
NBA awards 2026: Bontemps' ballot for MVP, top rookie, every honor
NBA 2026 Awards: Key Ballot Insights from Bontemps
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, the first Japanese pair to win Olympic gold in figure skating, announced their retirement after their record-breaking performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics. They expressed pride in their achievements and a desire to promote pair skating in Japan.
Mentioned in this story
FILE -Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan compete during the pairs figure skating long program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
They announced their retirement to focus on new challenges and to promote wider recognition of pair skating in Japan.
They became Olympic gold medalists, won world titles in 2023 and 2025, and earned two Olympic team event silver medals for Japan.
They won the Olympic gold medal on February 16, 2026, during the Milan Cortina Olympics.
They achieved a world-record free skate, moving from fifth to first place, marking a historic win as the first Japanese pair to secure Olympic gold.

NBA 2026 Awards: Key Ballot Insights from Bontemps

Check out the top 10 plays from Victor Wembanyama's record-setting season!

10 NFL draft prospects to watch for fantasy football this year!

Get ready for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs with our mega-preview of all 16 teams!

Spring football games feature 23 Power 4 matchups this weekend, with the ACC hosting eight and the SEC seven. Notable teams include Virginia Tech under new coach James Franklin and Michigan led by Kyle Whittingham.

Oklahoma is among the top 10 schools in the 2027 recruiting class rankings as the cycle heats up.
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
FILE -Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan compete during the pairs figure skating long program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Japanese Olympic figure skating pairs champions Riku Miura, left, and Ryuichi Kihara attend a spring garden party hosted by Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Akasaka Palace's imperial garden in Tokyo, Friday, April 17, 2026. (Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool Photo via AP)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
FILE -Gold medalists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan receive their medals after the pairs figure skating long program at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Japan's Emperor Naruhito, right, and Empress Masako, third right, chat with guests, Japanese Olympic figure skating pairs champions Riku Miura, second right, and Ryuichi Kihara during their spring garden party at the Akasaka Palace's imperial garden in Tokyo, Friday, April 17, 2026. (Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool Photo via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara announced their retirement from figure skating on Friday, two months after winning the Olympic gold medal with a record-breaking skate. Miura and Kihara, known to fans as “RikuRyu,” leave the skating world at their peak after surging from fifth place to first at the Milan Cortina Olympics with a world-record free skate that more than made up for earlier errors. They became the first Japanese pair to win Olympic gold, a breakthrough in a country whose figure skating passion had until then largely focused on the individual events. “While our competitive careers are coming to an end, we truly feel that we gave it our all, and have no regrets. We are proud of everything we went through, and feel we gained so much along the way,” they posted on Instagram. “The two of us will now take on new challenges so that we can bring wider recognition to pair skating in Japan. We hope that we can count on you to follow us on our journey.” Based out of Canada with coach Bruno Marcotte, Miura and Kihara won the world title in 2023 and 2025, and two Olympic team event silver medals for Japan. The Milan Cortina Olympic free skate was the last competitive performance for Miura and Kihara, who skipped last month's world championships, where Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin won pairs gold for Germany. \\\_ AP sports: