bringing figure skating back to basics using ballet and classical musicThe Italian figure skater shared his dream to revive the use of classical music which he calls the "dying art in figure skating" alongside like-minded spirit Nikolaj Memola and the lessons in humility he picked up from training alongside Hanyu Yuzuru for a decade Corey Circelli will be among the first to get his hands on it This is because he is the one putting it together The Italian figure skater and his compatriot and best friend Nikolaj Memola are pulling their experiences from competing at top international events in men's singles to create what they have dubbed “The Figure Skating Bible” – a go-to manual for how to handle competitions heading into the year of their home Olympic Games “We kind of live through each other's events and we try and put together this almost Bible of how to do it,” Circelli said and we comprise what works for each other.” His Olympian parents met in the cafeteria of the Milano Ice Skating Arena which will host the Olympic figure skating competition in less than 300 days A trip to Ice Lab in Bergamo, Italy may make you think you are seeing double. There are two male skaters inside who look almost identical – same build, similar flowing movements on the ice, and a matching taste in music and program styles. There is no coincidence that Corey Circelli and Nikolaj Memola have formed a strong friendship given how much they share in common, including their taste in clothes. “We wear the same thing,” said 22-year-old Circelli, who is one year and two months older than Memola. “Today we walked in [to training] and we're like, ‘Oh, you're wearing that?’ ‘I'm wearing that’. We have the same ideas.” In fact, the only visible difference is that while both are taller than average in the figure skating world, with his 1.95m height, Memola has 0.10m advantage over Circelli. Not that it matters much in the overall scheme of things: “I can put stilts on”, Circelli mused. When it comes to their skates, both have a soft spot for classical music and lament its recent decline. “We love classical music and I think that's a dying art in figure skating right now,” Circelli said. “Too many people are pushing radio and soundtracks and trying to take it modern and almost like this TikTok era and we're very old souls. I want classics back. It's refreshing now to hear a beautiful piece of classical music.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Corey Circelli (@coreycircelli) classical music has been a big part of his life since childhood He trained in ballet and while he does not have much time to practise now given his rigorous figure skating schedule Circelli still warms up with ballet every day That's the kind of skating I live for It is fitting then that Circelli’s introduction into figure skating started with ice dance His junior career in the discipline lasted two seasons though he joked it cannot be further from what he is doing now “They're different sports,” Circelli said about the difference between ice dance and singles skating “You might as well have said I did pole vaulting.” it helped to shape Circelli into the skater he is today He learned how to interpret every style of dance and is now known for his smooth View this post on Instagram A post shared by FederCUSI (@federcusi) Memola shares Circelli’s affinity for classical skates. They consult each other on their program choices and their programs are sometimes so similar that they joke about swapping them. In the 2024-25 season, Memola switched his free skate midway after consulting with Circelli. Circelli has also already picked the music for Memola’s short program for his next, Olympic season. “I picked his short. I was like, ‘I think that this would be perfect for you’, and he'll do the same. It's very fun,” Circelli said. “We bounce ideas back and forth. Because there's no one that will tell us it's a bad idea more than your friend, who also is your competitor, and I trust his opinion the most.” While both already have their music picked out for the Olympic season and the tracks are so complementary, Circelli was quick to stop himself from revealing what he will be skating to – “if I give mine, then it also kind of gives his as well”. “We were honestly thinking, 'What if I just take your program next year? Do you have an old one to give me?'” he said with a laugh. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Corey Circelli (@coreycircelli) The friendship with Memola has been especially important for Circelli after he transitioned from skating for Canada to skating for Italy in 2023 The switch to Italy could not come at a better time for Circelli who is dreaming of making his Winter Olympic debut at the same rink where his parents first met in between training sessions in their respective sports Memola also wants to become an Olympian at the home Games but while the friends are competing for the same two spots on the Italian team “This season has been like studying for next year,” Circelli said “It's building all of these study notes for how to approach the Olympic season.” “We have our knights of the round table lunch every day,” Circelli said of their group dynamic. “Every single day we have lunch together, we warm up together in the same venue, we all watch each other, we do our run-throughs in order. We kind of have a predetermined order. Nikolaj tends to be fastest to warm up, and then I go, and then Matteo. It's very fun.” Circelli and Memola have both called their special bond a “brotherhood” where each is helping the other to get to their home Olympic Games. And whoever does end up competing at Milano Cortina 2026 can count on the support of his teammate. “We've had very many open conversations,” Circelli said about his and Memola’s shared Olympic dream. “Our goal is to both be on the team and it would be even better to be together, but if he outskates me, I will be the biggest supporter. I will be there with pom-poms, and vice versa.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Corey Circelli (@coreycircelli) Memola and his mother Olga Romanova sometimes act as co-coaches at Circelli’s competitions It was at Orser’s training sessions that Circelli first met two-time Olympic champion Hanyu Yuzuru ‘He's gonna go to the Olympics!’ I'm like Despite the buzz surrounding the Japanese skater Circelli recalled how humble Hanyu was in everyday life We would be on public transport together,” Circelli said “He's just this guy and then he gets into the rink and you're like “It’s the perfect description in my mind of what figure skating should look like,” he said and then we open it in 100 years and we're like “He has the most effortless way of skating but he makes everything look as simple as just walking down the street He actually has angel wings laser-carved on his blades The most fitting thing I've ever seen in my life Circelli got a unique look at Hanyu’s training as one of Orser’s fellow students what Circelli admired even more was his attitude “He doesn't get high or low,” Circelli said and can approach the next day completely fine “I think that's what accounts for his longevity because a lot of people struggle right now in this sport because you get to a point where you’re like Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article (Read Scott Hamilton’s Britannica entry on figure skating.) modeling himself after Plushchenko and American Johnny Weir eventually mastered such difficult elements as the Biellmann spin (he was one of the