Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan won the pairs figure skating gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on 16 February 2026, claiming their country’s first ever Olympic title in pairs skating. The reigning world champions surged from fifth place after the short program to top the podium with a career-best free skate at the Milano Ice Park.
What is the Olympic Pairs Figure Skating Event?
Pairs figure skating is one of four figure skating disciplines at the Winter Olympics, alongside men’s singles, women’s singles and ice dance. Competing pairs perform a short program and a free skate, combining solo elements with paired elements such as overhead lifts, throw jumps, twist lifts, side-by-side jumps and death spirals. Judges award a technical score and a program component score, with the total across both segments determining the final standings.
Pairs skating has featured at every Winter Olympics since Chamonix 1924 and is traditionally one of the most watched disciplines of the Games, prized for its blend of athleticism and artistry.
When did the Pairs Final Take Place?
The pairs free skate was held on Monday 16 February 2026, following the short program on Saturday 14 February. The final session began in the evening local time at the Milano Ice Park, with the podium confirmed shortly before midnight.
Where was it Held?
The pairs competition was staged at the Milano Ice Park, the temporary Olympic figure skating venue built around the Mediolanum Forum in Assago on the southern edge of Milan. The arena holds around 10,000 spectators for figure skating and also hosted the short track speed skating events during Milano Cortina 2026.
Results
Gold went to Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan, who delivered a career-best free skate to climb from fifth after the short program. Silver was claimed by Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia, the European champions, who held their nerve after leading the short program. Bronze went to Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany, adding another pairs medal to their country’s Olympic collection.
The result was historic for Japan, whose skaters had never previously won an Olympic pairs medal of any colour. Miura and Kihara, the 2023 world champions, had missed most of the previous season due to injury and arrived in Italy as outsiders rather than favourites.
Background and Form Going In
Metelkina and Berulava came into Milano Cortina as European champions and short program leaders. Germany’s Hase and Volodin, the reigning world champions, were considered the pre-Games gold medal favourites alongside Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada, who ultimately finished fourth. Miura and Kihara’s comeback after Kihara’s back injury was one of the stories of the competition.
History and Records
Pairs skating has been contested at every Winter Games since 1924, with the Soviet Union, Russia and China dominating the event in recent decades. Japan’s gold medal in Milan was a first for an Asian nation other than China, and the first pairs Olympic title for a Japanese skater of any kind. Germany’s bronze continued a tradition that stretches back to Maxi Herber and Ernst Baier in the 1930s.
How to Watch (Replays)
Replays and highlights of the pairs final are available on olympics.com, Eurosport and Discovery+ in Europe, NBC and Peacock in the United States, BBC iPlayer in the United Kingdom, and CBC in Canada. Full routines from each medal-winning pair can also be found on the official Olympics YouTube channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won gold in pairs figure skating at Milano Cortina 2026?
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan won gold, their country’s first ever Olympic pairs skating title.
When was the pairs final held?
The pairs free skate took place on Monday 16 February 2026 at the Milano Ice Park.
Where was the pairs competition held?
At the Milano Ice Park, a temporary Olympic venue built around the Mediolanum Forum in Assago, Milan.
Who won silver and bronze?
Silver went to Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia, and bronze to Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany.