Japan Skating Duo Miura, Kihara Announce Engagement

Tokyo, Aug. 23 (Jiji Press)--Japanese skating duo Riku Miura, 24, and Ryuichi Kihara, 34, who won gold in the figure skating pairs event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, announced their engagement on social media Sunday.

The pair, nicknamed "Riku-Ryu," released a photograph of Kihara kneeling on one knee on a skating rink and offering a ring to Miura.

"Over time, we became irreplaceable parts of each other's lives--someone neither of us could imagine life without," their joint message said. "As we begin this new chapter, we'll continue to support each other and move forward together, one step at a time, while always staying true to who we are."

Miura and Kihara formed the pair in 2019. They contributed to Japan's silver medal in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics figure skating team event.

In the 2022-2023 season, the pair won the Grand Prix Final, the Four Continents championship and other major international competitions, culminating in their first world championship victory in 2023. They also won the same championship in 2025.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]