relatively few male skaters who performed the move) and the quadruple jump Hanyu won the gold medal at the Junior Grand Prix final in Tokyo and the following year he claimed gold at the 2010 junior world championships (Read Scott Hamilton’s Britannica essay on "Training for Olympic Gold.") captured the first of his two consecutive titles Hanyu also participated in the new team event with the Japanese finishing in fifth place Hanyu returned to competition at the 2014 world championships and again emerged with a gold medal; he became the first male skater since Yagudin in 2002 to capture the Olympic and world skating titles in the same year In 2015 Hanyu won his third consecutive Grand Prix title That year he placed second in the world championships In 2019 Hanyu won his third silver medal at the world championships and he earned a bronze at the event two years later He competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing but failed to medal Japan's figure skating icon Yuzuru Hanyu performed his ice show on Friday in his native Miyagi Prefecture commemorating the 14th anniversary of the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan The show at Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu was staged for the third straight year It is named "notte stellata," meaning starry night in Italian in memory of the "ray of light" he saw in the sky as he left home for the evacuation center following the 2011 disaster "I skated praying this serves as a catalyst for us to do something on disasters the first Asian to win a men's figure skating Olympic gold medal when he triumphed in Sochi in 2014 The three-day event through Sunday commemorates the magnitude-9.0 quake and tsunami that claimed over 15,000 lives and ravaged Miyagi and neighboring Iwate and Fukushima prefectures The 30-year-old Hanyu performed to the composition "Seimei," which accompanied his free skate at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang where he won his second Olympic gold landing both his quad salchow and toe loop to captivate the crowd of 6,300 Kyogen actor and 58-year-old Nomura Mansai Hanyu finished fourth in 2022 in Beijing before retiring from competition in July that year to turn professional stating he "stopped wanting to be evaluated" by points but would seek new ways to express himself in skating exhibitions He became the first skater to perform solo at Tokyo Dome in February 2023 in a show attended by around 35,000 spectators Figure skating: Winter Olympics remain far off for teen star Mao Shimada Figure skating: Rio Nakata becomes Japan's 7th junior men's world champ To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible Today's print edition Home Delivery That’s the stern reminder I’m given before being ushered into a room to speak with Japan’s “Ice Prince.”googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); and the first six minutes are spent on a photo shoot in a conference room turned into a makeshift studio in his hometown of Sendai In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Nine years ago, at the 2016 edition, the Spaniard defended his world title, securing a victory that would stamp him among the sport’s all-time greats. With the event returning to the city that means so much to him, Fernández reflected on what made that win so special – and on the friendship and rivalry that defined so much of his career. "Boston is definitely one of the cities that I have closest to my heart," Fernández told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview. "That competition left a huge mark on me, and I think it did for many people in figure skating as well. It was incredibly special – almost not being able to finish the competition due to an injury, but managing to win the gold medal in the end." Two years later, Fernández went on to reach the Olympic podium at PyeongChang 2018, winning bronze. He capped his career the following season with a seventh European title. Javier Fernandez reflects on life in figure skating and the 'mystical side' of Hanyu YuzuruThe PyeongChang 2018 bronze medallist opens up about his journey in the sport and training with the Japanese star: 'I don't miss competition at all,' the 33-year-old said in this exclusive interview most especially among those from his nation in figure skating But Fernández had a strong team around him – almost always Their sessions together were a test of both mental and physical endurance. "We were always aware, both Yuzuru and I, that training together made us better skaters," Fernández said. "He taught me just how far you could push yourself, how much effort you could put in. Watching him train made me think, ‘I need to train harder, push myself more.’ Every day on the ice felt like a competition – if he landed a clean program, I wanted to do the same." Though good friends off the ice, Fernández admits training with his biggest rival came with tension at times. "Of course, training together wasn’t always peace and love," Fernández admitted. "At the end of the day, we were rivals, we were all tired… Sometimes it wasn’t easy training alongside the person you’d be competing against in a few days. That’s why having good coaches was so important, to manage those situations and balance things." Still, the double world champion recognizes Hanyu’s presence elevated his own skating. Years after Fernández’s retirement from the sport, he remains in awe of the legendary Japanese skater’s ability. "He was the kind of skater who could make anything – whether easy or difficult – look the same," he said. "Through his expression, his powerful movements, his intense gaze… he sold it so well that you couldn’t tell whether what he was doing was easy or not. Everything came together, and it was extraordinary." These days, the 33-year-old remains close to the sport, coaching and speaking at seminars. "I still do some exhibition performances, though fewer and fewer, because I don’t want it to be my profession forever," he added. "I won’t be doing exhibitions at 40 years old, I have it super clear." He’s also started bringing skating to more people at home in Spain, running a small business that sets up rinks during the holiday season, and hasn’t ruled out opening his own school. "I would have liked to have my own group or school, but over the past few years, I’ve realized how difficult it is to set up here in Spain," Fernández said. "I’ve had offers to do it outside, but for now, I want to stay here." Even with all that, there are still things he misses about his days as a competitive skater, including the daily routine. There is, however, one thing he doesn’t miss: competition nerves. "The feeling of not knowing whether you need to go to the toilet, if you’re going to throw up, if you want to skate or not… I won’t miss that at all," he admits. