The Golden Path: Ryuichi Kihara's Unconventional Career Leads Rikuryu Pair to Historic Olympic Gold
The “Rikuryu” pair, composed of Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, has achieved Japan's first-ever Olympic gold medal in figure skating pairs, sending the entire nation into a frenzy of joy. Ryuichi Kihara's unconventional career, particularly his transition from singles to pairs, is once again drawing significant attention as a pivotal factor in this success. During Kihara's time as a singles skater, Japanese men's singles was a golden era often referred to as a “grand labyrinth” (大魔境). World-class athletes like Yuzuru Hanyu, Daisuke Takahashi, Nobunari Oda, Takahiko Kozuka, Tatsuki Machida, Takahito Mura, and Shoma Uno competed fiercely. The domestic podium battle was reputedly tougher than winning a medal at the World Championships. While documentaries sometimes portray his decision to switch to pairs as a result of “not making a name for himself in singles,” Kihara was a highly talented and capable skater at the top level during that period, placing 10th at the Junior W...