Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara delivered a thrilling comeback at the Milano Cortina Games, storming from fifth place after a shaky short programme to capture Japan’s first Olympic figure skating pairs title on Monday.
The two-times world champions scored a whopping 158.13 points for their spellbinding free programme to music from “Gladiator,” performed by Andrea Bocelli, to earn a combined total of 231.24, setting the bar sky-high for the four teams that skated after them.
Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia won the silver medal with 221.75, after Metelkina stumbled out of her landing on the throw triple loop that proved costly for the European champions.
Mixed figure skating resultsFlashscore
Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany, the leaders following the short programme, had to settle for bronze with 219.09 after Fabienne Hase singled a planned triple Axel for a major points deduction.