OLYMPICS: Figure Skating-Japan's Kihara says he skated through tears to claim Olympic pairs gold

MILAN – Japan’s Ryuichi Kihara and Riku Miura overcame an early setback to make history, winning the country’s first Olympic pairs figure skating gold with a powerful, Gladiator-themed free skate.

The two-time world champions were devastated after finishing fifth in Sunday’s short program due to a lift error. But on Monday, they returned to deliver a performance their coach described as built on heart, belief, and seven years of resilience.

Kihara, 33, admitted he had struggled to move past the previous day’s mistake.

"I couldn't stop crying since this morning. I just couldn't bounce back from yesterday's mistake; even on the ice, the tears kept flowing," he said. He added that the support from his partner, coach, and friends helped him regain focus.

"Riku, my coach, my friends in Japan—everyone sent messages of support. Everyone said it's not over yet. Normally I'm the stronger one, but this time, Riku really supported me," he added.

Miura, 24, said seeing Kihara in tears motivated her to step up.

"Ryuichi has been crying since this morning, so I felt like I needed to be strong and help him focus," she said.

The pair, who teamed up in 2019, entered the Olympics as favorites after winning December’s Grand Prix Final in Nagoya and topping the pairs segment in the team event, helping Japan secure silver.

Their journey, however, has been shaped by years of challenges. Kihara has battled recurring back injuries, while Miura has repeatedly competed with a chronically dislocating shoulder. At the 2025 Japan Championships, she dislocated it during warm-ups, reset it herself, and still delivered a season-best short program.

Their free skate reflected those struggles—a program built around combat, survival, and triumph. Skating to music from the Gladiator soundtrack performed by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, the duo executed every element with the steadiness that had eluded them the day before, their choreography highlighting the resilience that has defined their partnership.

"We made a huge mistake yesterday, but for the past seven years we’ve worked so hard. We have grown a lot," Miura said. "We were determined to forget what happened yesterday and start from scratch."

For Japan, the historic gold marks a milestone in a discipline long dominated by European and North American pairs. Before their 2022 world silver, Japan had gone a decade without a major ISU pairs podium finish.

Kihara, who collapsed in tears after their skate, said they had not expected to win.

"We knew the last group included amazing skaters, so we honestly didn't think we would win gold tonight. It’s a little bit unbelievable that we’re able to get a medal for Japan in pair skating for the first time ever," he said. -Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Kim Coghill/Reuters