Cinema VinesJapanese ice‑skating champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara announced their engagement on Sunday, revealing that the Olympic gold‑winning pair will be partners off the ice as well. The duo, who are affectionately known as “Riku‑Ryu,” posted a photograph on Instagram of Kihara kneeling on the rink to present Miura with a ring, and wrote, “We’re engaged.” They added that they have shared “so many moments together, supporting each other every step of the way” through both joyous and challenging times.
Miura, 24, and Kihara, who turned 34 on Saturday, made history at the Milan‑Cortina Winter Games in February by becoming the first Japanese pair to win Olympic gold in figure skating. Their performance, themed around combat, survival and triumph, featured a dramatic comeback after a fifth‑place slip caused by an uncharacteristic error. The pair finished with a world‑record score, and Kihara, who said he felt “completely devastated” after the setback, was seen crying in footage that has been replayed countless times on Japanese television.
The couple’s partnership began in 2019, and they announced their retirement from competitive skating in April. Over the years they have faced numerous obstacles, including Kihara’s recurring back injuries and Miura’s chronic dislocated shoulder. Despite these challenges, they have become “irreplaceable parts of each other’s lives,” a sentiment echoed in their Instagram post, which received more than 14,000 congratulatory messages within five hours.
Known for their smiles, laughter and affectionate embraces—Kihara often carrying the 146‑cm Miura onto and off the ice—the pair’s story has captured the hearts of many Japanese fans. Their engagement marks a new chapter in a relationship that has already seen them triumph both on and off the rink.
