Former All-Japan Women's Figure Skating Champion Rika Kihira Announces Surprise Switch to Ice Dance

Former All-Japan Women's Figure Skating Champion Rika Kihira (Toyota Motor Corp.) has made a surprise announcement that she will be taking on the challenge of ice dance. Her partner is Shingo Nishiyama (Oriental Bio), and she reported the formation of their partnership via her Instagram. Their nickname, "Rikashin," is already gaining popularity among fans.

Kihira announced, "I am pleased to announce that I have formed an ice dance partnership with Shingo Nishiyama. I will be challenging myself in ice dance." She continued, "I am grateful to my family, my affiliated company, my sponsors, and to Shingo Nishiyama for giving me this opportunity for another skating life and for supporting this new endeavor." Nishiyama also commented on his SNS, "I am delighted to announce that I have formed an ice dance partnership with Rika Kihira. I am happy to be able to work on ice dance with Ms. Kihira." He added that with the understanding of his family and affiliation, "Our goal is clear, so we will put in our utmost effort to achieve our shared objectives."

This announcement has brought great surprise and anticipation to the figure skating world, and an online press conference for the media is scheduled for noon. Numerous comments have poured in from fans, such as "Will she quit singles skating now?", "The path to the Olympics isn't closed yet, right?", "I'm so happy I could cry," and "May this new chapter be injury-free and enjoyable," sending warm cheers for her new challenge.

In recent years, Kihira has shown a strong will to continue competing despite suffering from injuries. This transition is seen as a major decision for her to overcome these difficulties and embark on "another skating life." While ice dance requires different edge work than pairs skating and demands synchronized expressive power with a partner, there are high expectations that her natural athleticism and expressiveness will blossom with new appeal. Her training base is expected to be the Cricket Club, where she will challenge the world under the guidance of coach Tracy Wilson.

The Japanese ice dance scene has been steadily gaining momentum in recent years, and the formation of the Kihira-Nishiyama team is sure to attract even more attention. Fans are expressing great anticipation for their performances, with comments like "I can't wait to see what kind of couple they become" and "I'm looking forward to their success in ice dance."

The Context

Rika Kihira is a highly accomplished Japanese figure skater, known for her powerful jumps (including the triple Axel) and artistry. She rose to international prominence, winning the Grand Prix Final in 2018 and the Four Continents Championship twice (2019, 2020). Her career was significantly hampered by a stress fracture in her right ankle, which caused her to miss the 2022 Beijing Olympics and kept her off the ice for an extended period. This switch to ice dance, a discipline where Japan has traditionally not been as strong as in singles or pairs but has seen recent growth, marks a significant and unexpected turn in her career, offering a path to continue competing at an elite level while potentially alleviating some of the physical strain of quad jumps. Shingo Nishiyama is also a former singles skater who has transitioned to ice dance, previously competing with other partners. Their partnership brings together two talented skaters, aiming to elevate Japan's presence in international ice dance.