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Javier Fernandez (@javierfernandezskater) Fernández won’t be at the World Championships to feel those nerves in person once more missing out on a return to the venue that he holds so dear "I would have loved to go – I had actually planned to – but in the end "I would have really liked to be back on that ice in the same arena; it would have been very special." He plans to follow the competition closely though he admits choosing a favourite for the women’s event is complicated this year the Japanese skaters are very strong and young who could also be in the fight for the medals," said Fernández "But it’s not clear yet who will make it to the podium." In the men’s event, he singles out reigning world champion Ilia Malinin of the United States as one to watch "Ilia is the strongest skater – he’s skating at an incredible level," Fernández said "He’s technically powerful but also very consistent and that’s what ultimately earns an athlete a place on the podium." While Yuzuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno together propelled Japanese men's figure skating to its most successful era on the international stage In the lead-up to the world championships opening Wednesday in Boston less than a year out from the Milan-Cortina Winter Games the retired stars reflected on their different approaches to Olympic competition "I planned a lot," two-time Olympic champion Hanyu said earlier this month Hanyu revealed that he analyzed his rivals' program components in detail while also scrutinizing his own situation and whether his aims were feasible "I continued to think about deepening my thoughts and creating a schedule to improve my skills so that I could hit my peak at the Olympics," Hanyu said The meticulous approach helped him bring out his best performances at the most important times Hanyu became the first Asian man to win Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games at age 19 he overcame an ankle ligament injury suffered roughly three months before the competition to become the first men's back-to-back Olympic champion in 66 years tried to see the games as a "passing point" and concentrate on himself as he attempted to equal and surpass Hanyu After adding to his array of quadruple jumps Uno took silver in Pyeongchang and bronze at the 2022 Beijing Olympics won by Nathan Chen of the United States "I continued to take on new challenges without caring about the Olympics at all Hanyu and Uno announced their decisions to retire from competitive figure skating in July 2022 and May 2024 "It's good to train every day to be a better skater without thinking about winning too much," Uno said in a message of encouragement to other skaters still competing you should try to have a different perspective you'll realize that the world you are looking at is not everything Figure skating: Japan's Kaori Sakamoto upbeat about bid for 4th world title Olympic hero Yuzuru Hanyu pledges to continue giving back to quake victims Yuzuru Hanyu says the desire to support his native northeastern Japan in its recovery from the 2011 earthquake-tsunami catastrophe was a major motivating factor in his decorated figure skating career The magnitude-9.0 quake struck 14 years ago when the then first-year high school student was practicing at a rink in his home city of Sendai His house was deemed "completely destroyed," forcing the youngster to spend time at an evacuation center Delivering for northeastern Japan has "been one of the missions of my figure skating career," Hanyu said during a Kyodo News interview on Monday in Sendai I hope to be by the side (of those who suffered) and keep sending messages (of support)." The quake and tsunami claimed around 15,900 lives Iwate and Fukushima prefectures as well as triggering a long-running nuclear disaster I can recall them like yesterday," he said After becoming the first Asian to win figure skating Olympic gold in the men's event in Sochi in 2014 Hanyu returned to Japan and began making visits to the city of Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture among other devastated areas using his fame to bring a positive distraction to struggling locals who went on to defend his Olympic title in 2018 in Pyeongchang said despite having personal experience of the disaster he still felt unsure whether his efforts were ultimately worthy "I wasn't sure if it was right for an outsider to step into such areas," he said "I'm aware there are people yet to return to their houses and those left with scars on their hearts." Hanyu's support for disaster-hit regions extended to other parts of Japan after he visited Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture last June after the M7.6 quake jolted Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day in 2024 He appeared in a charity event held in the prefecture in September and donated 44 million yen ($300,000) raised through livestreaming and T-shirt sales Hanyu promoted an exchange between Ishikawa Prefecture and his home region when he offered Wajima store owners who lost their businesses in a post-quake fire an opportunity to open booths in Sendai during his three-day ice show through Sunday "The fans who came to watch the show bought products from Wajima to support them and I could sense the circle of support expanding," Hanyu said "It made me realize that this could actually be the best way I can help." With Hanyu's status as an icon of his sport not waning despite him leaving the competitive rink in 2022 for a professional career the 2011 disaster will always be in the back of his mind "I want to be the catalyst to ensure the memory of the Great East Japan Earthquake never fades," he said Figure skating: Icon Yuzuru Hanyu commemorates March 11 quake in ice show Japan marks 14th anniversary of quake-tsunami, nuclear disasters schedule and how to watch liveFigure skating's two-time Olympic gold medallist returns this weekend with the annual show in his native Miyagi Prefecture dedicated to those affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 his ice show held in honour of those affected by the 11 March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and I hope people who watch this show will go home with a smile on their face.” Hanyu is coming off a successful wrap of his ‘Echoes of Life’ tour last month Notte stellata - Italian for ‘starry night’ - is perhaps his most personal show dedicated to anyone and everyone impacted by the M9.1 quake 14 years ago - Hanyu himself being one of them Below is the schedule and how to catch notte stellata from at Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu, outside of Hanyu's hometown Sendai. schedule and how to watch live","section_level_1":"news","section_level_2":"figure-skating-hanyu-yuzuru-notte-stellata-2025-watch-live","discipline":"discipline-figure-skating","odf_id":null,"module_instance":"CTAs - Blue Link","module_id":"028e795f-bcd5-462e-86da-9067756e22a7","link_tag":"Start 2026 in Italy The Olympic Winter Games are just a TICKET away 🏂❄️🎿 Sign-up to get a reminder of when the next tickets go live and all the latest news of your favourite national Olympic teams and athletes trying to qualify Notte stellata will be streamed live exclusively on Hulu plus a delayed broadcast on 11 March Two-time Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu on Friday reacted to the death of U.S figure skating icon and broadcaster Dick Button with a message "I'll never forget how happy I could be in this same world and 'Figure skating' you left behind," the Japanese star wrote in English on social media site X Button died of natural causes Thursday at age 95 while still a student at Harvard University Button revolutionized figure skating by completing the first triple jump in competition Hanyu became the first man to win back-to-back Olympic figure skating titles since Button did so in 1948 and 1952 Button also won five consecutive world championships from 1948 Olympics: Hanyu wins 2nd consecutive gold Olympics: Hanyu's sizzling short program pushes Dick's buttons The Magnitude 9.1 quake, combined with a tsunami and a nuclear power plant meltdown, claimed almost 16,000 lives with more than 2,500 still missing as it