At the closing ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara walked side by side, with Kihara lifting Miura high with one hand so she could take smartphone photos of the venue. The event took place in Verona, Italy, on Sunday, where the duo appeared in official Japanese national team uniforms in a friendly atmosphere.
The closing ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics was held in Verona, Italy, on Sunday, February 23, 2026. Figure skating pairs gold medalists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara walked side by side in official Japanese national team uniforms, holding smartphones. While athletes from various sports interacted with each other, the two skaters proceeded together in a friendly atmosphere.
In a surprising moment, Kihara lifted Miura high with one hand, allowing her to stand tall above her partner and take pictures of the venue with her smartphone. The duo had won gold in pairs figure skating with a dramatic comeback from fifth place in the short program, marking Japan's first gold in the discipline.
The previous day, on February 22, an exhibition gala took place at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, where the Miura-Kihara pair skated to “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” drawing roars from spectators with high lifts and perfect synchronization. Miura waved to the crowd while being lifted by Kihara, and they ended with the same pose from their free skate to the “Gladiator” soundtrack.
Other Japanese medalists included women’s singles silver medalist Kaori Sakamoto, who performed in a light blue dress and smiled at the end of what appears to be her final Olympic showing after announcing her retirement from competition this season; men’s singles silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama, skating to a tune composed by pianist Hayato Sumino with quick movements; bronze medalist Shun Sato, who performed to “Senbonzakura” and earned cheers for a triple axel and other jumps; and women’s singles bronze medalist Ami Nakai, who charmed the audience in a bright red dress with a ribbon on her head. The gala also featured women’s singles champion Alysa Liu and U.S. skater Ilia Malinin, who placed eighth in men’s singles but won gold in the team event.
This closing ceremony moment highlighted the pair’s bond and the celebratory mood of the Olympics.
