Miku Nihira
| Miku Nihira | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 29 August 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skip | Miku Nihira | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fourth | Momoha Tabata | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second | Sae Yamamoto | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lead | Mikoto Nakajima | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alternate | Ayami Ito | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Curling career  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member Association |  Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Miku Nihira (Japanese: 仁平美来, born 29 August 2002) is a Japanese curler from Sapporo. She currently skips and throws third rocks on Team Momoha Tabata,[1] known in Japan as the Hokkaido Bank curling team.
Career
[edit]Nihira began curling in 2014 after being selected as one of the first group of students for the Hokkaido Talent Athlete Discovery Development Project.[2]
Nihira joined Team Hokkaido Bank in 2021.[3] Playing third on the team, skipped by Momoha Tabata, Nihira won a bronze medal at the 2022 Japan Curling Championships.[1] With Nihira taking over as skip, but throwing third stones, the rink won a silver medal at the 2024 Japan Curling Championships, losing in the final to SC Karuizawa Club, skipped by Miyu Ueno.[4]
Nihira skipped the Japanese team, which also consisted of Tabata, Yuina Miura, Mikoto Nakajima and Yui Ueno, at the 2024 World Junior Curling Championships. There, she led the team to a 7–2 round robin record. In the playoffs, the team defeated Norway (skipped by Torild Bjørnstad) in the semifinal before losing to Switzerland (Xenia Schwaller) in the final, settling for a silver medal.[5]
Following juniors, the rink had a strong 2024–25 curling season on the women's tour, winning the Ice Gold Cup,[6] the Argo Graphics Cup,[7] the Saville Shootout,[8] the Red Deer Curling Classic[9] and the Saville U25 Challenge events. The team made their Grand Slam debut at the 2024 Tour Challenge Tier 2 event, where they lost in the semifinals to their compatriots, Sayaka Yoshimura (Team Fortius). The team made their Tier 1 Grand Slam debut at the 2024 Canadian Open, where the finished with a win-less 0–4 record. At the next slam, the 2024 National, they improved to a 1–3 record.[1] And in the fourth slam of the year, the 2025 Masters, they improved once again, finishing the group stage with a 2–2 record. They then beat Team Danielle Inglis in a tiebreaker,[10] before bowing out in the quarter finals to team Anna Hasselborg,[11] who earned the right to select Team Tabata as they playoff opponent in a draft.[10]
The rink won another silver medal at the 2025 Japan Curling Championships, losing in the final to fellow Sapporo rink Sayaka Yoshimura.[12]
Personal life
[edit]She attended the Hokkaido University of Education.[13] Before curling, Nihira competed in karate for 10 years.[2]
Grand Slam record
[edit]| Key | |
|---|---|
| C | Champion |
| F | Lost in Final |
| SF | Lost in Semifinal |
| QF | Lost in Quarterfinals |
| R16 | Lost in the round of 16 |
| Q | Did not advance to playoffs |
| T2 | Played in Tier 2 event |
| DNP | Did not participate in event |
| N/A | Not a Grand Slam event that season |
| Event | 2024–25 |
|---|---|
| Tour Challenge | T2 |
| Canadian Open | Q |
| The National | Q |
| Masters | QF |
| Players' | Q |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Team Tabata". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ a b "北海道銀行が接戦制す「勝てて良かった」 ２０歳・仁平美来は空手１０年経験者「精神力が役に立った」」". Daily Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "北海道銀行カーリング部｢五輪で金｣ 4人体制で発足式". The Nikkei (in Japanese). Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "New Curling Champions in Japan". The Curling News. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "Switzerland women crowned world junior champions". World Curling. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "Obihiro ICE Gold Cup 2024". CurlingZone. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
- ^ "Hasselborg begins season with perfect run at Oslo Cup in Norway". TSN. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Saville Shootout". CurlingZone. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Tabata, Dunstone win at Red Deer Curling Classic". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ a b "Fujisawa steals spot in WFG Masters quarterfinals from Lawes". Sportsnet. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "Homan tops Tirinzoni in WFG Masters quarterfinals". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "Yokohama Big Rock Curling". The Curling News. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ "岩教大・仁平さん、世界ジュニアカーリング女子準Ｖ 「成長を実感」". Hokkaido Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved January 19, 2025.