Kao Miura

[GoneWithTheWind]

Kao Miura (Kanji: 三浦 佳生) was born on the 8th June, 2005 and is a men's singles skater representing Japan.

He is the 2023 Four Continents champion, the 2023 World Junior Champion, the 2022 Four Continents bronze medalist and the 2022 Skate America and 2022 Skate Canada silver medalist.

At the national level, he is the 2020 Japanese junior national silver medalist, and the 2021 Japanese junior national gold medalist.

Biographical Information

ISU Bio:
http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00104486.htm

Rink Results:
http://www.rinkresults.com/skater?skater_id=12853

Skating Scores:
https://www.skatingscores.com/jpn/men/kao_miura/

Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kao_Miura

Social Media

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/kao.miura/?hl=en

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/kao_miura


ISU Personal Bests

Personal Best Total Score	281.53	ISU Four Continents 2023
Personal Best Score Short Program	94.96	ISU GP Skate America 2022
Personal Best Score Free Skating	189.63	ISU Four Continents 2023

Programs
2023-2024
SP1: This Place is A Shelter by Olafur Arnalds, choreo. by Benoit Richaud
SP2: Natural by Imagine Dragons, choreo. by Kenji Miyamoto
FS: Attack on Titan soundtrack; choreo by Shae-Lynn Bourne

2022-2023
SP: "Michelangelo 70" and "La Muerte del Angel" by Astor Piazzolla
FS: "Prologue," "Evermore," "Transformations," and "Finale" from Beauty and the Beast by Alan Menken

2021-2022
SP: "Four Seasons: Winter" by Antonio Vivaldi; choreo. by Noriko Sato
FS: "Preludio", "Nada Pude Dormir", "Marinera de Lavante", "Amor Dulce Muerte"," Poeta en El Viento" by Vicente Amigo; choreo. by Eiji Iwamoto

2020-2021
SP: "Feeling Good" by Leslie Bricusse, performed by Michael Bublé; choreo. by Noriko Sato
FS: The Last Samurai soundtrack by Hans Zimmer; choreo. by Eiji Iwamoto
Ex: "Piano Man" by Billy Joel

2019-2020
SP: "Rise" by Safri Duo; choreo. by Luca Lanotte
FS: The Hunchback of Notre Dame soundtrack by Alan Menken; choreo. by Misao Sato

Results
Videos linked in results table.

Competition	Final Placement
2023-2024
2024 World Championships	8
2023 Japanese Nationals	4
2023-24 Grand Prix Final	5
2023 Grand Prix Espoo	1
2023 Skate Canada	2
2023 Finlandia Trophy	1
2023 Tokyo Regional	3
2022-2023 Season
2023 Junior Worlds	1
2023 Four Continents	1
2023 Japanese Nationals	6
2022-23 Grand Prix Final	5
2022 Skate Canada	2
2022 Skate America	2
2021-2022 Season
World Junior Championships 2022	13
2022 Four Continents	3
2021 Japanese Championships	4
2021 Japanese Jr Championships	1
2021 NHK Trophy	7
Eastern Section Championships 2021	1
Tokyo Regional Championships 2021	1
2020-2021 Season
Japan Championships 2020	7
NHK Trophy 2020	6
Japan Junior Championships 2020	2
Eastern Section Championships 2020	1
Kanto Regional Championships 2020	1
2019-2020 Season
Japan Junior Championships 2019	8
Eastern Section Championships 2019	2
Kanto Regional Championships 2019	2
JGP Riga 2019	8
2018-2019 Season
Japan Junior Championships 2018	8
Eastern Section Championships 2018	4
Kanto Regional Championships 2018	3
Bavarian Open 2018	1
2017-2018 Season
Japan Junior Championships 2017	12
Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy 2017	1

Exhibitions, Interviews and Articles
Music on Ice Exhibition 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7ZPsKpMoy8
News Feature 2019 (in Japanese): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR1X1TShgTA

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

What a good idea to make him a thread!
He will skate at NHK this year too, I wish him very good skates.

