While both stood on the podium to receive their Olympic gold medals, this time, Ryuichi Kihara kneeled down to give his pairs figure skating partner, Riku Miura, another special piece of gold. 

Kihara and Miura announced their engagement on Instagram on Aug. 23, delighting their legions of fans across Japan and the world. 

The couple, affectionately called “Rikuryu,” shared the news in a joint post signed with both of their names, accompanied by a photo of Kihara kneeling down on the ice and presenting a ring to Miura.

“We’re engaged,” the post read.

“Through both the happy times and the difficult ones, we’ve shared so many moments together, supporting each other every step of the way.

Over time, we became irreplaceable parts of each other’s lives—someone neither of us could imagine life without.

We’re truly happy to finally be able to share this news with all of you.

As we begin this new chapter, we’ll continue to support each other and move forward together, one step at a time, while always staying true to who we are.

We hope you’ll continue to warmly support us and watch over us.”

Kihara and Miura teamed up on the ice in July 2019 through a tryout, during which Kihara became convinced that they shared a special competitive chemistry and were destined to skate together.

After winning Japan’s first Olympic gold medal in pairs figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina in February, they announced their retirement from competition two months later, in April.

The pair then participated in producing the ice show “The Destiny,” in which they also appeared as performers. The show ended on Aug. 2.