{"id":12956,"date":"2026-03-13T15:19:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:19:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/?p=12956"},"modified":"2026-03-13T15:19:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:19:52","slug":"just-one-hour-and-the-flame-of-fate-appeared-when-riku-miura-and-ryuichi-kihara-first-stepped-onto-the-ice-together-renowned-coach-bruno-marcotte-said-he-witnessed-somethi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/?p=12956","title":{"rendered":"\u201cJUST ONE HOUR\u2026 AND THE FLAME OF FATE APPEARED!\u201d When Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara first stepped onto the ice together, renowned coach Bruno Marcotte said he witnessed something almost magical. In just 60 minutes of practice, the two skaters moved as if they had been training together for years \u2014 each glide, each spin merging so perfectly that Marcotte called it \u201ca lightning strike,\u201d a rare chemistry that cannot be created through practice alone. That moment unfolded quietly on the ice rink in Japan\u2026 but that first spark ignited one of the world\u2019s most beautiful figure skating couples."},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re talking to Bruno Marcotte literally 15 minutes after his students, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, had been crowned Grand Prix Final champions in Olympic Palavela in Torino, Italy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Little after their relieved reaction in the Kiss and Cry seeing their scores and realizing that they won, little after Bruno\u2019s emotional tears watching them skate, watching them win, and then, students and coach, head to head, sharing an embrace and a small talk in the semi-shadow of the arena.<\/p>\n

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And, for a moment, we wish we were a butterfly on Riku\u2019s shoulder, to share with them that tiny moment that felt so precious.<\/p>\n

With the students in the next room, already answering their first questions as Grand Prix Final champions, coach Bruno Marcotte does an assessment of his own \u2013 and we also travel into the journey of this very special partnership, right from the start.<\/p>\n

And the start is not in August 2019, as you would expect.<\/p>\n

The start is when Riku was 12 years old and she was skating as a single skater at one of Bruno\u2019s seminars in Japan \u2013 and then becoming a pair skater, alongside Shoya Ichihashi, and travelling to Canada, for two weeks, for three weeks at a time, to be trained by Bruno.<\/p>\n

And the start is also in Ryuichi Kihara, a former single skater learning to be a pair skater alongside 2012 World bronze medalist Narumi Tahakashi, then skating with Miu Suzaki for a couple of seasons \u2013 until trying out with Riku, more like a fortunate stroke of serendipity, at Bruno\u2019s request, in May 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey skated an hour, and I was like:\u00a0Oh, My God!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

And Bruno is the first to recognize the importance of those previous layers of experience, of the skaters\u2019 determination to carry on, to keep on dreaming \u2013 and we acknowledge it with joy: without so many moments of Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara\u2019s separate careers, without their efforts and their journeys, there wouldn\u2019t be now\u00a0the Riku & Ryuichi\u00a0<\/em>as we know it, and their \u201camazing chemistry\u201d, the coach says, and the level of performing \u201calways ON\u201d, as the skaters themselves describe it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n

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One thing you\u2019ll notice for yourselves: this interview with Bruno Marcotte feels so raw, so genuine \u2013 and it\u2019s exactly that.<\/p>\n

No wonder: the coach has barely had the time to gather his thoughts, his emotions in one place \u2013 what follows are his immediate reactions to his students\u2019 success in Torino and their historical Grand Prix Final gold for Japanese pairs skating.<\/p>\n

And you will hear many \u201cwe\u201d in this recount of a career \u2013 they are indeed a team: \u201cWe\u2019re here, how can we get there?\u201d, \u201cWe lost levels in the short program yesterday\u201d, \u201cWe\u2019re gonna go home and we\u2019re gonna fix a few things\u201d \u2013 but also a lot of \u201cthey\u201d and \u201cthem\u201d, and utter amazement at Riku and Ryuichi\u2019s ability to create magic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey take us into their own little world. That there\u2019s nothing else around, there\u2019s no judges, there\u2019s nobody \u2013 but it\u2019s just their little magical moment\u201d.<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unexpectedly, this conversation with Bruno Marcotte, right at the end of the pairs\u2019 final in Torino, touches some of the other finalists as well: Niccol\u00f2, Filippo, Rebecca, Maxime, Deanna. Some have connections with Bruno\u2019s pair seminars in the past, some have not, but all have a thing in common, just like Riku and Ryuichi:\u00a0they never stopped believing and dreaming<\/em>.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

