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Ryuichi Kihara

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Ryuichi Kihara
Kihara in 2018
Native name木原 龍一
Born (1992-08-22) August 22, 1992 (age 32)
Ichinomiya, Aichi
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Figure skating career
Country Japan
PartnerRiku Miura
CoachBruno Marcotte
Meagan Duhamel
Brian Shales
Skating clubKinoshita Club
Began skating1996
Medal record
Representing  Japan
Pairs' figure skating
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Beijing Team
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2022 Montpellier Pairs
World Team Trophy
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Osaka Team

Ryuichi Kihara (木原 龍一, Kihara Ryūichi, born August 22, 1992) is a Japanese pair skater. With his skating partner, Riku Miura, he is the 2022 World silver medalist, a two-time ISU Grand Prix gold medalist, the 2021 CS Autumn Classic champion, and the 2020 Japanese national champion. They also earned a bronze medal at the team event during the 2022 Winter Olympics.

He previously competed with Narumi Takahashi and Miu Suzaki, representing Japan at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics, respectively.

As a singles skater, he is a two-time bronze medalist on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and the 2010–11 Japanese Junior silver medalist.

Personal life

Kihara was born in Ichinomiya, Aichi.

He enjoys playing baseball in his spare time.[1]

Career

Single skating

Kihara began learning to skate in 1996.[2] He finished 10th at the 2011 World Junior Championships. He competed in singles through January 28, 2013.

Partnership with Takahashi

On January 30, 2013, the Japanese skating federation confirmed that Kihara would compete in pair skating with Narumi Takahashi, the 2012 World bronze medalist, and they would be coached by Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen.[3][4] They trained in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.[5] They represented Japan together at the 2014 Olympics and placed 19th.

The pair split in March 2015.[6]

2016–2017 season: Debut of Suzaki/Kihara

In June 2015, Japanese media reported that Kihara had teamed up with former single skater Miu Suzaki, with whom he would continue to train in Michigan.[7] In December, they received the bronze medal at the Japan Championships. They did not appear internationally in their first season together.

2016–2017 season

After winning their first international medal (bronze) at the Asian Open Trophy in early August 2016 in Manila, Suzaki/Kihara took silver at the Japan Championships in December. Ranked twelfth in the short program and fourteenth in the free skate, they finished thirteenth overall at the 2017 Four Continents Championships, held in February in Gangneung, South Korea.

2017–2018 season: Pyeongchang Olympics

Suzaki/Kihara began their season with silver at the Asian Open Trophy in August 2017. Making their Grand Prix debut, they finished eighth at the 2017 NHK Trophy in November. They won their first national title at the 2017–18 Japan Championships, and were assigned to Japan's lone pairs spot at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. In February, they competed at the Olympics in both the team event and the individual event.[8] They placed 21st in the latter and missed the free skate. They concluded their season at the 2018 World Championships, where they placed 24th, again missing the free skate.

2018–2019 season: End of Suzaki/Kihara

In October 2018, Suzaki/Kihara placed tenth at the 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy. They placed eighth at the 2018 Grand Prix Helsinki, their first Grand Prix event of the season. They also placed eighth at the 2018 NHK Trophy, their second assignment. They won a second national title at the 2018–19 Japan Championships. Due to a concussion sustained by Kihara in training, the pair withdrew from the 2019 Four Continents Championships and the home 2019 World Championships in Saitama.[9] They announced the end of their partnership in early April 2019.[10]

2019–2020 season: Debut of Miura/Kihara

In August 2019, it was announced that Kihara had teamed up with Riku Miura and that the pair would train in Oakville, Ontario at the Skate Oakville Skating Club under Bruno Marcotte, Meagan Duhamel, and Brian Shales.[1]

Miura/Kihara made their international competitive debut at 2019 NHK Trophy, where they finished fifth.[11] They were the only pair competing at the 2019–20 Japan Championships, and had two falls in the short program.[12] The free skate proved more successful, allowing them to claim the Japanese national title and assignments to the ISU championships in the second half of the season.[13]

After an eighth-place finish at the 2020 Four Continents Championships, Miura/Kihara were assigned to compete at the World Championships in Montreal, but these were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[14]

2020–2021 season

Miura/Kihara was assigned to compete at the 2020 Skate Canada International, but this event was cancelled as a result of the pandemic.[15] Making their season and Worlds debut at the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, they placed tenth.[16] As Japan's only pair, they were named to the team for the 2021 World Team Trophy. On April 8, he was named as team captain. They finished third in both segments, helping Team Japan to the bronze medal.[17][18][19]

