Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara Announce Engagement After Historic Olympic Gold

On August 23, Japanese Olympic pairs figure-skating champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara confirmed they are engaged, ending months of speculation about their relationship. The same announcement included news that the duo retired from competitive skating earlier in the year, having announced their departure in April. They now perform in ice shows and are pursuing coaching careers.

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Miura and Kihara, affectionately known as “Riku-Ryu,” became the first Japanese pair to win an Olympic medal of any color when they captured gold at the Milan-Cortina 2022 Winter Games. After placing fifth in the short program, they rallied in the free skate to claim the top podium spot with a world-record score. Their triumph sparked a surge of interest in figure skating across Japan and positioned the pair as national icons.

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The skaters shared a joint Instagram post reflecting on their partnership. Miura said, “We’ll continue to support each other and move forward together, one step at a time, while always staying true to who we are.” Kihara added that “over time, we became irreplaceable parts of each other’s lives.” In a February press conference after returning to Japan, Kihara described their bond as “comrades in arms,” while Miura likened it to family, emphasizing the natural progression of staying together.

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• Ages at announcement: Miura 24, Kihara 34.

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• Hometowns: Miura hails from Hyogo Prefecture; Kihara from Aichi Prefecture.

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• Olympic record: gold medal with a world-record free-skate score; first Japanese pair Olympic medal.

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• Partnership began in 2019 and lasted through the 2022 Games.

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• “We’ll continue to support each other and move forward together, one step at a time, while always staying true to who we are,” — Riku Miura

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• “Over time, we became irreplaceable parts of each other’s lives.” — Ryuichi Kihara

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