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Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara were second in the pairs at figure skating’s Grand Prix Final on Friday, missing out on the title they won two years ago.
Miura and Kihara, second after Thursday’s short program, settled for third in the free skate with 130.44 points to tally 206.71 in total. Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin topped both segments to win for the second straight year, scoring 218.10 in total in Grenoble, France.
Japan’s Riku Miura (L) and Ryuichi Kihara perform in the pairs free skate at the Grand Prix Final figure skating competition on Dec. 6, 2024, in Grenoble, France. (Kyodo)
Georgia’s Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava were third with 205.78.
“Frankly speaking, we were at a level not worth speaking about,” Kihara said, after they made three jumping mistakes and finished almost 14 points behind their best in the free skate.
Japan’s Riku Miura (L) and Ryuichi Kihara pose for photos after finishing second in the pairs at the Grand Prix Final figure skating competition on Dec. 6, 2024, in Grenoble, France. (Kyodo)
In the men’s short program, Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama placed second after the short program with 93.49, trailing American leader Ilia Malinin’s 105.43.
Kagiyama, third at the event last year, fell with his opening quadruple salchow but was flawless the rest of the way.
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama performs during the men’s short program at the Grand Prix Final figure skating competition on Dec. 6, 2024, in Grenoble, France. (Kyodo)
“I had my center of gravity out of position with the quad salchow (after landing),” he said. “It’s frustrating but I gave my all.”
Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan was third with 91.26 and Japan’s Shun Sato fourth with 86.28 in the field of six.
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