Figure skating pair Ryuichi Kihara and Riku Miura captured the hearts of a nation as the Japanese team delivered its most successful Winter Olympics at the Milan Cortina Games.
This photo collection looks back at Japan’s key moments from the games — the performances, breakthroughs and emotional highlights of the country’s campaign in Italy.
Tears of frustration turned to tears of joy at the Milano Ice Skating Arena when Kihara and Miura staged a dramatic comeback in the free skate to secure one of Japan’s five gold medals, matching the total the country won on home soil at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games.
Riku Miura (top) and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan lose their balance during a lift in the pairs figure skating short program at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 15, 2026. (Kyodo)
Riku Miura (L) of Japan consoles her partner Ryuichi Kihara after their performance in the pairs figure skating short program at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 15, 2026. (Kyodo)
Riku Miura (L) and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan perform in the pairs figure skating free program at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 16, 2026. (Kyodo)
Riku Miura (back) and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan hug after winning the pairs figure skating gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 16, 2026. (Kyodo)
Riku Miura (C) and Ryuichi Kihara (L) of Japan react to their score in the kiss and cry area after performing in the pairs figure skating free program at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 16, 2026. (Kyodo)
Riku Miura (bottom) and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan pose for a photo after winning the pairs figure skating gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 16, 2026. (Kyodo)
Japan finished with a record 24 medals overall. Snowboarders made a significant contribution, claiming four gold, two silver and three bronze across three disciplines. Kokomo Murase reached the podium in both the women’s big air, in which she won gold, and slopestyle, where she took bronze.
Composite photo shows Japan’s Kokomo Murase competing en route to winning the women’s snowboard big air gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 9, 2026. (Kyodo)
Japan’s Mari Fukada reacts after receiving the score for her third run in the Milan Cortina Olympics women’s snowboard slopestyle final at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 18, 2026. (Kyodo)
Yuto Totsuka of Japan competes en route to winning the men’s snowboard halfpipe gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 13, 2026, at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy. (Kyodo)
(From L) Silver medalist Scotty James of Australia, gold medalist Yuto Totsuka and bronze medalist Ryusei Yamada, both of Japan, pose for photos on the podium after the medal ceremony for the men’s snowboard halfpipe event at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 13, 2026, at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy. (Kyodo)
Composite photo shows Japan’s Kira Kimura competing en route to winning the men’s snowboard big air gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 7, 2026. (Kyodo)
Japan’s Kira Kimura poses after winning the men’s snowboard big air gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 7, 2026. (Kyodo)
Japan’s figure skaters collected six medals in total. Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto marked her Olympic swansong with silver medals in the women’s and team events.
Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto (2nd from L) reacts to her scores in the kiss and cry area after performing in the women’s free program during the figure skating team event at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 8, 2026. (Kyodo)
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama (R) and Shun Sato hug after winning silver and bronze, respectively, in the men’s figure skating at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 13, 2026. (Kyodo)
Kaori Sakamoto of Japan performs in the women’s figure skating free program at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 19, 2026. (Kyodo)
Kaori Sakamoto of Japan sheds tears during the medal ceremony for the women’s figure skating event at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 19, 2026. She won silver. (Kyodo)
(From L) Silver medalist Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, gold medalist Alysa Liu of the United States and bronze medalist Ami Nakai of Japan pose during a press conference after the medal ceremony for the women’s figure skating event at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 19, 2026. (Kyodo)
In the ski jumping competition, Sara Takanashi laid her Beijing Olympic ghosts to rest, helping the mixed team win bronze, four years after her suit violation cost Japan a place on the medals podium.
Ren Nikaido (2nd from L) of Japan hugs teammate Ryoyu Kobayashi and Sara Takanashi (far R) high-fives Nozomi Maruyama after Nikaido’s second jump in the mixed team ski jumping event at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo, Italy, on Feb. 10, 2026. (Kyodo)
Japanese ski jumper Sara Takanashi (front) hugs teammate Ryoyu Kobayashi after Japan won the mixed team bronze at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 10, 2026, at Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo, Italy. (Kyodo)
There was disappointment in the men’s super team event, where Ryoyu Kobayashi and Ren Nikaido moved into medal contention but ended up sixth after heavy snow caused organizers to halt the competition midway through the final round of jumps. Nikaido nevertheless left the games with two medals, including silver in the men’s large hill.
Japanese ski jumper Ren Nikaido competes en route to winning the men’s large hill individual silver at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 14, 2026, at Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo, Italy. (Kyodo)
Japanese ski jumper Ren Nikaido (L) poses for a photo with his father Manabu, a former ski jumper, after winning the men’s normal hill individual bronze at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 9, 2026, at Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo, Italy. (Kyodo)
Ren Nikaido of Japan reacts after the men’s Ski jumping super team competition was cut short due to heavy snowfall during the final round at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo, Italy, on Feb. 16, 2026. (Kyodo)
Ryoyu Kobayashi (L) of Japan hugs teammate Ren Nikaido after the men’s Ski jumping super team competition was cut short following the cancellation of the final round due to heavy snowfall at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo, Italy, on Feb. 16, 2026, eventually placing Japan in sixth. (Kyodo)
Freestyle skiier Ikuma Horishimna took silver in the men’s dual moguls, adding to his men’s moguls bronze.
Japanese freestyle skier Ikuma Horishima (L) competes against Mikael Kingsbury of Canada in the men’s dual moguls final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 15, 2026, at Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park in Livigno, Italy. Horishima settled for silver. (Kyodo)
Japanese freestyle skier Ikuma Horishima competes against Mikael Kingsbury of Canada in the men’s dual moguls final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 15, 2026, at Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park in Livigno, Italy. Horishima settled for silver. (Kyodo)
Canadian freestyle skier Mikael Kingsbury (R) and Japan’s Ikuma Horishima show each other their medals after the men’s dual moguls final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 15, 2026, at Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park in Livigno, Italy. (Kyodo)
Veteran Miho Takagi led Japan’s effort in speed skating, winning three bronze medals in the women’s 500 meters, 1,000 meters and team pursuit.
Japanese speed skaters, including Miho Takagi (R), compete en route to winning the women’s team pursuit bronze medal heat at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 17, 2026, at Milano Speed Skating Stadium. (Kyodo)
Japanese speed skater Miho Takagi celebrates with the national flag after winning bronze in the women’s 500 meters at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Speed Skating Stadium in Milan on Feb. 15, 2026. (Kyodo)
Japanese speed skater Miho Takagi competes en route to winning bronze in the women’s 1,000 meters at the Milan Cortina Olympics at Milano Speed Skating Stadium in Milan on Feb. 9, 2026. (Kyodo)
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