 

[rRainbow]

Interview with Kao before East Japan Sectionals: https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/260556
Translation:

Japan's figure skating world has seen the emergence of promising young talents one after another.

In women's figure skating, Mao Shimada, who jumped quadruple at only 12 years old, has emerged. And in the men's category, there's Kao Miura, 16, who has the two quads to his advantage. He is also aiming for the 2026 Olympics in Milan.

Miura, a rising star with great expectations, receives inspiration from his peers and the skaters he admires, and continues to look upward with eagerness.

At last year's Japan Junior Nationals, Miura finished on the podium in second place, despite being in the third year of junior high school. In the free skate of the Japan Nationals Championships, he successfully executed three quadruple jumps to take 5th place. He also placed 7th overall, and won the Rookie of the Year award. He also set a new personal best at the Tokyo Regional Championships in October this year. Miura, who is still developing his talents, is also a favorite to win the Japan Junior Nationals.

His Weapon Is Two Types of Quadruple Jumps
(Kao Miura, interviewed in October, 2021)

As he says, "My best weapon is the quality and speed of quads," quadruple jumps are indeed his big assets. Although he is only a freshman in high school, he has already been competing with two quadruple jumps, a toel loop and a salchow, as his weapons.

The sharp, long jumps that he launches from the powerful push down into the ice earn him more than three GOE points if successful. Miura jumps from the top speed so fast that people watching would be on the edge of their seats, and I asked him, "Aren't you scared? He answered immediately, "I'm not scared at all!” He continued, "On the contrary, I don't feel at ease unless I have that much (speed).... I'm the type of jumper who takes advantage of speed and jumps with the flow.

"I Don’t Want to Lose to Two Skaters of My Generation"

He is now a confident quad jumper, having already landed a quad toe loop at the Japan Juniors in 2018 when he was in his first year of junior high school, and landed a quadruple salchow in practice. Miura's willingness to tackle high-level jumps is due to the presence of his fellow skaters of the same generation. In order to catch up with them, he continues to train to learn new types of quads.

“Two years older than me are Shun (Sato) and Yuma (Kagiyama), and I've been watching their successes for years, and I'm determined not to lose,” he said.

The 18-year-old Kagiyama, now in the midst of his big breakthrough, won a silver medal at the World Championships in March 2021, and is also a favorite for the Beijing Olympics team.

Sato, 17, won the 2019 Junior Grand Prix Final with the highest score of all time. He has one of the most difficult jump contents in the world this season, including quadruple lutz and flip, and is aiming to represent the country at the Beijing Olympics.

When Kagiyama and Sato were juniors, the three of them, including Miura, had been on the podium many times. For Miura, there were always two of them at the top. Because of Kagiyama and Sato, Miura was able to challenge the quadruple, which is a very difficult technique, early in his career, and he is grateful to his "rivals" saying, "I am lucky to be in this generation."

They are always inspiring, and now they have become unreachable for Miura. Seeing them, Miura, who has been devoted to figure skating, says, "I have to get closer and closer to them, to surpass them. I'm working on new jumps, as well as skating skills, because I think they'll be essential," he promised to grow further.

Hanyu’s “Advice” Has Changed His Mind

Miura has been chasing after his two rivals around his age and pushing hard, but his mood seems to have changed somewhat this season. Miura himself said, "I guess I became quieter after entering high school," but it seems that Yuzuru Hanyu, one of the skaters he admires, had a big influence on him.

“When I saw Hanyu's performance at the Japan Nationals last year, I wanted to be like him, and that was the biggest inspiration for me. My mindset changed from there, and I started practicing skating skills the following day. Maybe my perception had changed at that moment. Because it was the four minutes when everything was absolutely perfect, I would love to be able to perform like that. I thought, ‘If I don't do that well, I won't be able to win the national title.’ Japan Nationals (last year) was a really good starting point for me.”