But first and foremost, this interview is about Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, the Japanese pair that, only in their fourth international season, has been really making waves \u2013 emotional waves \u2013 in the skating world at the moment.<\/p>\n

Hearing him talk, you\u2019ll understand: Bruno Marcotte is in awe with his team.<\/p>\n

We all are.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Riku and Ryuichi, triumphant in Torino. Photo \u00a9 International Skating Union<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Interview by Florentina Tone \/ Torino<\/strong><\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bruno, you must be a very proud coach right now, with Riku and Ryuichi winning the Grand Prix Final title here in Torino \u2013 we\u2019re literally just minutes away from the victory ceremony. And, if you allow me, and if our collective ears can hear it too, what did you tell your students at the end of the ceremony?<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Bruno is smiling]<\/em>: First of all, they need to understand that they don\u2019t have to be perfect to be good.<\/p>\n

Because they\u2019re the kind of team that trains quite well. They\u2019re the kind of team that usually does at competition what they do in practice. We say:\u00a0You practice like you compete \u2013 you compete like you practice.<\/em>\u00a0You know? You wanna do the same.<\/p>\n

And they\u2019re two people with amazing chemistry, and very strong mentally \u2013 but when Riku came out of the ice at Worlds in France last year, she said to me:\u00a0I\u2019m not angry about the mistake, I\u2019m angry about my mindset. After the mistake, I did not think good \u2013 I was thinking about the mistake, instead of just forget and carry on.<\/em>\u00a0This is why we say:\u00a0Short term memory \u2013 you have to forget and be in the moment.<\/em><\/p>\n

And so, minutes ago, I told her:\u00a0Today you showed such strong mental strength.<\/em>\u00a0After her mistake here, in Torino, she showed she\u2019s learned from Worlds \u2013 and I was extremely proud of her.<\/p>\n

And I also told Ryuichi:\u00a0Don\u2019t be so hard on yourself!\u00a0<\/em>And I said: Please, enjoy this moment, because you worked so hard for it.<\/em><\/p>\n

Because Ryuichi is usually hard on himself?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Always. They both are hard on themselves.<\/p>\n

Not in a bad way \u2013 but I told them:\u00a0Please, enjoy this moment because you worked hard and you deserve it. And then, after that, we will chat and we\u2019ll go over and make adjustments for next time.<\/em><\/p>\n

But for now:\u00a0You deserve this, please enjoy it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

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Pouring emotions realizing that they won \u2013 December 2022, Grand Prix Final, Torino. Photo \u00a9 International Skating Union<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Riku did say in the press conference here, in Torino, after the short program, that she was very nervous right before the performance \u2013 and she might have carried that nervousness for the free skate as well\u2026 And maybe they were both nervous under these new circumstances, entering the free skate as favorites to win the Grand Prix Final gold\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

She was more or less the same, but he was definitely more serious than he usually is.<\/p>\n

I mean, he usually makes a few jokes before\u2026 \u2013 today, not much jokes.<\/p>\n

And, as a coach, when that happens, you analyze it and, sometimes you step in, sometimes you don\u2019t\u2026 I mean, even for me as a coach, every competition I learn about them \u2013 and so one thing is for sure: the next time I will see him a little bit less chatty, I will definitely make him chat\u00a0[laughing]<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cTHEY TAKE US INTO THEIR OWN LITTLE WORLD\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because you talked about the chemistry they have, I have to ask you that: what do\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0feel when you watch them skate? Because to us, watching them is\u00a0always<\/em>\u00a0an emotional experience \u2013 but how is it for you? Is it a combination of stress, the coach\u2019s stress, and utter joy\u2026 how is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, stress, for sure, because I want so much the best for them \u2013 they deserve it and they\u2019re such great people.<\/p>\n

But if I let go of and just focus on them \u2013 which I was able to do yesterday, in the short, a little bit; today, not so much\u00a0[smiling]<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 they take us into their own little world. That there\u2019s nothing else around, there\u2019s no judges, there\u2019s nobody \u2013 but it\u2019s just their little magical moment.<\/p>\n

[and Bruno almost whispers the answer, as if he didn\u2019t want to disturb the magic of the moment that he recreated in his mind].<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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But\u00a0how<\/em>\u00a0do they do that? How are they able to create that? Because they\u2019re such a young team compared to so many others teams out there, they\u2019re only in their fourth season together\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