levelled the Japanese eastern coastline - including Hanyu’s hometown Sendai. It was the third straight year the two-time Winter Olympic champion performed the headline act in the three-day ice show in his native Miyagi Prefecture. “With Seimei, I almost felt intimidated by it, like I couldn’t make a single mistake,” Hanyu told reporters after the scheduled two-hour performance. “I was so nervous it really almost felt like the Olympics.” Picture by ⓒnottestellata2025Hanyu Yuzuru and friends at the 'notte stellata 2025' opening on Friday in his native Miyagi Prefecture following his third Olympic Games appearance in Beijing Hanyu has skated Notte Stellata in Miyagi each year with fellow Olympians and some of Japan’s most celebrated artists also performing But the collaboration which floored the crowd of 6,256 and brought them to a standing ovation was with top noh (a form of Japanese drama-dance) theatre performer Nomura Mansai whose music in a feature film was used by Hanyu for his free skating music from the 2015-16 season Hanyu stuck with the tune through the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and went on to defend the men’s singles title to cement his legendary status in the sport I looked up at the evening sky and it was beautiful I would be oversimplifying it to say I drew hope from the stars I saw that night but I remember it being stunning and it’s become a very dear memory to me,” Hanyu said as the show got underway It might bring back a lot of things and make you sad But we will perform with prayers from our soul “It was an incredible honour to be touched by the important music that won me a gold medal I like to think Seimei has done its part for 3.11.” Picture by ⓒnottestellata2025Hanyu during Friday's show Figure skating star Yuzuru Hanyu will perform in his ice show commemorating the 14th anniversary of the devastating March 11 earthquake that struck his native Miyagi Prefecture and other parts of northeastern Japan The March 7-9 show at Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu will be held for the third straight year remembering the magnitude-9.0 quake and tsunami in 2011 which claimed over 15,000 lives and ravaged Miyagi and neighboring Iwate and Fukushima prefectures wish and will that can make people feel positive about the future even if only a little," the 30-year-old said in a statement ahead of the show named "notte stellata" meaning starry night in Italian Hanyu became the first Asian to win the men's figure skating singles Olympics gold medal in Sochi in 2014 and added another Winter Games gold four years later in Pyeongchang He finished fourth in 2022 in Beijing before retiring from competition in July that year to turn into a professional skater stating he "stopped wanting to be evaluated" in terms of points but would seek new ways to express himself in skating exhibitions Hanyu became the first skater to perform solo at Tokyo Dome in a show attended by around 35,000 spectators Figure skating: Kaori Sakamoto wins 4th consecutive national title Figure skating: Yuma Kagiyama wins 1st nat'l title, qualifies for worlds Or other star artists in an lavishly staged show costing millions at an arena housing thousands like the Tokyo Dome Sunday’s (15 September) performance titled “Challenge” was without a crowd nestled in a small venue in the quiet of Ishikawa Prefecture which was struck by a M7.6 megaquake on New Year’s Day The charity show was being streamed live nationwide so it could have been held anywhere for that matter. But Hanyu insisted on skating in the prefecture’s only ice rink because as a fellow survivor of a major disaster 13 years ago, he knows what it would mean for the people there. “Obviously since we were streaming, I didn’t have to hold the event here,” Hanyu told reporters. “But I wanted to be as physically close as possible to those whose who suffered - and to those who are still suffering. “We wanted to feel the air here during the performance which I hope helped reach more people.” The Noto Peninsula Earthquake is the deadliest quake in Japan since the M9.1 that crippled the nation on 11 March 2011 - which hit Hanyu’s hometown of Sendai Since the 29-year-old retired from competition two years ago Hanyu has dedicated a show - “notte stellata” - to the victims and everyone who was impacted by the Great East Japan Earthquake “A huge reason I wanted to win two gold medals is because I wanted to support disasters sites like this one,” he said “When I was competing I was focused on working hard to win two in a row and now that I’ve turned pro I’ve been able to gradually find the time to skate for a cause “I am a figure skater first and foremost and I like to think I can offer something to those who were affected through my performances - even if it’s just a little.” Hanyu said he chose a bare-bones venue more suited to his practises not only for regional proximity but also so he could reroute more money for charity by cutting costs “The first thing I wanted to do is keep production costs down to the bare minimum so we could donate as much money as possible I think things looked different from what I usually bring but I hope people were able to enjoy the change felt different today skating for charity compared to our usual shows We felt more of a connection to the local people.” Hanyu saw some of the damage from the quake in person during his brief stay in Ishikawa and also met local junior high students which naturally flashed his memory back to 13 years ago when he was forced to spend time in an evacuation centre and saw his home rink become unusable Hanyu looked to be trembling with emotion as he recalled what he witnessed and heard in trying to give the people of Ishikawa a nudge of hope going forward “I had seen the damage in the news or the papers but when I saw the scene firsthand I’m not qualified to say whether recovery is moving ahead or not but the scars were very much still there “The local people said to me that whenever they see the ruins that they want to avoid going to such places that even though no matter how difficult things are sooner or later the time will come when you have to move on the time will definitely come when you have to act.” Picture by Yaguchi ToruHanyu was adamant on skating in Ishikawa Prefecture on Sunday And it remains as mysterious and intriguing as ever The curtains go up on the first performance on 7 December - Hanyu’s 30th birthday on the weekend of the ISU Grand Prix Final - at Saitama Super Arena with further stops at Hiroshima Green Arena in January and the brand-new LaLa arena Tokyo-Bay in Chiba I’ve thought about what it means to live,” Hanyu said in a statement I met many who were affected by the disasters so much so that we lose sight of ourselves In a world where we are prone to becoming numb to one’s pain as well as that of others I ask what life is - and what it means to be me I created a story and a program that may serve as a hint to answering those questions.” Critically acclaimed producer-choreographer Mikiko will direct again and 11 December; Hiroshima on 3 and 5 January; and Chiba on 7 and 9 February Picture by The Yomiuri ShimbunHanyu Yuzuru the Olympic champion raises the curtain on his latest solo show at Saitama Super Arena to pose the question of what it means to live But he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. “I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I’m 30,’” Hanyu told reporters on Saturday (7 December), his birthday, after performing the opening show of