skate America2ndWD
GP Skate CanadaC1st
CS Autumn Classic1st2nd
National
Japan Champ.1stWDWDWD
Eastern Sect.1st
Team events
Olympics3rd T
World Team Trophy3rd T
3rd P
3rd T
2nd P
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Event cancelled
T = Team result; P = Personal result.
Medals awarded for team result only.

Pairs with Ichihashi

International[1]
Event 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19
Four Continents10th
CS Golden Spin6th
International: Junior[1]
Junior Worlds13th10th14th
JGP Austria7th
JGP Canada4th
JGP Latvia10th
JGP Poland10th
Bavarian Open7th
Toruń Cup1st
National[55]
Japan Champ.3rdWD
Japan Jr. Champ.1st1st
Team events
World Team Trophy2nd T
6th P
J = Junior level

Women's singles

National
Event 14–15
Japan Novice Championships28th A
Levels: A = Novice A

Detailed results

Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

With Kihara

2023–24 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 18-24, 2024 2024 World Championships


TBD
January 30-February 4, 2024 2024 Four Continents Championships


TBD
September 14–16, 2023 2023 CS Autumn Classic International 2
59.13
2
128.92
2
188.05
2022–23 season
Date Event SP FS Total
April 13–16, 2023 2023 World Team Trophy 2
80.47
2
143.69
3T/2P
224.16
March 20–26, 2023 2023 World Championships 1
80.72
2
141.44
1
222.16
February 7–12, 2023 2023 Four Continents Championships 1
71.19
1
137.05
1
208.24
December 8–11, 2022 2022–23 Grand Prix Final 1
78.08
1
136.50
1
214.58
November 17–20, 2022 2022 NHK Trophy 1
78.25
1
137.91
1
216.16
October 28–30, 2022 2022 Skate Canada International 1
73.39
1
138.63
1
212.02
2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 21–27, 2022 2022 World Championships 3
71.58
3
127.97
2
199.55
February 18–19, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics 8
70.85
5
141.04
7
211.89
February 4–7, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics – Team event 4
74.45
2
139.60
3T
November 12–14, 2021 2021 NHK Trophy 3
73.98
3
135.44
3
209.42
October 22–24, 2021 2021 Skate America 3
72.63
3
135.57
2
208.20
September 16–18, 2021 2021 CS Autumn Classic International 1
72.32
1
131.74
1
204.06
2020–21 season
Date Event SP FS Total
April 15–18, 2021 2021 World Team Trophy 3
65.82
3
130.83
3T/3P
196.65
March 22–28, 2021 2021 World Championships 8
64.37
10
120.04
10
184.41
2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 4–9, 2020 2020 Four Continents Championships 9
57.45
8
110.05
8
167.50
December 18–22, 2019 2019–20 Japan Championships 1
53.95
1
116.16
1
170.11
November 22–24, 2019 2019 NHK Trophy 6
62.41
6
117.53
5
179.94