This season, Miura has been trying to improve not only his jumps, but also his skating, to improve his level. After the Japan Nationals, he had a chance to perform with Hanyu in the ice show "Stars on Ice 2021" in April 2021, and he received some advice on matters other than competition as well. “When I came back to my seat at mealtime with only meat and really brown food on my plate, Hanyu-kun next to me said, 'Is that all? No vegetables? You'll never get rid of your acne if you keep eating like that’,” he recalled. Miura, who would have loved sweets before, said, "I can't finish a bag of potato chips anymore.” Thanks to Hanyu's words, he now has a better awareness of food, and his body is in good condition.

In addition to Hanyu, Miura also looks up to skaters such as Daisuke Takahashi, Shoma Uno, and Kazuki Tomono. All of them have their own unique skating style, which Miura admires and aims for.

Looking Ahead to the Next 4 Years... The Aim Is to Enter the Nationals

Miura will compete in the East Japan Championships to be held from October 29 to 31. Although he had already qualified for the East Japan Championships, he showed signs of further growth at the Tokyo Championships in early October. Miura also has started to train quad flip and quad loop. He seems to have already landed the quad loop in practice, but said, "It's still unstable. It's always like that when I've just landed it. I hope I can tighten it up many times and keep improving it." After the Tokyo Championships, Miura hinted that he might try this jump at the East Japan Championships if he could make it. He is still working on his jump layout.

After the East Japan Championships, the Japan Junior National Championships are coming up. If he achieves his goal in the Japan Junior Championships, he will be able to participate in the National Championships, the event that triggered his "change" last year. The Nationals will be especially tense, as it also serves as the qualifying round for the Beijing Olympics team.

Miura, who is aiming for the Milan Olympics, wants to experience the preliminary round of the Beijing Olympics. That's why he set his goals for this season: "I want to skate in the final group of the free skate at the Nationals, and then I want to move up to the seniors with a win at the Japan Junior Nationals and a podium finish at the World Juniors.

What challenges will Miura take on, always aiming for the top? We will keep an eye on this 16-year-old.

 

[KiraraChin]

Thank you, @rRainbow! Kao is my favourite skater of the new generation and I will be cheering for him at NHK

 

[KiraraChin]

Practice pics from Kao: https://twitter.com/AxelQuadruple/status/1458693314656358400
He did a run-through of his free:
4Lo (fall) 4S 4T-2T 3A (fall) 4T 3A (fall) 3F (fall)
Seems that he's really going for broke with his layout

He'll be the first to skate tomorrow, at 7:04 pm local time.

 

[rRainbow]

Kao's comment after the NHK official practice: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/906b7d2439a747ee426fd9e7516cc35f3ba59b16

“From the moment it was decided that I would participate in the NHK Cup I was really looking forward to it. When I entered the venue, I felt excited and nervous. I still have a lot of work to do, especially in my skating. I'd like to train those areas, as well as to strengthen new types and quality of jumps.

(Asked about the quad loop he was jumping during the practice) I was able to land it in practice, but when it came to the run through with music, I was not there yet. I'm a challenger, and I want to do everything I can to compete with and learn from my big brothers (skaters). I was not able to land the quad loop in run through, but it wasn't bad in practice, so I think I will do it (in the free skate).

(For SP) I'm going to have a quad salchow, a quad-triple toe loop, and a triple axel. I'm a junior, and I don't have many chances to skate in senior competitions, so I guess I'll have to challenge myself in senior competitions, especially NHK Cup.”

 

[rRainbow]

Interview with Kao before NHK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svji-CI5wxY

K: My name is Kao Miura.
Q: What are your favorite foods?
K: Sushi and Yakiniku. The reason is because they are delicious.
Q: What have you been into lately?
K: I like to watch baseball games and play catch.
Q: What are your favorite skills?
K: My favorites are the salchow and the toe loop jumps. The reason is that I am good at them.
Q: What do you eat before a competition.
K: I always eat financier cake from a convenience store before a competition.
Q: What do you want people to pay attention to at the NHK Cup?
K: I would love to hit big quads to excite the audience. I'll do my best, and try to catch up with my seniors.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

I'm so sorry his combo was invalidated. This Short has seen many errors from a number of skaters. I hope he can fare better at Free and be proud of his skate.