Echoes of Life to a sellout crowd of 14,000 at Saitama Super Arena. “It hasn’t completely sunk in but the 30 I thought of when I was a kid and actually being 30 now is completely different - physically, mentally. “I feel like I still have a lot to offer, can keep going.” On Edge | Series TrailerOn Edge chronicles the journeys of six of the world’s best ice dancing teams on the road to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 The series features athletes Madison Chock and Evan Bates (USA) Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) Laurence Fournier-Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen (CAN) and coaches Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon Romain Haguenauer and three time Olympic Gold medallist Scott Moir Echoes of Life is the third chapter in Hanyu’s Ice Story saga which he has acted alone following Gift in 2022 and Re_Pray last year Still appearing not much different to when he quit competitive skating two years ago the two-time Olympic champion performed for close to three hours as his faithful shrieked in overwhelming bliss on this night when they sang him Happy Birthday during the encore Hanyu said he has a completely different perception of age now that he has entered the third decade of his life But having lived in the now to the fullest “I always thought there’d be regression at this age as a figure skater 30 is when you start putting it all together - the experience “I want to hold on to hope for my future and seize the opportunities that come along.” Saturday’s installment was markedly different from the first two shows in that Hanyu increased his time on the main screen in cinema-like form perhaps cognizant of the global audience Hanyu quickly shut the door on a future acting career - he looked impressive contrary to his self-appraisal - but seemed fulfilled that he was finally able to scratch a lifelong itch on the theme of life itself “I’ve been in a movie once before and I just thought I wasn’t made for it,” he said “I don’t have much desire to be in the movies but portraying Nova It’s my story and I felt compelled to act the character myself “I’ve thought about bioethics since I was little and it’s something I pursued at university I always found the philosophy behind life fascinating "There was a lot swirling in my head and I studied the thought process I wanted to produce a performance that might help people find their meaning of life which led to Echoes of Life The show moves to Hiroshima next month before wrapping in Chiba Hanyu’s technique is outstanding, but he combines his ability with an astonishing creativity and artistry. He makes difficult moves like the Beillmann spin and the doughnut spin look simple. Battling through multiple injuries, the Japanese star has changed the landscape of the sport since his first Olympic title at Sochi 2014. A huge presence in Japan, he is a star of TV and film as well as one of the country’s most famous athletes. Aged just 19, Hanyu became the first Asian man to win an Olympic gold medal when he triumphed in Sochi, becoming the youngest men's champion since 1948. He followed up by defending his Olympic title in PyeongChang 2018, becoming the first man to go back-to-back for Olympic gold since 1952 (Richard Button). During his career, Hanyu has also won two world titles and four Grand Prix Finals – cementing himself as perhaps one of Japan's finest ice athletes, and also his place as one of the greatest figure skaters in history. Hanyu was also the first skater to successfully land a quadruple loop jump in ISU competition, doing so in 2016. He has broken an extraordinary 18 world scoring records, and was also the first man ever to break the 100-point mark in the short program, the first to gain 200 points in a free skate, and the first to get a combined total of 300. Hanyu has a knack for pushing boundaries – aside from being the first to land the quadruple loop, he made his goal for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games the quadruple Axel. Featuring four-and-a-half rotations in the air, no one has successfully landed the jump – the next frontier in figure skating jumping. As far back as in 2019, Hanyu had spoken of learning the jump; he unveiled a first public attempt at the 2021/22 Japanese nationals, although he landed on two feet and the jump was downgraded. He would go on to attempt the jump once more on Olympic ice, seeking a slice of history. While he under-rotated the attempt and fell, Hanyu told reporters afterwards: "I rotated the Axel as well as I could. I went for it, and it's something I'll cherish forever." He added after the Games' exhibition gala: "On the quad Axel, I couldn’t have tried it on a more fitting stage and with more support than I could have asked for. “I gave it everything I have. People say I’m almost there, I’m close but it’s easier said than done. I think I’ve taken my quad Axel as far as it can." All eyes were on Hanyu at Beijing 2022 to see if he could become the first skater since before the Second World War to win three straight Olympic gold medals. However, Hanyu's quest for a three-peat took a big hit with his very first jump in the short program. To gasps from the crowd, he singled a planned quadruple Salchow – later explaining he hit a hole or rut in the ice. That left him in a disappointing eighth place. So it was a measure of Hanyu's pure ability that, despite falling on the quad Axel and also on a quad Salchow in the free skate, the Japanese superstar still hauled himself up by four places to finish fourth overall. "I fell on the Axel, fell on the Salchow but nailed everything in the second half. It's about falling and getting back up again," he said after the skate. Hanyu hasn't ruled out going to a fourth Games at Milano Cortina 2026. With a teasing smile, he said at a press conference to review his Beijing Games: "If you ask me whether these were my last Games, I don't know. "The Olympics is a special place, one of a kind. It's a competition, a challenge, that you want to take on even if you're hurt. "There's no other place like that for a figure skater. There is a part of me that does want to skate here again." two different strokesWith five Olympic medals between them the Japanese figure skating legends both found much success on the ice - but they went about it in completely different ways there’s more than one way to skin a cat - or win medals at the Olympic Winter Games a noted perfectionist with an uncanny eye for detail the level of preparation was on a whole another plane It’s what led him to a slew of titles including the first men’s career Super Slam "I continued to think about deepening my thoughts and creating a schedule to improve my skills so that I could hit my peak at the Olympics.” Back-to-back world champion in 2022 and 2023 Uno Shoma’s approach was closer to the opposite end of Hanyu’s intense spectrum keeping the focus on himself and his training thanks in part to the tutelage of his coach Stéphane Lambiel They were a significant source of Uno’s drive allowing him to funnel his concentration on the sport away from all the baggage that accompanies being one of the world’s best and most popular skaters silver and bronze in singles and another silver in the team event in Beijing three years ago "I continued to take on new challenges without caring about the Olympics at all "It's good to train every day to be a better skater without thinking about winning too much you'll realize that the world you are looking at is not