[Figure Skating] Rika Kihira & Shingo Nishiyama on the Trials of Their Debut and Their Big Goal Ahead:
“We honestly didn’t even know if we’d be able to compete.”
Published: November 11, 2025 | By Takahiro Nakanishi
What lies ahead for “RikaShin”?
At the Western Japan Championships — which also served as qualifiers for the Japan National Championships (held November 1–2 in Shiga) — the newly formed ice dance pair Rika Kihira (23, Toyota Motor Corporation) and Shingo Nishiyama (23, Oriental Bio) made their competitive debut, finishing third overall with 136.74 points.
The new duo, who have set their sights on the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, showed flashes of tremendous potential — but also ran into formidable challenges. Speaking to reporters, they opened up about the difficult road to their debut and vowed to come back stronger at the upcoming Japan Nationals (opening December 19 in Tokyo).
A partnership born through trial
After a tryout, the two officially teamed up at the end of September — giving them just one month to prepare before stepping onto the ice together.
Even for Kihira, who achieved major success as a singles skater, it was far from smooth sailing.
Kihira: “Actually, on the second day of the tryout, we did a spin together and fell. I ended up injuring the inner ligament of my right knee (laughs). I think it was both the medial and lateral collateral ligaments…”
Nishiyama: “Yeah, that happened pretty fast. I was fine, but Rika took the whole impact for both of us (laughs awkwardly).”
That fall kept Kihira off the ice for about a week. She watched Nishiyama’s practices from the sidelines while doing mental visualization exercises — only to face another setback.
Kihira: “I might have overtrained trying to master new techniques too quickly. Because of the centrifugal force from spins, I ended up hurting my ribs too… It got a bit better with rest, but the pain returned during the qualifiers. Looking back, I was really skating on the edge. Afterward, a check-up showed it was actually a minor rib fracture.”
Nishiyama: “With spins, if the timing isn’t perfectly in sync, one of us gets pulled. Honestly, there was a point where we didn’t even know if we’d be able to compete. I knew Rika must have been really anxious, but I wanted her to experience how fun ice dance can be. So I told her, ‘Let’s just enjoy this competition as ice dancers.’”
A debut that still shone through adversity
Despite the hurdles, their debut performance captivated the audience. Still, small errors — in lifts and twizzles — stood out in their Free Dance.
Kihira: “I was just happy we could finally compete and put together a complete program, but I could also feel the lack of training. There’s only about a month and a half until Nationals, but I want to put in the work, grow a lot, and show real progress. And since I felt again how frustrating mistakes can be, I want to skate clean next time.”
Nishiyama: “For the qualifiers, we were only able to prepare enough to just make it to competition. For Nationals, I want to prepare to fight. I really believe we have potential as a team, and I want to push ourselves to break into the top ranks.”
Eyes on 2030 — and beyond
“RikaShin” is a team full of untapped potential. Their gaze is already fixed on the 2030 Olympics — driven by a shared sense of purpose and determination.
Kihira: “I knew that Shingo had been working toward the Olympics for a long time, so I was worried — like, what if I’m not suited for this, or what if I hold him back? But we’ve been improving so quickly, and every day I feel more confident that I can learn and grow into this. Our communication is great, so I’m really excited for what’s ahead.”
Nishiyama: “Since I’m skating with Rika, I really want to take her to the center of the Nationals podium. That’s not pressure for me — it’s motivation. Skating together, I’ve seen up close how fast she adapts and learns. With her, I feel like we can truly share the same dream and aim for it together.”