2021–2022 season: Beijing Olympics

Miura/Kihara spent the period after the World Team Trophy training in Japan and the United States, before returning to Canada in September upon the reopening of the borders. They began their season at the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International, where they won both segments of competition, as well as set new personal bests, to take the gold medal overall.[20]

At their first Grand Prix assignment of the season, the 2021 Skate America, Miura/Kihara again scored new personal bests in both segments of competition, as well as overall. Despite placing third in both the short program and the free skate, due to shifting ordinals from their competitors the team won the silver medal between Russian competitors Tarasova/Morozov in first and Boikova/Kozlovskii in third. Their medal marks the first medal for Japan in the pairs event on the Grand Prix circuit since 2011.[21][22] Competing at the 2021 NHK Trophy at home for their second event, they were third in both programs to take the bronze medal. They finished less than four points behind silver medalists Tarasova/Morozov, a gap more than accounted for by jump and throw errors by Miura. She noted issues in training, and expressed dissatisfaction that she had been unable to fix the problem, but that they were nevertheless satisfied to have achieved their goal of winning a medal.[23] Miura/Kihara's results qualified them to the Grand Prix Final, but it was subsequently cancelled due to restrictions prompted by the Omicron variant.[24]

Due to the Omicron variant, Miura/Kihara did not travel to Japan to participate in the 2021–22 Japan Championships, but were instead named directly to the Japanese Olympic team. They began the 2022 Winter Olympics as the Japanese entries in the Olympic team event. They placed fourth in the short program, securing seven points for the Japanese team.[25] Skating the free segment as well, they finished in second place there, taking nine points for the Japanese team, which went on to win the bronze medal. This was the first time that Japan had taken a medal in the team event, and Miura/Kihara's presence as a strong pair team was widely cited as the biggest factor in Japan's increased competitiveness.[26] In the pairs event, Miura doubled her triple jump attempt in the short program, as a result of which they placed eighth in the segment.[27] In the free skate, they finished fifth in the segment, rising to seventh place overall.[28]

Days after the Olympics concluded, Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine, as a result of which the International Skating Union banned all Russian and Belarusian skaters from competing at the 2022 World Championships. As well, the Chinese Skating Association opted not to send athletes to compete in Montpellier. As those countries' athletes comprised the entirety of the top five pairs at the Olympics, this had a huge impact on the field, and Miura/Kihara entered as medal favourites.[29] In the short program, Miura put a hand down after stepping out on their throw triple Lutz, but they finished third in the segment, taking a bronze small medal.[30] They had a rough free skate, with errors on both jumping passes and Miura falling on a throw triple loop. They still finished third in that segment as well, but took the silver medal overall. They became the second Japanese pair team to win a World medal. Miura opined afterward "now we secure the medal, but I don't think our performance was worth winning a medal today. We regret our performance today, so next season I want to push ourselves hard and to the very end and we want to practice hard."[31] Their coach, Bruno Marcotte, countered that "I told them to look at their silver medals and think: 'This is the result of all the work you did, all the competitions, the year and a half that you had to stay in Canada, away from your families, because of COVID-19. These medals represent all of that.'"[32]

2022–23 season

In July, Miura suffered an injury to her left shoulder while skating in a Japanese ice show during the off-season, which kept the pair from significant training until September. Despite this, Miura/Kihara managed to win gold at their first Grand Prix event, the 2022 Skate Canada International, becoming the first Japanese pair team to ever do so.[33][34] Their free skate program earned praise from Sleeping at Last, the artist of the program's music.[35] Weeks later they competed at their second assignment, the 2022 NHK Trophy in Sapporo, winning the short program with a new personal best score, nearly 14 points clear of Americans Chan/Howe in second.[36] They won the free skate as well by a wide margin, with only two minor errors, winning their second Grand Prix gold and becoming the first Japanese team to win Japan's home Grand Prix event. These results qualified them for the Grand Prix Final.[37][38]

Programs

With Miura

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2022–2023
[39]

by OneRepublic

2021–2022
[40]
2020–2021
[41]
2019–2020
[1]

With Suzaki

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2018–2019
[2]
2017–2018
[42]
2016–2017
[44]
2015–2016

[45]

  • Move Together

With Takahashi

Season Short program Free skating
2014–2015
[46]
  • That's Entertainment
  • Love is Here to Stay
  • I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise
2013–2014
[5]

Single skating

Season Short program Free skating
2012–2013
2011–2012
[47]
2010–2011
[48]
  • Tango De Los Exilados
    by Walter Taieb
2009–2010
[49]
  • The Man in the Iron Mask
    by Nick Glennie-Smith

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Pairs with Miura

International[50]
Event 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23
Olympics 7th
Worlds C 10th 2nd
Four Continents 8th
GP Final C TBD
GP NHK Trophy 5th 3rd 1st
GP Skate America 2nd
GP Skate Canada C 1st
CS Autumn Classic 1st
National
Japan Champ. 1st WD
Team events
Olympics 3rd T
World Team Trophy 3rd T
3rd P
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Event cancelled
T = Team result; P = Personal result.
Medals awarded for team result only.

