Pairs Figure Skating Results 2026, Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara Win Free Skate Gold

Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara made history on Monday, winning the first pairs medal in the country's history.

That it was a gold medal was the icing on the cake.

The duo posted a massive 158.13 in the free skate, the highest score of the day and a performance worthy of a gold medal. They finished with an overall score of 231.24.

Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava (221.75 overall) claimed the silver, while Germany's Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin—the leaders after the short program—earned bronze (219.09). You can find the full standings here.

The field was pretty wide open coming into the event.

Miura and Kihara were the favorites heading into the Milano Cortina Games but were fifth after the short program (73.11), leaving them an uphill climb during the free skate. They were up to the task on Monday, however.

Hase and Volodin were among the top contenders coming into the Olympics after earning silver at the 2025 world championships and sat in first place following the short program (80.01).

Metelkina and Berulava, another contender, came into Monday in second place (75.46) but with a significant score difference to overcome. They couldn't quite get there.

Italy's Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii were medal hopefuls but a disappointing showing in the short program (71.70) left them in eighth place heading into Monday. They ultimately finished sixth.

Neither of Team USA's pairs—Ellie Kam-Danny O'Shea and Emily Chan-Spencer Howe—were considered major candidates to medal. They entered the day in seventh and ninth, respectively, and flipped spots after the free skate. Both pairs should be pleased with a top-10 finish, however, an overall positive result.