Figure skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara announce engagement
Japanese figure skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who won Olympic gold in pair skating, have announced their engagement. The athletes shared the news on Instagram, posting a photo in which Kihara kneels on the ice and holds out a ring to Miura, The Japan Times reports.
Partners on and off the ice
In a joint post, the figure skaters said they had experienced many happy and difficult moments together and supported each other every step of the way. Miura is 24, while Kihara turned 34 on August 22.
The duo, known in Japan as “Riku-Ryu,” began skating together in 2019. In April, the athletes announced the end of their competitive careers. During that time, Kihara battled recurring back injuries, while Miura competed repeatedly with a chronic shoulder dislocation.
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Olympic gold
In February 2026, Miura and Kihara became the first Japanese pair to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. At the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, they were fifth after the short program due to an uncharacteristic mistake, but later recovered in the free skate.
Their free skate to music from the film “Gladiator” brought the pair Olympic gold and a world record. After the setback in the short program, Kihara said he was “completely devastated.” In the first five hours, the athletes’ engagement post received more than 14,000 congratulations.