 

[rRainbow]

Kao finished 8th after the SP with 76.62. Nikkan Sports report:
Translation:

Kao Miura (16, Meguro High School, Tokyo), who finished 2nd in last year's Japan Junior Championships and was given a spot for this event (in September) despite his junior status this season, scored 76.62 points as the first skater.

He successfully executed the opening 4S. Although he was unable to connect his 4T to a 2T due to his unsteady landing, he finished with a clean 3A.

After having won the (NHK) selection, he competed on the big stage and completed his performance as the first skater. "The best part is that I enjoyed the atmosphere of the venue. I did everything I could. I think it's a plus to have experienced such a big stage, and I'm glad I could nail a quad," he said with a nod.

On the other hand, he reflected, "My problem was the second (quad), 4T. I think I touched my left foot and it wasn't judged as a combination. I lost focus... and even though I didn't think I was careless, I was. I want to fix it.”

As for the score, he said, "I'm very pleased with it. Besides the toe loop, the Axel was also a little unsatisfying. I also missed some spins (in level). I think I need to improve more and more," he said with humility.

In the free skate on the 13th, he will try four quads, including a loop. "I want to give it my all tomorrow," he said. He will try to surprise the seniors with a high level technical content that is rarely possible for a junior.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

Congratulations for Kao's 8th place at only 16! I'm glad his coaches managed to convince him not to try a 4Lo. All in good time.

 

[KiraraChin]

Congratulations for Kao's 8th place at only 16! I'm glad his coaches managed to convince him not to try a 4Lo. All in good time.

Not only he's only 16, he hasn't had yet much opportunity to compete internationally, no JGP to build hype/experience. So yeah, he did super well considering the circumstances!
The only thing I'd say, I thought he was a bit too focused on the quads and less in his interpretation. I hope in the future he learns how to balance things out, because he's a superb performer and it'd be a shame if his development were to be focused on jumps only. I know this is the way ISU wants, but still...

 

[rRainbow]

Report on Kao after NHK FS: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/5977f27d26a31c866933b40ac4efe7c3793f9270

After the free skate, Kao Miura (16) of Meguro Nichidai High School was interviewed. He managed to land all the quadruple jumps, and said that he was very determined, "Before the competition I had promised myself not to fall down at all."

About his performance as a senior, he said, "My problem is that I jump a quad in the second half, and my legs gradually get tired and start to get unsteady. I would like to deal with the fatigue in my legs more than the difficulty in breathing," he said, thinking that there was room for improvement in his physical strength.

The quadruple loop was on the planned layout, but the team decided not to put it in until after improving the success rate. He said, "Since it's an international competition, I was told that I should show my level of perfection to demonstrate my strength, and they convinced me. I think I made a great showing (of my presence). I did everything I could do," he said confidently.

He is scheduled to compete in the Japan Junior Nationals next week, and said, "In the Junior Nationals, I want to get a higher score than the NHK Cup and win by a big margin. I want to make a performance that will go down in the history of the All-Japan Juniors.” Of course, after that, there will be the Japan Nationals. "I can still improve every part of my program, as well as the issues and spins in the second half. If I can include some beautiful jumps in it, I think I can get more points," he said.

 

[rRainbow]

Kao is currently 7th after the SP at the Japanese Junior Nationals (Nov. 19-21).

三浦佳生　リンクの穴にはまりアクセルが１回転に「本当に放心状態」…フィギュア全日本ジュニア（スポーツ報知） - Yahoo!ニュース

◇フィギュアスケート　全日本ジュニア選手権第２日（２０日、愛知・名古屋市　日本ガイシアリーナ） 　男子ショートプログラム（ＳＰ）でＧＰシリーズＮＨＫ杯８位の三浦佳生（東京・目黒日大高）が出場。後半

news.yahoo.co.jp

Kao Miura, 8th in the GP series NHK Trophy, competed in the men's SP. In the second half of the program, he popped a 3A into a 1A, and he couldn't get a positive GOE, finishing with 64.00 points. At the Kiss-and-Cry after the performance, he said, clutching his head, "There was a huge hole (in the ice).... No way, I couldn't jump...."

