Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who made history as Japan's first Olympic pairs figure skating gold medallists at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, have announced their retirement from competitive skating. The duo, who have skated together since 2019, shared the news on Instagram, saying they had no regrets and planned to pursue new efforts to raise the profile of pairs skating in Japan. Their retirement follows a standout career that included a dramatic Milano Cortina victory — secured with a world-record free skate score of 158.13 points under a revamped scoring system — as well as back-to-back team silver medals at both the Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina Games.