Milano Cortina 2026: Japanese Gold Medalist Figure Skater Miura Says When Kihara Retires ‘I Retire Too’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:01 JST, February 25, 2026

Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who won Japan’s first-ever gold medal in pairs figure skating at the Milano Cortina Olympics, held a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday, where Kihara expressed his desire to eventually become coaches together.

“Not immediately, but we want to coach together as a team,” Kihara said at the press conference.

Addressing the current lack of pair coaches in Japan, Kihara said, “If we can first become capable of coaching in Japan, I think we can reduce some of the challenges [faced by future pairs].”

“I would like to help Kihara with his coaching,” said Miura.

When asked about the next Olympics in four years, Kihara said, “Honestly, I don’t know yet.”

Miura, however, said: “When Kihara retires, that’s when I retire too. There’s absolutely no way I’ll continue with someone else.”