Pairs with Suzaki

International[51]
Event 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19
Olympics 21st
Worlds 24th WD
Four Continents 13th 8th WD
GP Finland 8th
GP NHK Trophy 8th 8th
CS Finlandia Trophy 10th
Asian Open Trophy 3rd 2nd
National[52]
Japan Champ. 3rd 2nd 1st 1st
Team events
Olympics 5th T
WD = Withdrew

Pairs with Takahashi

International[53]
Event 13–14 14–15
Olympics 18th
Worlds 17th 19th
Four Continents 10th
GP Rostelecom Cup 7th
GP NHK Trophy 7th
CS Nebelhorn Trophy 7th
Lombardia Trophy 7th
Nebelhorn Trophy 11th
National[54]
Japan Championships 1st 1st
Team events
Winter Olympics 5th T
T = Team result

Single skating

International[55]
Event 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10 10–11 11–12 12–13
Challenge Cup 7th
International: Junior[55]
Junior Worlds 10th
JGP Austria 10th
JGP Belarus 9th
JGP Estonia 4th
JGP Germany 3rd
JGP Poland 3rd
New Zealand WG 2nd J
National[56]
Japan 12th 12th 12th
Japan Junior 28th 17th 16th 9th 8th 2nd 3rd
Japan Novice 6th B 1st B 3rd A 9th A
J = Junior level

Detailed results

With Miura

2022–23 season
Date Event SP FS Total
December 8–11, 2022 2022–23 Grand Prix Final


TBD
November 17–20, 2022 2022 NHK Trophy 1
78.25 		1
137.91 		1
216.16
October 28–30, 2022 2022 Skate Canada International 1
73.39 		1
138.63 		1
212.02
2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 21–27, 2022 2022 World Championships 3
71.58 		3
127.97 		2
199.55
February 18–19, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics 8
70.85 		5
141.04 		7
211.89
February 4–7, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics – Team event 4
74.45 		2
139.60 		3T
November 12–14, 2021 2021 NHK Trophy 3
73.98 		3
135.44 		3
209.42
October 22–24, 2021 2021 Skate America 3
72.63 		3
135.57 		2
208.20
September 16–18, 2021 2021 CS Autumn Classic International 1
72.32 		1
131.74 		1
204.06
2020–21 season
Date Event SP FS Total
April 15–18, 2021 2021 World Team Trophy 3
65.82 		3
130.83 		3T/3P
196.65
March 22–28, 2021 2021 World Championships 8
64.37 		10
120.04 		10
184.41
2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 4 – 9, 2020 2020 Four Continents Championships 9
57.45 		8
110.05 		8
167.50
December 18–22, 2019 2019–20 Japan Championships 1
53.95 		1
116.16 		1
170.11
November 22–24, 2019 2019 NHK Trophy 6
62.41 		6
117.53 		5
179.94

