Riku Miura's decision to pick pairs skating over singles has proven an astute one as she and her on-ice partner Ryuichi Kihara took the honor of being the first Japanese athletes to qualify for the Beijing Winter Olympics.The only Japanese skating pair competing in Beijing, Miura and Kihara emerged as a surprise contender for a pairs medal and "Team Riku-Ryu," as they are known at home, hope to give fans some late drama before the Chinese capital closes the curtains on the games.The pairs short program will take place at the Capital Indoor Stadium on Friday, followed by the free skate on Sa…READ FULL ARTICLE
