Rika Kihira: 2018 NHK Trophy Champion

Rika Kihira: 2018 NHK Trophy Champion Jun 14, 2020 20:00:44 GMT

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Post by Admin on Jun 14, 2020 20:00:44 GMT

Japanese figure skating star Rika Kihira has added acclaimed Canadian trainer Brian Orser to her coaching team.

The 17-year-old is the back-to-back and reigning Four Continents champion and also triumphed at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in 2019.

She has added Orser, who has worked with a number of past and present champions, as part of her bid for Olympic glory at Beijing 2022.

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The Canadian will work as her second coach, with Japan's Mie Hamada continuing to serve as main coach.

Orser is no stranger to Japanese talent having coached Yuzuru Hanyu to consecutive Olympic gold medals at Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018.

In February, Hanyu won his first Four Continents title to become the first man to complete a "super slam" of all of the sport's major prizes.

"I decided this because I was certain I can absolutely grow ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics," Kihira told Kyodo News.

"I want to learn how to do new spins, and how to combine my steps and jumps.

"I also want to absorb a lot from watching top figure skaters."

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Kihira endured a tricky 2019-2020 season as Russians won all six of the Grand Prix events held.

"I will keep telling myself that I need to do better than the Russian skaters to win the Beijing Olympics, and train hard so I can go into competition confident that I will not lose this time," she added.

The coronavirus pandemic means Kihira cannot currently travel to Canada to train with Orser, but she hopes to begin work in Toronto next month.

Orser also works with Russia's two-time world champion Evgenia Medvedeva, while he was hired by the Chinese Figure Skating Association to boost home hopes at Beijing 2022.

Athletes he has previously coached include South Korea's 2010 Olympic champion Yuna Kim and Spain's seven-time European champion Javier Fernandez.

Rika Kihira: 2018 NHK Trophy Champion Oct 13, 2020 21:29:33 GMT

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Post by Admin on Oct 13, 2020 21:29:33 GMT

Japanese figure skater Rika Kihira contacts Russian coach Evgeni Plushenko.

Earlier it was reported that the 18-year-old Japanese woman will move from Mie Hamada to Plushenko. When asked about Kihira's transfer, the Russian coach did not deny anything. “I don't rule out anything at all in this life. And the transfer of Kihira, as well as the transfers of other athletes,” Plushenko told Sport24.

It is reported that Kihira could already start training in Moscow under the leadership of Plushenko, but so far he cannot fly to Russia due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Japanese woman believes that with a Russian coach she is able to become better in expressiveness and artistry.

Rika Kihira is the champion of Japan. At the World Championships, she took 4th place. And in the 2018/19 season, the Japanese woman won the Grand Prix final, ahead of Alina Zagitova.

According to the Japanese edition Nikkan Gendai, the athlete receives advice from a specialist through social networks.

It is noted that the 18-year-old Japanese woman, due to disagreements with her coach Mie Hamada, decided to go to Plushenko, but the coronavirus interfered with her plans.

Kihira plans to work with a Russian coach to improve her artistry.

At the end of September, Plushenko did not rule out the possibility of a Japanese figure skater moving to his academy . In the offseason, his group was joined by European champion Alena Kostornaya, two-time world champion among juniors Alexandra Trusova and coaches Sergei Rozanov and Elena Ilinykh.

Recall that in the summer, Rika considered the option of cooperation with Canadian specialist Brian Orser, however, due to the pandemic, she abandoned this idea.

Kihira is the winner of the 2018/19 Grand Prix Final and two-time winner of the Four Continents Championship (2019, 2020). The figure skater performs a triple axel at the competition.