Reigning World Champions Miura and Kihara Lead Japan's Figure Skating Resurgence With Personal-Best Performance in Olympic Team Event

Reigning world champions Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi delivered a flawless performance on Friday at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, winning the pairs short program segment of the figure skating team event with a personal-best score of 82.84 points. Skating to "Paint it Black," the Japanese duo executed a perfect triple toeloop and triple Lutz throw, demonstrating they have fully recovered from the dislocated shoulder injury Miura suffered in December. Their commanding performance boosted Japan from eighth place to sixth in the team event standings, keeping their medal hopes alive in the early stages of the competition. The Beijing 2022 Olympic silver medallists in the team event showed no signs of rust or hesitation as they took to the ice at the Palavela arena. Their score not only topped the pairs short program but also marked a significant personal achievement, surpassing their previous best and signaling their readiness to compete for individual medals later in the Games. The two-time ISU World Pairs Champions have claimed they are in the finest form of their seven-year partnership, and their performance validated those assertions in spectacular fashion. Canada's Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud finished fourth in the pairs short program segment with 68.24 points, stepping in as last-minute replacements for injured teammates Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, who withdrew from the event. Italy's Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii also delivered a strong performance, feeding off the energy of the home crowd to help push Italy into second place in the overall team standings after the second day of competition. The figure skating team event serves as the opening act for one of the Winter Olympics' marquee sports, featuring the world's best skaters competing in men's and women's singles, pairs, and ice dance. Japan, the 2022 Olympic silver medalists in the team event, is pinning their hopes of a first-ever couples gold medal in pairs on Miura and Kihara, whose chemistry and technical prowess have made them favorites heading into the individual competition. Their recovery from Miura's shoulder injury, which forced them to withdraw from the free skating at the Japan Figure Skating Championships in December, has been nothing short of remarkable. The team event will continue over the coming days with additional segments in all four disciplines before medals are awarded. With the United States and Japan leading the charge alongside traditional powerhouses like Russia Olympic Committee athletes and Canada, the competition remains wide open. Miura and Kihara's performance has given Japan crucial points and momentum as they seek to improve on their silver medal from Beijing. The individual pairs competition, where Miura and Kihara are considered gold-medal favorites, will take place later in the Olympic schedule. Their dominant showing in the team event has established them as the pair to beat, setting up what could be a historic moment for Japanese figure skating if they can convert their world championship success into Olympic gold on the sport's biggest stage.