Japan’s Olympic figure skating stars Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara are engaged

Japan's favourite figure skating pair have cleared their toughest jump yet: getting engaged. Ryuichi Kihara, who recently turned 34, and Riku Miura, 24, made the announcement on Instagram on Sunday with a picture specifically designed for the tabloids. On the ice, Kihara dropped to her knees and gave Miura a ring.

Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara announce their engagement

The caption, translated, read, “We’re engaged. Through both the happy times and the difficult ones, we’ve shared so many moments together, supporting each other every step of the way. Over time, we became irreplaceable parts of each other’s lives—someone neither of us could imagine life without. We’re truly happy to finally be able to share this news with all of you. As we begin this new chapter, we’ll continue to support each other and move forward together, one step at a time, while always staying true to who we are. We hope you’ll continue to warmly support us and watch over us."

The pair, known to fans as Riku-Ryu, made history earlier this year when they became the first Japanese team to win Olympic gold in figure skating. They made a spectacular comeback to win the title at the Milano Cortina Winter Games after finishing fifth after the short program.

They discreetly persevered through severe physical difficulties for years after originally teaming up in 2019: Miura fought through a persistent shoulder problem that kept dislocating, while Kihara struggled with a recurrent back injury. Nevertheless, they had their Olympic moment before permanently quitting competitive skating in April of this year.

Now, just months into retirement, they're starting a new chapter together — this time off the ice for good, but clearly still very much a team. No word yet on a wedding date. But if their Olympic comeback is any indication, expect this pair to make it a moment to remember.

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