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Competition Results: Riku MIURA / Shoya ICHIHASHI". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 作者別, "三浦璃来・市橋翔哉組のペア解消…”りくしょー”解散の理由とは?", フィギュアを誰でも楽しめるようにニュース・解説をしています, July 25, 2019
  4. Slater, Paula (November 23, 2019). "Sui and Han reign at NHK Trophy". Golden Skate.
  5. Slater, Paula (December 19, 2019). "Rika Kihira leads ladies at Japanese Nationals". Golden Skate.
  6. Slater, Paula (December 21, 2019). "Rika Kihira claims first Japanese National title". Golden Skate.
  7. Ewing, Lori (March 11, 2020). "World figure skating championships cancelled in Montreal". CBC Sports.
  8. "Skate Canada International in Ottawa cancelled as COVID-19 cases rise". CBC Sports. October 14, 2020.
  9. Slater, Paula (March 26, 2021). "Mishina and Galliamov capture pairs' title in World debut". Golden Skate.
  10. Slater, Paula (April 15, 2021). "2021 World Team Trophy: Day 1". Golden Skate.
  11. Slater, Paula (April 16, 2021). "2021 World Team Trophy: Day 2". Golden Skate.
  12. Slater, Paula (April 17, 2021). "2021 World Team Trophy: Day 3". Golden Skate.
  13. Jiwani, Rory (September 17, 2021). "Miura/Kihara take Autumn Classic pairs title from debutants James/Radford". Olympic Channel.
  14. Capellazzi, Gina (25 October 2021). "Team USA pairs finish in fourth and fifth at Skate America". Figure Skaters Online.
  15. Slater, Paula (October 24, 2021). "Tarasova and Morozov pocket second Skate America gold". Golden Skate.
  16. Slater, Paula (November 13, 2021). "Mishina and Galliamov storm to gold at NHK Trophy". Golden Skate.
  17. "Figure skating Grand Prix Final cancelled over travel rules". CBC Sports. December 2, 2021.
  18. Slater, Paula (February 4, 2022). "Team USA leads Olympic Figure Skating Team Event". Golden Skate.
  19. Slater, Paula (February 7, 2022). "ROC wins Olympic figure skating team event". Golden Skate.
  20. Slater, Paula (February 18, 2022). "Sui and Han lead Pairs in Beijing with new record score". Golden Skate.
  21. Slater, Paula (February 19, 2022). "Chinese edge out ROC for Pairs' gold in 2022 Beijing Olympics". Golden Skate.
  22. Campigotto, Jesse (March 22, 2022). "Get ready for a bizarre figure skating world championships". CBC Sports.
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  24. Slater, Paula (March 24, 2022). "USA's Knierim and Frazier take gold in Worlds debut as a team". Golden Skate.
  25. Cloutier, Claire (March 26, 2022). "Bruno Marcotte: "Miura/Kihara are very special"". A Divine Sport.
  26. McCarvel, Nick (October 28, 2022). "Miura Kao, 17, leads Skate Canada, besting teammate Uno Shoma in short program". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  27. Slater, Paula (October 29, 2022). "Miura and Kihara win historic pairs Gold for Japan". Golden Skate.
  28. Sleeping at Last [@sleepingatlast] (October 30, 2022). "sooo honored my song gets to be a part! how beautiful!" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  29. "'Confident' Miura/Kihara (JPN) delight home crowd to lead Pairs after Short Program at NHK Trophy". International Skating Union. November 18, 2022.
  30. "Miura/Kihara (JPN) take home Pairs gold in NHK Trophy to qualify for Grand Prix Final in style". International Skating Union. November 19, 2022.
  31. Slater, Paula (November 19, 2022). "Miura and Kihara take second Grand Prix title at NHK Trophy". Golden Skate.
  32. "Miura/Kihara (JPN) take Pairs Short over Knierim/Frazier (USA) at ISU Grand Prix Final". International Skating Union. December 8, 2022.
  33. "Miura/Kihara make Japan's first ISU Grand Prix Pairs medal a gold". International Skating Union. December 9, 2022.
  34. Slater, Paula (December 9, 2022). "Miura and Kihara make history in Torino". Golden Skate.
  35. Gallagher, Jack (December 22, 2022). "Japan's top pair to miss national championships due to plane delay and lost baggage". Japan Forward.
  36. McCarvel, Nick (February 6, 2023). "ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2023 preview: Levito, Miura/Kihara and Chock/Bates all aim for titles ahead of figure skating worlds". Olympic Channel.
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  38. Dombrowski, Judith (February 10, 2023). "Miura and Kihara 'achieve goal' in short program". Golden Skate.
  39. Slater, Paula (February 11, 2023). "Miura and Kihara reign at Four Continents". Golden Skate.
  40. "Miura/Kihara claim historic Four Continents Pairs title for Japan". International Skating Union. February 11, 2023.
  41. "Miura/Kihara (JPN) seize Pairs Short Program at ISU World Figure Skating Championships". International Skating Union. March 22, 2023.
  42. 1 2 Slater, Paula (March 23, 2023). "Miura and Kihara grand-slam their way into history". Golden Skate.
  43. Orlowitz, Dan (March 23, 2023). "Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara take historic pairs gold at figure skating worlds". Japan Forward.
  44. Mitsuoka, Maria-Lauria (April 14, 2023). "Team USA maintains lead in Tokyo; Korea and Japan follow". Golden Skate.
  45. Mitsuoka, Maria-Lauria (April 16, 2023). "Team USA takes fifth World Team Trophy". Golden Skate.
  46. "Canadian skaters win four medal on second day of Autumn Classic International". Skate Canada. September 15, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  47. "Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023.
  48. "Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022.
  49. "Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021.
  50. "Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021.
  51. "Riku MIURA / Shoya ICHIHASHI: 2018/2019". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018.
  52. "Riku MIURA / Shoya ICHIHASHI: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 29, 2018.
  53. "Riku MIURA / Shoya ICHIHASHI: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017.
  54. "Competition Results: Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA". International Skating Union.
  55. "三浦 璃来 / 市橋 翔哉" [MIURA Riku / ICHIHASHI Shoya] (in Japanese). Japan Skating Federation. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018.

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