everything the Beijing 2022 Olympic silver medallist is coming into his own—but he’s only getting started "Catching him is a massive goal of mine," Kagiyama Yuma shared with us Which is why this weekend, he’s going to bat for all those affected by the M7.6 Noto Peninsula Earthquake that struck on New Year’s Day, with a charity show near the devastations in Ishikawa Prefecture - titled “Challenge”. “There are people who are suffering at this moment, as we speak,” Hanyu told organisers of the show scheduled for Sunday (15 September). “I hope I can deliver a performance that can help them, give them even the slightest lift.” Picture by The Yomiuri ShimbunHanyu Yuzuru will be skating for a good cause this weekend Hanyu’s hometown of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture was rocked by the Great East Japan Earthquake a M9.1 that triggered a tsunami and a nuclear powerplant disaster Hanyu was forced to spend time at an evacuation centre and his home rink was wrecked After retiring from competitive skating in 2022 he has since produced a show honouring all those who were impacted by the catastrophe The Noto Peninsula quake is the deadliest earthquake since 11 March injuring 1,300 across nine prefectures including Ishikawa While the tragedy has not received the attention globally as the Great East Japan Earthquake did Noto Peninsula has been nothing short of calamitous Public viewing will also be offered in four locations in Ishikawa - Suzu Proceeds from the livestream will be donated to Ishikawa Prefecture towards relief efforts and Four Continents champion Mura Takahito - believes the show should be held in Ishikawa I think there’s tremendous meaning in skating on the actual site I think I will feel a lot during the performance,” Hanyu said “There must be a skate that I can only skate being there That is something I really want to be able to provide Niigata (16-18 June) and wraps in Kobe (23-25 June) Yuzuru Hanyu: My PyeongChang HighlightsJapanese figure skater brilliantly defended his Single Skating Olympic title It's been quite a whirlwind tour for the superstar since then Ever wanted to see a piece of Yuzuru Hanyu‘s Olympic memorabilia up close and personal The Japanese figure skater has joined a long list of illustrious names who have donated items to the museum And he’s chosen a very special piece of equipment to be exhibited He has donated his competition gloves to the museum. The two-time world champion is the fourth Japanese athlete to donate something to the Olympic Museum and ski jumper Noriaki Kasai have paved the way before Hanyu Other international stars have also displayed their prized Olympic possessions in Lausanne The museum donation is just the latest recognition of his achievements He’ll have a new training partner next season It may now be the figure skating off-season but why not re-live Hanyu’s free skate gold medal performance from Korea once again Yuzuru Hanyu performs to Frederic Chopin's Ballade No.1 in his short program on the way to Olympic gold at PyeongChang 2018 The PyeongChang 2018 bronze medallist opens up about his journey in the sport and training with the Japanese star: 'I don't miss competition at all,'.. the 33-year-old said in this exclusive interview Two-time men's Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu will take part in a September charity performance in central Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture in support of earthquake reconstruction It will be streamed with skaters interacting with people online in areas affected by the Jan Proceeds will be donated to the prefecture "I hope I can deliver some energy that will give people even a little more strength," Hanyu said in a comment released by the organizers "I feel that skating there is very meaningful I want to skate with all kinds of feelings in mind." 2011 earthquake that rocked northeastern Japan Akiko Suzuki and Satoko Miyahara are also slated to perform Figure skating: Yuzuru Hanyu still pursuing excellence in new forms IN PHOTOS: Yuzuru Hanyu ice show IN PHOTOS: Yuzuru Hanyu Fantasy On Ice and the retirement of Uno ShomaThe three-time Olympic medallist caught up with Olympics.com at Paris 2024 before receiving his re-allocated medal from Beijing 2022 The American said he’s in the process of applying for medical school “The human side of being an athlete that she’s shown “It makes you feel really proud to be an athlete.” “Medicine is something that I'm very passionate about and looking forward to pursuing,” he said Skating always remains at his “core,” Chen said, leaving the door open slightly. “Skating is my life and my true core identity,” he explained. “And no matter what I do outside of skating, my life will still revolve around skating to some degree. Being here has been super inspiring. And it definitely makes me miss competition.” and the retirement of Uno Shoma","tag":"[\"discipline-figure-skating\",\"feature\",\"gender-male\",\"chen\",\"country-us\",\"noc-us\",\"apple-news\",\"apple-news-us\",\"north-america-editorial\",\"newsclip\"]","module_type":"InStoryCampaign","module_title":"“I’m seeing where else life takes me:” Nathan Chen on Simone Biles and the retirement of Uno Shoma","section_level_1":"news","section_level_2":"nathan-chen-exclusive-biles-duplantis-retirement-uno-hanyu","discipline":"discipline-figure-skating","odf_id":null,"module_instance":"CTAs - Blue Link","module_id":"028e795f-bcd5-462e-86da-9067756e22a7","link_tag":"Start 2026 in Italy He finished fourth at the World Championships in March in Montreal "It's been an honour to compete against Shoma; he and I have been competing together since we were literal babies," Chen said "Over the past couple of years when I wasn't competing really marvel on what he's accomplished and what he was still doing at the time “Thanks to Shoma for being the athlete that he is being such a great role model,” he continued someone who has pushed me a lot to achieve my best at competitions; you really need people like that.” in a formative period in men’s figure skating that saw – led by Hanyu – the revolution of the quadruple-jumping era while still maintaining growth and gravitas around skating’s artistry “[We were] stepping in the footsteps of giants,” Chen reflected “There are a lot of people before – I mean he came in multiple different generations and dominated each generation I think he was a shining icon of what skating can look like The three-time Olympic medallist heads to the professional circuit with no regrets on a career that saw him win two World and six national titles Chen said he and Uno both modelled themselves after Hanyu but “in our own ways,” as the quad revolution took over the sport with his “beautiful programs and huge jumps” that set the tone for what the sport could work towards and fostered an era where the top men “recognised that perhaps our strengths are also our weaknesses That was a really good motivating factor to push on things that perhaps we weren't so good at.” who spent the greater part of six international seasons competing side-by-side with said peers “It was really an honour to be part of that generation to see the boom of quads in that era,” he said “[Now] we’re seeing that continue to progress going forward it was a lot of fun [going to] every single competition Everyone's going to throw down a new element new layout that has never been seen before namely with his oft-talked about quadruple Axel but moreover his ability to hit – much like Chen – quad after quad after quad (after