Rika Kihira (Pool photo)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese figure skating star Rika Kihira has moved her training base to Toronto to work with Canadian coach Brian Orser, her management company said Wednesday.

       The 19-year-old Kihira aims to improve her chances of a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games by training under Orser, who guided Japanese superstar Yuzuru Hanyu to back-to-back Olympic titles in the men's individual competition.

       "I am very happy to work under Brian Orser and his team, who have produced many top skaters, as I aim for the Beijing Olympics," world No. 3 Kihira said in a statement from her management company.

       Kihira won her second straight national championship last year, landing a quadruple salchow for the first time in her free skate routine at Nagano's Big Hat arena.

       She had been one of the favorites to win the world championship in Sweden in March this year but finished a disappointing seventh after coming into the free skate ranked second.

       Font Size S M L Print Timeline 0