The pair of figure skating Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara has been appointed as the representative of the Beijing Olympics, which will start in February next year.
This was decided by the board of directors of the Japan Skating Federation held in Tokyo on the 15th.
The official figure skating athletes for the Beijing Olympics were scheduled to be announced based on the results of the All Japan Championship, which will start in Saitama City from the 23rd of this month.
However, according to the Japan Skating Federation, the pair of Miura and Kihara, who are based in Canada, will have difficulty traveling to and from Japan due to the strengthened border measures for the new coronavirus, so this season's Grand Prix series It means that he was nominated as a representative after evaluating his achievements on the podium twice.
Miura has participated in the Olympic Games for the first time, and Kihara has participated in the Olympic Games for the third consecutive time.
Hidehito Ito, director of the Japan Skating Federation, said, "Pairs are important for aiming for medals in the Olympic team. I want Miura and Kihara to practice enough in Canada to prepare for the Olympics. I'm talking.
3rd year of pair formation The first podium in a pair of Japanese players
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara are the third year pair.
Miura is 19 years old from Hyogo prefecture.
Originally a single player, he turned to a pair from 2015.
Kihara is 29 years old from Aichi prefecture.
In 2013, he switched from a single to a pair and teamed up with Narumi Takahashi to participate in the Sochi Olympics the following year as a member of a team competition for the first time.
I participate in the Pyeongchang Olympics as a pair with Miu Suzaki.
Miura and Kihara formed a pair in August 2019 and finished fifth in the NHK Trophy of the Grand Prix series that they participated in immediately afterwards.
Since I was based in Canada and couldn't return to Japan last season due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the two of us have been practicing carefully under the coach.
After finishing 10th in the World Championships in March, this season he improved his lifts, jumps and acting skills, saying that he was "more certain" and won the Autumn Classic held in Canada in September. did.
He finished second in the American tournament in October, the first race of the Grand Prix series, and was the first Japanese player to reach the podium as a pair.
In addition, he finished 3rd in the NHK Trophy last month, and has achieved results on the international stage, including the Grand Prix series and the podium for two consecutive races.