After the NHK Trophy, he had said "I want to make history in the Japan Junior Nationals," and was eager to compete at this event. "I'm really in a state of shock. I didn't know what happened at first," he said, expressing his frustration. He said he had been aware of the hole, but "if I had changed the course, I wouldn't have been able to jump (the triple axel)," he recalled.

Looking forward to the free skate on the 21st, he said, "I won't be a record holder. I'll just do the free skate. I'm really determined to win," he looked ahead.

Note:
His SP video
Scores of top 7 SP finishers:
1. Tatsuya Tsuboi 81.05
2. Nozomu Yoshioka 68.55
3.Takeru Kataise 67.99
4. Shunsuke Nakamura 67.49
5. Ryoga Morimoto 65.46
6. Kosho Oshima 65.31
7. Kao Miura 64.00

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

Congratulation to new Japan Junior Champion!

｜Japan Skating Federation Official Results & Data Site｜

www.jsfresults.com

 

[rRainbow]

Kao's FS video:
Translation of news report on Kao after his FS:

Kao Miura, who had finished 2nd in the previous Junior Nationals, made a huge comeback from 7th place in the short program to take his first national title.

In the free skate, he scored 165.28 points, 18.73 points ahead of the second place, for a total of 229.28 points, 1.68 points higher than Tatsuya Tsuboi (Kobe University), the SP leader and the second place overall. He shouted immediately after his performance, and cried after the score was announced. After the last group, the first place was sealed. "I didn't think I could win, so I was like, 'me!?' I didn't think I could win. I felt like I was floating in the air," he recalled with a smile.

"I was really worried, and I thought that everything I've done for a year was in vain, but I'm so relieved, and I'm so happy," he said.

One night after the disappointing performance, he was determined. In SP, his foot got stuck in a hole in the ice and his 3A turned into 1A. He was 7th in SP and didn't even make it to the final group of free skate. The previous week, he had competed in the senior Grand Prix (GP) series NHK Trophy. He had set himself the task of winning this event, but he stumbled out of nowhere, and he felt frustrated.

His coaches and friends supported him. With their encouragement, he thought of the third GP of this season in Italy, where Yuma Kagiyama (18), two years older than him, made a big comeback from 7th place in SP to win.

"When I saw Yuma come back from 7th place in SP to win, it made me think, 'It's not over yet," he said.

On this day, during the six-minute warmup and while the previous skater waited for the score to be announced, he turned his attention to the ice. It was a visual inspection that he had not consciously done before.

Then it was time for the free skate. At the beginning, he nailed a 3A and he was sure he could do a good job. He followed it up with a 4S and a 4T-3T. In the second half, he fell on a 4T, and hit his body against the fence, but "I felt no pain at all, and I was able to switch my mind to the 'next jump!'," he recalled. He finished his performance of "Poeta" which he was passionate about and was applauded by the audience on their feet.

"The Japan Junior Nationals is held once a year. When the short was over, I thought, 'Now I won't have the chance to win.' This time I learned once again that it is important to never give up. Thanks to the incident this time, I was able to check the holes today. In the long run, it was a good experience for me," he said.

With his history-making performance in the free skate, he now has his next goal in sight.

"My goals are to be in the final group at the Japan National Championships (Saitama, December) and to be on the podium at the World Junior Championships (Bulgaria, March 2022)." The first-year high school student with a promising future has grasped something important on his own.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

Congratulations to Kao for managing to skate in the last group for the Free. I hope it won't make him too anxious.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

Congratulations again, now for his well deserved medal at 4CC!
He improved so much this season.

 

[Arigato]

Hit it hard at Worlds, Kao!

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

I'm so sorry Kao had to withdraw, not only from Senior Worlds, but also from Junior Worlds!
I hope he heals well.

 

[surimi]

Stopping by to wish Kao a speedy recovery!