Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara produced a sensational comeback at the Milano Cortina Games to win Japan’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in pair figure skating.
After finishing fifth in the short programme due to an uncharacteristic error, the Japanese duo delivered a flawless free skate to music from Gladiator, scoring a world-record 158.13 points. Their total of 231.24 points left rivals with an insurmountable target.
Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava claimed silver with 221.75, securing Georgia’s first-ever Winter Olympic medal, despite a minor landing error. Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin settled for bronze with 219.09 after mistakes in the free programme.
Coached by Bruno Marcotte, Miura and Kihara erased a near seven-point deficit with powerful lifts, clean jumps, and precise synchronisation, drawing a standing ovation from the crowd.
China’s former Olympic champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong finished fifth, while Canada’s Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps placed 11th after costly errors.
