Two-time and reigning ISU World Champions Riku Miura & Ryuichi Kihara of Japan skated off with gold at the ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya. The 8.000 spectators at the IG Arena got to see a high level Pairs event with suspense lasting until the very last team had skated. 

ISU World Champions Miura & Kihara golden in Japan

Just behind Riku Miura & Ryuichi Kihara, Italy’s Sara Conti & Niccolo Macii claimed the silver medal while Minerva Hase & Nikita Volodin of Germany climbed from fifth to earn the bronze. All three teams scored a personal best.

Overnight leaders Miura & Kihara skated last and got the home crowd going right from the start with their triple twist. The fans gasped when Kihara stumbled on the double Axel in the jump sequence with the triple toe, but the World Champions recovered to complete a side by side triple Salchow, throw triple flip and strong lifts. The 2025 ISU Four Continents Champions were ranked second in the Free Skating at 147.89 points, which was a personal best, but remained in first overall at 225.21 points overall.

Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) topped the leaderboard in the Pairs at the ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya © ISU

“I'm happy to have won in my home country of Japan,” Miura said. “We were a little worried because the previous skaters had gotten high scores, but we were confident in what we had done up until then, so we skated believing that if we just skated like we always do, everything would be fine. At first, I didn't realize that we had broken our personal best, but after I found out we won, I looked at each element and realized that it was our personal best, and I was very happy,” she continued. 

“I think we were able to skate in our own style without trying too hard,” Kihara added. “We performed with speed in mind. I was disappointed that I put my hands down (on the double Axel), and there were some tough parts, but the warm cheers from the audience helped me skate to the end.”

Performing to “Caruso”, Conti & Macii impressed with a personal best performance that featured side by side triple jumps and throws as well as difficult lifts. The 2025 ISU World bronze medalists netted 146.06 points and were third in the Free Skating. With 223.28 points total, the 2025 ISU European silver medalists took silver in Nagoya. 

Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (ITA) finished in second place at the ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya © ISU

“It was amazing,” Conti said. “I think it’s our best competition – short and free, the personal best as well. The competition was very high [level], a lot of couples do very well and we felt the pressure but skated great and felt the crowd and all the people cheering after the free program.”

“I think we skated really good,” Macii agreed. “It was the best free program where we managed the tension. All the time we used to do competitions together with strong couples, but not all of them at the same time. We managed the pressure really good. Sara did a great job. There is a lot of things we need to fix still but we know there is margin. Of course, we wanted to win but that’s ok. We did our best right now and we think the Japanese public liked us so that’s the biggest prize to gain.” 

Hase & Volodin came from fifth place after Hase had singled the Salchow in the Short Program. With nothing to lose, the two-time ISU Grand Prix Final Champions turned in the best performance of the night. They reeled off a triple toe-double Axel-double Axel, triple Salchow, spectacular triple throws and lifts in their routine set to “Memory House” by Max Richter. The 2025 ISU European Champions posted a personal best in the Free Skating with 149.57 points and moved up to third at 221.25 points to take their third consecutive ISU Grand Prix Final medal. 

Third-placed Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (GER) at the ISU Grand Prix Final in Nagoya © ISU

“It was such a relief that we were able to show this Free Skating as it should be,” Hase said. “We were able to fully show the choreo after doing all the elements. This was easy for us last year but this year we struggled with it. At the end of the program it felt like a huge weight fell of our shoulders. We just needed some time,” she added. 

“We did a good Short Programs at Skate Canada, but our Free Skating was somewhat shaky this season,” Volodin said. “To have skated like this today was really important. We proved that we can do a very good Free Skating and that is so important for the next competitions and the Olympic Games.”

Anastasiia Metelkina & Luka Berulava (GEO) were excellent as well but nevertheless slipped to fourth place at 211.53 points. Maria Pavlova & Alexei Sviatchenko (HUN) came fifth with a clean performance (208.33 points) while 2024 ISU World Champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek & Maxime Deschamps (CAN) remained in sixth place (194.36 points). 

ISU Grand Prix Final schedule:

Thursday, December 4: Pairs & Men’s Short Programs, Rhythm Dance
 Friday December 5: Pairs Free Skating, Women’s Short Program
 Saturday, December 6: Men’s & Women’s Free Skating
 Sunday, December 7: Exhibition Gala

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ISU Grand Prix Standings

Check out the road to the ISU Grand Prix Final:

Men                               Women                    Pairs                      Ice Dance

For full entry lists and further information regarding the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series please visit here.