Sawt Falasteen - Japan's Olympic pairs skating champions announce retirement

Miura and Kihara claimed their country's first Olympic pairs medals in dramatic style at the Milan-Cortina Games in February, recovering from a disastrous short programme to take gold.

Miura, 24, and Kihara, 33, were also crowned world champions twice.

"Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have decided to retire from competition at the end of this season," the pair said in a statement on social media.

"A big thank you to everyone who has offered their support since the day they got together."

Miura and Kihara, popularly known collectively in Japan as "Rikuryu", went into the decisive Olympic free skate in fifth place after errors in their short programme.

Kihara said he had been "feeling really down" and blamed himself for the slip-up, conceding: "We did not think we would win."

Instead they spectacularly turned things around and topped the podium with personal-best scores.

The win was loudly celebrated in Japan, with government spokesman Minoru Kihara saying it had "moved so many people".

American gymnastics legend Simone Biles, who was in the arena to watch the action, said she was "pretty sure that was perfection".

Miura and Kihara, who skipped last month's world championships in Prague, said they would embark on a "new challenge" away from competition.

"We are ending our competitive careers but we feel that we have given everything and there are no regrets," they said.

L.AbuTayeh--SF-PST