They\u2019re a young team, yes \u2013 but I think it\u2019s just that: chemistry.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s like:\u00a0you match.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones\u2026 Like: I don\u2019t think Mick Jagger is the best singer, Keith Richards is maybe not the best guitar, they\u2019re great, no doubt \u2013 but together they make it\u00a0the best.<\/em><\/p>\n

And sometimes, as a pair coach, you put together an amazing girl with an amazing boy, and they just don\u2019t match.<\/p>\n

With them, with Riku and Ryuichi, their personalities \u2013 they match.<\/p>\n

They have the same commitment, the same goals, but also the same philosophy on how to get there.<\/p>\n

And they also buy into my philosophy on how to do things, and what kind of mindset I expect, you know?<\/p>\n

I think to be able to create magic in competition we need to be able to create that same magic at home also.<\/p>\n

So we\u00a0do\u00a0<\/em>work on that. And I demand \u2013 I mean, I don\u2019t demand the magic\u00a0[smiling]<\/em>, but I demand this connection that they need to try to constantly work on.<\/p>\n

Because everybody\u2019s got something special, you know? Eric and Meagan had the throw quad and the triple Lutz side by side. With some other team, it\u2019s their lines\u2026<\/p>\n

With Riku and Ryuichi, it\u2019s their passion.<\/p>\n

Technically, they\u2019re extremely fast, and there\u2019s so many things they have \u2013 but what really sets them apart is the lightning that happens when they skate together.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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\u201cTHEY SKATED AN HOUR, AND I WAS LIKE: OH, MY GOD!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

But how did this partnership start? Let\u2019s have a journey into memories \u2013 no better time like the present!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wow!\u00a0[Bruno starts laughing \u2013 he seems a bit overwhelmed with the question, and the mission to summarize it all]<\/em><\/p>\n

Not the longest version, but still\u2026 You started working with them in August 2019, right?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, but waaay, way before that, way back in the days, I used to work with Mervin and Narumi.<\/p>\n

So that\u2019s when I was lucky enough to start having a relationship with the Japanese Skating Federation.<\/p>\n

Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran, the bronze medalists at Worlds in France in 2012\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, exactly.<\/p>\n

And, from that moment, I started to do some camps in Japan, to try to promote pairs skating.<\/p>\n

And I got to meet Riku when she was 12 years old.<\/p>\n

She was a single skater back then \u2013 and, at some point, I put her with a boy, not Ryuichi, and they would come to see me, I would go and work with them in Japan\u2026 When she was 14, they would come to Canada for two weeks, three weeks\u2026<\/p>\n

This was Riku and her previous partner, Shoya Ichihashi\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, and they did Junior Grand Prix together, they did Junior Worlds\u00a0[Riku Miura and Shoya Ichihashi competed at three editions of the Junior Worlds, in 2017-2019 \u2013 editor\u2019s note]<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 but, you see, that team did not have the chemistry. They were both good skaters, but the chemistry was not there.<\/p>\n

And I had also been knowing Ryuichi for a while. I had never worked with him before \u2013 but he took part in one of my camps also, when he was younger.<\/p>\n

And, in May 2019, I was in Japan \u2013 and it happened that\u2026 Ryuichi was there, Riku was there, I was there, so I asked them if they could skate an hour together.<\/p>\n

And they skated an hour, and I was like:\u00a0Oh, My God!<\/em><\/p>\n

It was obvious they matched!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah! I was like:\u00a0That could be good!<\/em><\/p>\n

But, technically, Riku was not broken up with her previous partner yet, while Ryuichi was trying to figure out if he was going to retire or not.<\/p>\n

They were both trying to find their way.<\/p>\n

And not so long after, I got a message that Riku\u2019s partnership ended \u2013 I asked her what was happening and she said:\u00a0Well, my English is not very good, can you call Takeshi?<\/em><\/p>\n

Takeshi Honda has been their coach, and me and Takeshi, we\u2019ve known each other for so many years \u2013 so I said:\u00a0No problem!<\/em>\u00a0And I called Takeshi, we started talking, and Takeshi was like:\u00a0Do you think it\u2019s a good idea for Riku and Ryuichi to skate together?<\/em>\u00a0I said:\u00a0I think so!<\/em><\/p>\n

Two weeks later, they moved full time to train with me in Canada!<\/p>\n

\u201cAT 2021 WORLDS IN STOCKHOLM, THEY WERE THE TALK!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/div>\n