References

  1. ^ a b c "Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Miu SUZAKI / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2018/2019". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019.
  3. ^ "Skater Takahashi pairs up with Kihara". Jiji-Daily Yomiuri. January 31, 2013. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ フィギュア:高橋・木原の新ペア、佐藤有香コーチに師事 [Takahashi / Kihara pair skating team learns from Yuka Sato]. Mainichi (in Japanese). January 30, 2013. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ a b "Narumi TAKAHASHI / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 21, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "羽生 フィギュア国別対抗戦出場決定！最高の演技で締める". Yahoo Japan (in Japanese). March 31, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ "木原龍一は須崎海羽、クリス・リードは村元哉中とペア" (in Japanese). sponichi.co.jp. June 18, 2015. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "Athlete Profile - Ryuichi KIHARA". pyeongchang2018.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018.
  9. ^ "須崎・木原組、世界フィギュア欠場を発表". sponichi.co.jp (in Japanese). February 26, 2019. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019.
  10. ^ "フィギュア平昌五輪代表・須崎木原組がペア解消". daily.co.jp (in Japanese). April 8, 2019. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019.
  11. ^ Slater, Paula (November 23, 2019). "Sui and Han reign at NHK Trophy". Golden Skate.
  12. ^ Slater, Paula (December 19, 2019). "Rika Kihira leads ladies at Japanese Nationals". Golden Skate.
  13. ^ Slater, Paula (December 21, 2019). "Rika Kihira claims first Japanese National title". Golden Skate.
  14. ^ Ewing, Lori (March 11, 2020). "World figure skating championships cancelled in Montreal". CBC Sports.
  15. ^ "Skate Canada International in Ottawa cancelled as COVID-19 cases rise". CBC Sports. October 14, 2020.
  16. ^ Slater, Paula (March 26, 2021). "Mishina and Galliamov capture pairs' title in World debut". Golden Skate.
  17. ^ Slater, Paula (April 15, 2021). "2021 World Team Trophy: Day 1". Golden Skate.
  18. ^ Slater, Paula (April 16, 2021). "2021 World Team Trophy: Day 2". Golden Skate.
  19. ^ Slater, Paula (April 17, 2021). "2021 World Team Trophy: Day 3". Golden Skate.
  20. ^ Jiwani, Rory (September 17, 2021). "Miura/Kihara take Autumn Classic pairs title from debutants James/Radford". Olympic Channel.
  21. ^ Capellazzi, Gina (25 October 2021). "Team USA pairs finish in fourth and fifth at Skate America". Figure Skaters Online.
  22. ^ Slater, Paula (October 24, 2021). "Tarasova and Morozov pocket second Skate America gold". Golden Skate.
  23. ^ Slater, Paula (November 13, 2021). "Mishina and Galliamov storm to gold at NHK Trophy". Golden Skate.
  24. ^ "Figure skating Grand Prix Final cancelled over travel rules". CBC Sports. December 2, 2021.
  25. ^ Slater, Paula (February 4, 2022). "Team USA leads Olympic Figure Skating Team Event". Golden Skate.
  26. ^ Slater, Paula (February 7, 2022). "ROC wins Olympic figure skating team event". Golden Skate.
  27. ^ Slater, Paula (February 18, 2022). "Sui and Han lead Pairs in Beijing with new record score". Golden Skate.
  28. ^ Slater, Paula (February 19, 2022). "Chinese edge out ROC for Pairs' gold in 2022 Beijing Olympics". Golden Skate.
  29. ^ Campigotto, Jesse (March 22, 2022). "Get ready for a bizarre figure skating world championships". CBC Sports.
  30. ^ Slater, Paula (March 23, 2022). "USA's Knierim and Frazier lead Pairs in Montpellier". Golden Skate.
  31. ^ Slater, Paula (March 24, 2022). "USA's Knierim and Frazier take gold in Worlds debut as a team". Golden Skate.
  32. ^ Cloutier, Claire (March 26, 2022). "Bruno Marcotte: "Miura/Kihara are very special"". A Divine Sport.
  33. ^ McCarvel, Nick (October 28, 2022). "Miura Kao, 17, leads Skate Canada, besting teammate Uno Shoma in short program". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  34. ^ Slater, Paula (October 29, 2022). "Miura and Kihara win historic pairs Gold for Japan". Golden Skate.
  35. ^ Sleeping at Last [@sleepingatlast] (30 October 2022). "sooo honored my song gets to be a part! how beautiful!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  36. ^ "'Confident' Miura/Kihara (JPN) delight home crowd to lead Pairs after Short Program at NHK Trophy". International Skating Union. November 18, 2022.
  37. ^ "Miura/Kihara (JPN) take home Pairs gold in NHK Trophy to qualify for Grand Prix Final in style". International Skating Union. November 19, 2022.
  38. ^ Slater, Paula (November 19, 2022). "Miura and Kihara take second Grand Prix title at NHK Trophy". Golden Skate.
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  40. ^ "Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021.
  41. ^ "Riku MIURA / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021.
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  43. ^ "木下グループ presents スターズ・オン・アイス 2018 (Special)". TBS 2. 21 April 2018.
  44. ^ "Miu SUZAKI / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017.
  45. ^ "須﨑 海羽 ／ 木原 龍一 ｜ スケート∞リンク ～フジスケ～". フジテレビ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  46. ^ "Narumi TAKAHASHI / Ryuichi KIHARA: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015.
  47. ^ "Ryuichi KIHARA: 2011/2012". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012.
  48. ^ "Ryuichi KIHARA: 2010/2011". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  49. ^ "Ryuichi KIHARA: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 27, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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  51. ^ "Competition Results: Miu SUZAKI / Ryuichi KIHARA". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019.
  52. ^ "須﨑 海羽/SUZAKI Miu 木原 龍一/KIHARA Ryuichi" (in Japanese). Japan Skating Federation. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019.
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  54. ^ "髙橋 成美/TAKAHASHI Narumi 木原 龍一/KIHARA Ryuichi" (in Japanese). Japan Skating Federation. Archived from the original on March 19, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  55. ^ a b "Competition Results: Ryuichi KIHARA". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  56. ^ "木原 龍一 KIHARA Ryuichi" (in Japanese). Japan Skating Federation. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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