48 Facts About Mai Mihara

Mai Mihara is a Japanese competitive figure skater.

Mai Mihara is the 2022 Grand Prix Final champion, a two-time Four Continents champion, the 2018 Four Continents silver medalist, the 2019 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2022 MK John Wilson Trophy champion, the 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo champion, and a two-time Japanese national medalist.

Mai Mihara began skating during her second year of elementary school, after watching Mao Asada's figure skating performances on TV.

Mai Mihara graduated from Ashiya High School in 2018, then obtained an undergraduate degree at Konan University in 2022.

Mai Mihara suffers from juvenile idiopathic arthritis, skating despite the disease.

Mai Mihara has donated her hair three times as of 2022 towards the creation of wigs for individuals who have lost hair due to accidents or medical conditions such as alopecia.

Mai Mihara started her season by placing sixth at her JGP event in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Mai Mihara then placed seventh at the Japan Junior Championships and ninth at the Japan Championships.

Mai Mihara made her senior international debut in early August 2015, winning the Asian Open ahead of Riona Kato.

In September, Mai Mihara competed at her first Challenger Series competition, the 2016 CS Nebelhorn Trophy.

Mai Mihara was awarded the bronze medal, behind American skaters Ashley Wagner and Mariah Bell, after placing second in the short and third in the free.

Mai Mihara finished fourth at her next Grand Prix assignment, the 2016 Cup of China.

In December 2016, Mai Mihara took bronze at the Japan Championships, ranking fifth in the short and second in the free.

In March 2017, Mai Mihara competed at the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

Mai Mihara achieved a personal best of 72.10 points in the short program and scored a Japanese national record of 146.17 points in the free skate.

Mai Mihara finished second behind Medvedeva and 0.83 ahead of compatriot Wakaba Higuchi while Team Japan won the gold medal.

Mai Mihara won silver at the 2017 CS Autumn Classic International.

Mai Mihara placed fourth at both of her Grand Prix assignments, 2017 Cup of China and 2017 Internationaux de France.

Mai Mihara was third in the short program but dropped to fourth in the free skate and overall despite making only one error, a jump under rotation.

At the 2018 Japan Championships, Mai Mihara placed third in both programs, finishing fourth overall.

Mai Mihara was again assigned to the Japanese team for the Four Continents Championships.

Mai Mihara described this as an error she would not normally make, even in practice.

Mai Mihara then placed second in the free skate, winning the bronze medal overall, her third consecutive Four Continents podium finish.

Mai Mihara concluded her season at the 2019 Winter Universiade, where she won the ladies singles' title.

Poor health forced Mai Mihara to withdraw from both of her Grand Prix assignments, the 2019 Skate Canada International and 2019 Cup of China.

Mai Mihara returned to competition domestically, winning the bronze medal at the Kinki Regional Championships and then silver at the Western Sectionals.

Mai Mihara was third in the free skate, rising to fourth place overall, slightly more than four points behind bronze medalist Rino Matsuike.

Mai Mihara was initially assigned to only one Grand Prix event, the 2021 Cup of China, which was replaced by the 2021 Gran Premio d'Italia.

Mai Mihara was seventh in the short program at Skate Canada International despite a clean skate but rose to fourth overall with a third-place free skate.

Mai Mihara finished 4.53 points behind bronze medalist Alena Kostornaia, with new personal bests in the free skate and total score.

Mai Mihara was fifth as well in the free skate segment, making a notable error by performing only a single Axel instead of a planned double in combination with a triple toe loop.

Mai Mihara finished fourth overall, less than four points behind bronze medalist Mana Kawabe.

Mai Mihara was named as an alternate for the Japanese Olympic team and assigned to compete at the 2022 Four Continents Championships.

Mai Mihara won both segments of the competition to take her second Four Continents gold, as well as a fourth medal at the event overall.

Mai Mihara began the season on the Grand Prix at the 2022 MK John Wilson Trophy in Sheffield.

Mai Mihara won the free program by a wider margin after a clean skate, taking her first Grand Prix gold medal.

Mai Mihara placed second in the short program, 1.30 points behind Hendrickx.

Mai Mihara's score was a new personal best in the segment of 74.58.

Mai Mihara went on to finish first in what the ISU itself characterized as a "turbulent" free skate segment, despite underrotating one jump and falling out of another, while frontrunner Sakamoto dropped off the podium entirely.

Mai Mihara finished second in the short program with a 74.70 score, 3.09 points behind Sakamoto, after the second part of her jump combination was called underrotated.

Mai Mihara was second in the free skate as well, albeit 10.03 points behind Sakamoto, winning the silver medal and standing on the Japanese national podium for the first time in six years.

Mai Mihara won the free skate, taking the gold medal for a second time.

Mai Mihara was on the third woman to win the event twice, after Miwa Fukuhara and Tonia Kwiatkowski.

Mai Mihara noted that she had missed some training recently as a result of influenza.

The 2023 World Championships were scheduled to take place on home ice in Saitama, with Mai Mihara attending the event for the first time since 2017.

Mai Mihara finished third in the short program, winning a bronze small medal, despite underrotating the second part of her combination.

Mai Mihara was named to compete at the World Team Trophy for the first time in six years, and said she was hoping to end her season on a high note following frustration with her performance in Saitama.

Mai Mihara was fifth in the free skate as well, dealing with some difficult jump landings.