THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
December 23, 2022 at 19:08 JST
Japanese pairs skaters Riku Miura, left, and Ryuichi Kihara respond to questions from reporters on Dec. 22. (Pool)
The first Japanese team to win the Grand Prix Final pairs title, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, were devastated when their prospects for the national championships evaporated after an unexpected string of bad luck.
The Japan Skating Federation said on Dec. 22 the duo, known in Japan as “Riku-Ryu,” will withdraw from the All-Japan Figure Skating Championships 2022 because their flights from where they were training in Canada were delayed and their baggage was lost.
“A lot of people recognized us this season, and this was supposed to be our national championships,” Kihara said. “We finally got people to know us, but I can’t sort myself out.”
Miura said they are “really disappointed since we had been practicing and shaping up in Canada for our first national championships in three years.”
The pair’s short program was to start on Dec. 23 and the free program was set for Dec. 25. Miura and Kihara were widely expected to go to the nationals for the first time in three years.
But not only did their delayed flights cause them to arrive far behind schedule, their outfits and skates were in the lost luggage.
“We had planned to get in two days before the championships--plenty of time,” Kihara said. “But the flights were delayed, then canceled … and the last straw was the lost baggage.”
The pair ultimately decided that skating without enough time to practice is far too risky.
“I have no ice skates, so I can’t do anything,” Kihara said. “Even if they arrive, it is impossible to lift safely without being on the ice for four days.”
Miura vowed to do her best next time for all the fans watching.
The pair won Skate Canada, the second event of the 2022-23 Grand Prix series and the NHK Trophy, the fifth event. They also became the first Japanese pair to win the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final held in Torino, Italy, where the best six skaters or pairs in the series qualify.
FIGURE SKATING/ Japan’s ‘Riku-Ryu’ pair edges Americans to win Grand Prix Final gold
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FIGURE SKATING/ Yuma Kagiyama, Kaori Sakamoto win NHK Trophy titles
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