Rika Kihira

Rika Kihira, born on July twenty-first, two thousand two, is a prominent Japanese figure skater known for her remarkable achievements in the sport. As a singles skater, she has made her mark as a two-time champion at the Four Continents Championships, clinching the title in two consecutive years, two thousand nineteen and two thousand twenty. Her prowess on the ice was further highlighted when she became the champion of the Grand Prix Final in two thousand eighteen.

Throughout her career, Kihira has earned a total of four medals in the Grand Prix series, including gold medals at the two thousand eighteen NHK Trophy and the two thousand eighteen Internationaux de France, as well as silver medals at the two thousand nineteen Skate Canada and the two thousand nineteen NHK Trophy. Additionally, she has been crowned the champion at the International Challenge Cup twice and has secured the title of Japanese national champion on two occasions, in two thousand nineteen and two thousand twenty.

On the junior level, Kihira's talent was evident as she won the JGP Slovenia in two thousand sixteen and earned silver medals at both the JGP Czech Republic and JGP Latvia in the same year and the following year, respectively. She also claimed the title of Japanese junior national champion in two thousand seventeen.

Rika Kihira is celebrated for her technical skills, being the seventh woman to successfully land the triple Axel jump in an International Skating Union competition. She made history as the first woman to execute a triple Axel-triple toe loop combination and the first to land eight clean triples in a free skate. Furthermore, she is the second woman to achieve four clean triples in a short program and the third to land twelve clean triples in a single competition, showcasing her exceptional talent and dedication to figure skating.