Mai Mihara

Mihara began skating in 2007.[11] In the 2012–13 season, she won the bronze medal in the Novice A category at the Japanese Novice Championships and placed 8th at the Japan Junior Championships.

During the 2013–14 season, Mihara debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) circuit, placing fifth in Minsk, Belarus. After winning the Japanese national silver medal on the junior level, she finished her season by placing twelfth on the senior level at the Japan Championships.

Mihara started her season by placing sixth at her JGP event in Ljubljana, Slovenia. She then placed seventh at the Japan Junior Championships and ninth at the Japan Championships.

Mihara made her senior international debut in early August 2015, winning the Asian Open ahead of Riona Kato. She was awarded silver medals at her JGP events, in Bratislava, Slovakia and Linz, Austria, and qualified for the 2015–16 JGP Final in Barcelona.

Mihara placed eighth at the 2015–16 Japanese Junior Championships and sixth at the JGP Final. She was diagnosed with arthritis in December, following the JGP Final.[12][13]

In September, Mihara competed at her first Challenger Series competition, the 2016 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. Ranked second in the short program and first in the free skate, she won the gold medal ahead of Russia's Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. Her Grand Prix debut came the following month at the 2016 Skate America. She was awarded the bronze medal, behind American skaters Ashley Wagner and Mariah Bell, after placing second in the short and third in the free. She finished fourth at her next Grand Prix assignment, the 2016 Cup of China.

In December 2016, Mihara took bronze at the Japan Championships, having ranked fifth in the short and second in the free. In February 2017, she placed fourth in the short and first in the free at the Four Continents Championships in Gangneung, South Korea, outscoring Canada's Gabrielle Daleman by 3.94 points for the gold medal.[14]

In March 2017, Mihara competed at the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Ranked fifteenth in the short program after doubling and falling on a planned triple flip, Mihara ranked fourth in the free skate and climbed to fifth overall. In April, she competed as part of Team Japan at the 2017 World Team Trophy. She achieved a personal best of 72.10 points in the short program and then scored a Japanese national record of 146.17 points in the free skate. She finished second behind Medvedeva and 0.83 ahead of compatriot Wakaba Higuchi while Team Japan won the gold medal.

Mihara won silver at the 2017 CS Autumn Classic International. She placed fourth at both of her Grand Prix assignments, 2017 Cup of China and 2017 Internationaux de France. After a fifth-place finish at the 2017-18 Japan Figure Skating Championships she was assigned to the 2018 Four Continents Championships. At the championships, she was third in the short program behind countrywomen Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto. After a second-place finish in the free skate, and mistakes from Miyahara, Mihara rose to second place overall.

Mihara won silver at the 2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. On the Grand Prix, she first competed at the 2018 NHK Trophy, the most hotly-contested ladies' event on the Grand Prix that year. She was third in the short program, but dropped to fourth in the free skate and overall despite making only one error, a jump underrotation.[15] She then narrowly placed second at the 2018 Internationaux de France, slightly behind compatriot Rika Kihira. Mihara said she was unsatisfied with her free skate in France, but that "overall, it was a good experience for me and I will continue to practice to gain more confidence."[16]

At the 2018 Japan Championships, Mihara placed third in both programs, finishing fourth overall. She was again assigned to the Japanese team for the Four Continents Championships.[17] Competing at Four Continents, she underrotated her opening combination jump to place eighth in the short program. She described this as an error she would not normally make even in practice.[18] Mihara then placed second in the free skate, winning the bronze medal overall, her third consecutive Four Continents podium finish.[19] Mihara concluded her season at the 2019 Winter Universiade, where she won the ladies singles' title.[20]

Poor health forced Mihara to withdraw from both of her Grand Prix assignments, the 2019 Skate Canada International and 2019 Cup of China.[21] She would not compete for the remainder of the season. Her longtime training mate and friend Kaori Sakamoto would subsequently feel that Mihara's absence from the rink contributed to Sakamoto's lackluster results.[22]

In January 2020, The Japan Times published a controversial article by figure skating journalist Jack Gallagher which discussed Mihara's weight loss as a result of her illness and speculated as to the causes. The article was subsequently unpublished by the newspaper, replacing with a statement that the story "lacked editorial oversight and disrespected the privacy and dignity of figure skater Mai Mihara."[23]

Mihara returned to competition domestically, winning the bronze medal at the Kinki Regional Championships and then silver at the Western Sectionals.[24] With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting international travel, the ISU designed the Grand Prix primarily based on geographic location, and Mihara was one of eleven Japanese skaters assigned to the 2020 NHK Trophy alongside South Korean You Young. She placed seventh in the short program.[25] Mihara was third in the free skate, rising to fourth place overall, slightly more than four points behind bronze medalist Rino Matsuike. Addressing her return to competition post-illness, she said "the crowd welcomed me back and I can't thank them enough."[26]

Competing at the 2020–21 Japan Championships, Mihara was third in the short program with a clean skate.[27] In the free skate she doubled a planned triple Lutz, and ranked seventh in that segment, dropping to fifth place overall.[28]

Mihara at the 2018 Internationaux de France

Mihara at the 2016 Skate America

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals are awarded for team results only. Bolded scores reflect an ISU personal best.