quad) as he works to improve his artistry including a quad Axel and another two quads in combination the now-retired Uno said at varying times over the last two years “Certainly what we've seen in the past year is that it's Ilia’s game,” Chen said “I’m excited to see how he takes on this role and takes on the progression of men's figure skating.” something that Chen said prompted him to text Liu immediately “As soon as I saw her Instagram post I like lost my mind,” he laughed “I'm super thrilled for her,” Chen continued about Liu who was a national champion in 2019 (alongside Chen) at age 13 “She's had a lot of different perspectives on skating I'm really proud of her being able to put aside whatever she's had to deal with and just go for her passion.” Chen said he can relate to her singular focus especially thinking back to his season leading up to the 2022 Olympics “That was something that I really tried to focus on going into 2022: What is the core nugget that brings me back to more every day?” Chen said “And I'm seeing that she's starting to rejuvenate that aspect I'm really excited to see how she does and I’m rooting for her all the way.” Having won Beijing in front of a nearly empty arena Chen was soaking in the party atmosphere in Paris – both as an Olympic champion “To be able to feel that sort of energy and the support I think it's a really proud moment to feel like I am also an athlete,’ when you get to see other athletes do the incredible things that they do." But it's really cool to be able to see their hard work and their determination their athleticism really play out in front of all of us.” ExclusiveHighlightsArmand Duplantis breaks world record in pole vault gold | Paris 2024 highlights Sweden's Armand Duplantis set the Stade de France alight as he soared to a new world record of 6.25m sealing the men's pole vault gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics Watch Paris 2024 live here: https://olympics.app.link/7K8KpfMN8Kb Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Figure skater Hanyu Yuzuru rehearsed for his ice show which starts March 7 in Miyagi Prefecture Figure skater / It's a deeply meaningful ice show I must prepare so that I can perform with all my heart The rehearsal took place on March 6 at the venue in the town of Rifu in the northeastern Japanese prefecture The two-time Olympic champion practiced his moves including quadruple jumps The ice show "notte stellata" was launched in 2023 at the strong request of Hanyu who himself experienced the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake while in Sendai The event's theme involves sending out messages of hope from the disaster area Figure skater / I think holding the show in Miyagi has great meaning I think there are many things that can be felt because it is held here This year's "notte stellata," which is Italian meaning starry night is scheduled for three days from March 7.  About Nippon Television Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. says the two-time Olympic champion who also hit the ice for first time since Thursday's free skate Picture by 2022 Getty ImagesBy Shintaro KanoHanyu Yuzuru left the door open for a potential fourth Winter Olympic appearance at Milano Cortina 2026 when he spoke to the media on Monday (14 February) The two-time gold medallist spoke for the first time since Thursday, when he finished fourth in the men's singles following the free skate. He also practised for the first time since, during which the Japanese star did not try the quadruple Axel. Picture by 2022 Getty ImagesHanyu detailed the injury to his right ankle which he said he sprained - again - in practice the day before the free "The sprain was worse than I initially thought Any other competition and I would have definitely pulled out" "The doctor told me I need to rest it for 10 days It hurt so badly during morning practice the day of competition that I even thought about pulling out "I was given a painkilling shot about 10 minutes before warm-up and decided to compete" Hanyu's participation in the gala on Sunday will likely depend on the state of his ankle The 27-year-old said he wasn't sure if he would continue to pursue the quad Axel which he under-rotated and fell on in the free I think I've reached the pinnacle with it" And how has the double Olympic champion managed to touch so many people beyond the figure skating world Adam Rippon and his coach Brian Orser to give us their take on the Japanese legend Although Yuzuru Hanyu has turned his back on competition the two-time Olympic figure skating champion's desire to achieve unparalleled heights remains unwavering in his new venture as an ice show artist the 29-year-old said he would not return to competition but feels compelled to deliver skating performances at "the highest level in the world." The performance was also shown live to paying audiences in Japan and overseas at movie theaters a show on Hanyu's first solo tour drew a standing-room-only crowd in Yokohama five months after failing to win a third straight Olympic gold medal saying that he "stopped wanting to be evaluated" in terms of points but would seek new ways to express himself in skating exhibitions "I have taken all the necessary steps (in competition) to get to this point," Hanyu said expressing no regrets about his change of direction With total creative control over his shows as producer and director Hanyu is working with an array of talented collaborators "My mind was attached to doing things one can't imagine within the competitive framework," Hanyu said "I feel as if the others involved are so far ahead of me a native of northeastern Japan's Miyagi Prefecture struck Miyagi and neighboring Iwate and Fukushima prefectures Hanyu said his thoughts are also with the victims of the M-7.6 quake that jolted Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan on New Year's Day "I keep skating with the wish that those people affected can put aside reality Figure skating icon Yuzuru Hanyu announces divorce Figure skating: Yuzuru Hanyu performs for 1st time since marriage ice show to return to MiyagiAfter recent tumult in his personal life the figure skating legend celebrates his career with a new photo book as well as a fresh ice show announcement turned 29 on Thursday (7 December) and celebrated with a grand release of a new photo book detailing his award-winning contains photos from throughout Hanyu's career spanning both competitions and ice shows from around the world It was timed to release on his 29th birthday one that the Sendai native is no doubt marking differently a whirlwind few months in his personal life who retired from competitive skating in July 2022 has also been focusing on self-producing his many ice shows One of them, "notte stellata" First performed last March in his home Miyagi Prefecture to mark the anniversary of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami disaster "notte stellata" is returning to Miyagi this coming March which also hosted last year's performance will host "notte stellata" again from 8–10 March 2024 ice show to return to Miyagi","tag":"[\"discipline-figure-skating\",\"newsclip\",\"gender-male\",\"noc-jp\",\"yuzuru-hanyu\",\"seo\"]","module_type":"InStoryCampaign","module_title":"Hanyu Yuzuru photo book released to mark 29th birthday ice show to return to Miyagi","section_level_1":"news","section_level_2":"hanyu-yuzuru-photo-book-released-to-mark-29th-birthday-ice-show-to-return-to-miyagi","discipline":"discipline-figure-skating","odf_id":null,"module_instance":"CTAs - Blue Link","module_id":"028e795f-bcd5-462e-86da-9067756e22a7","link_tag":"Start 2026 in Italy How many world records has the figure skater broken How old was he when he won his first Olympic gold Your top questions about Japan's superstar Winter Olympian answered by Olympics.com After capturing the gold medal at the Olympic Games Sochi 2014 at the age of 19, the Japanese skater overcame an ankle injury during the 2017-18 season and became the first male singles skater to repeat as Olympic champion since Dick Button did so in 1948 and 1952. He has two world titles (2014 and 2017) to go along with his two Olympic golds, as well as 11 golds on the Grand Prix Series (including the Grand Prix Final) and five Japanese national titles - the fifth coming in December 2020. What else do you need to know about the skater who many consider the greatest of all time? Read on below. Born 7 December 1994, Hanyu turned 27 in 2021, just two months prior to the coming Winter Games Beijing 2022 he was the youngest men's Olympic champ in skating since Button won his first title He was 23 when he won his second Olympic gold at PyeongChang 2018 which traditionally comes first in Japanese culture The Western media knows him as Yuzuru Hanyu and you pronounce his name just as it's written: Han-yu (like the sound in y-o-u) Yu-zu-ru (the -ru with a "roo" sound) Hanyu explored digital data and 3D motion capture in relation to movement on the ice (including his own jumping passes) studies that he said he aimed to apply to his own competition programs in his career ExclusiveReplayYuzuru Hanyu (JPN) | Men's Figure Skating - Sochi 2014 ReplaysYuzuru Hanyu (JPN) Hanyu has most notably been coached by the aforementioned Orser the two beginning their partnership in 2012 - with Hanyu making the move from training in Japan to skating with Orser at the Toronto Cricket Club Also frequently seen at competitions with Hanyu is Ghislain Briand a former Canadian skater who is most focused on Hanyu's jump technique Tracy Wilson is also part of the Toronto team "It has been really difficult to take care of myself I've been avoiding contact with anyone Hanyu has used a variety of choreographers throughout his career including Abe Nanami Since the 2014-15 season, he has collaborated with Torino 2006 bronze medallist Jeffrey Buttle on his short program each season as well as three-time Olympic ice dancer Shae-Lynn Bourne on his free skate Since 2012, Hanyu has been based in Toronto with Orser and was training mates with Javier Fernandez the Spaniard who was a two-time world champion before capturing bronze at the Olympics in 2018 But after the start of the pandemic in March of 2020 Hanyu returned home to Japan and mostly trains on his own He gets coaching from Orser via video calls and by sending the coach videos of his elements to then receive feedback on Whenever Yuzuru Hanyu completes his routine Hanyu actually isn't on Instagram - and doesn't maintain any public social media accounts Hanyu has set a new world marker 19 times - though in the last Olympic cycle the scoring system has changed (since 2018) Hanyu maintains the highest-ever total for a short programme scoring 111.82 at Four Continents in February 2020 His 101.45 at Sochi 2014 marked the first time a skater had ever hit triple digits in the short The Japanese federation names the three-man team for Beijing after the national championships which this year are set for 22-26 December in Saitama Hanyu is favoured to be on the team - along with PyeongChang 2018 silver medallist Uno Shoma and the reigning world silver medallist, Kagiyama Yuma The Japanese nationals are an Olympic qualifier with appearance mandatory in principle to win a ticket to the Games can offer an exemption to skaters with prior outstanding achievements - like Hanyu Hanyu suffered an injury to ligaments in his right ankle during the 2021-22 Grand Prix season pulling out of both NHK Trophy and Rostelecom Cup in November It's a similar injury to the one he suffered during the 2017-18 Olympic season I think I've been practising well up to this point I hope to take my lessons from this injury and focus on doing the things that are within my control." The 1988 Olympic silver medallist and longtime coach to the two-time Olympic champion from Japan says his charge "knows what he's doing" as he faces ankle injury similar to 2017-18 season No one has ever completed the quadruple Axel in competition - including Hanyu the Japanese skater has made it one of his benchmark goals in recent seasons saying he's consistently working on the jump in practice Hanyu attempted several quad Axels in practice It isn't a Hanyu performance without the raining of Winnie the Pooh plush toys being thrown onto the ice after his skate a tradition which has grown among his fans over the years after Hanyu was seen using a Winnie the Pooh tissue box rink side dating back to 2010 Hanyu then donates the bears to local children at whatever event he's competing in he said he kept a few of the Poohs to remember his Olympic moment by competes during the men’s singles short program team event in the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics team as a medal contender in men’s singles figure skating competes in the men’s team free skate program during the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan attends a figure skating training session at the 2022 Winter Olympics Silver medalists Karen Chen and Nathan Chen pose for a photo after the team event in the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics BEIJING (AP) — Nathan Chen had enough pressure on him heading into the men’s program at the Beijing Olympics: One of the faces of the NBC broadcast Nike-sponsored superstar whose marketability rivals his figure skating ability he was left worrying about whether he might test positive for COVID-19 before his event began “I don’t have much information other than the fact he tested for it,” Chen said after a late-afternoon final practice Monday which was also attended by his biggest rival two-time defending Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu “Everything out there is speculation,” Chen said I’ve not really been around (Zhou) and any time that I’ve been around Zhou announced he would have to withdraw from the men’s competition “I have been doing everything in my power to stay free of COVID since the start of the pandemic,” Zhou said in an emotional Instagram post I’ve isolated myself so much that the loneliness I’ve felt in the last month or two has been crushing at times.” Chen has been taking so much precaution that he wears his mask in the dining hall only dipping it down to take a bite before putting it right back in place He isn’t taking any chances with what could be his final Olympics four-year wait since his disappointing fifth-place finish at the Pyeongchang Games because it’s happened — everyone is talking about it and thinking about it,” Chen said “And hopefully that gets people involved a little bit more being a little more careful and doing what they need to do.” The showdown between Chen and Hanyu is one of the marquee events of the Winter Olympics so much so that their programs will start around 10 a.m in Beijing so that they can be broadcast in prime time in the eastern U.S Many of the other events in which the American contingent is not expected to medal will take place in the evening in Beijing That’s the kind of attention that the 22-year-old Chen has generated ever since leaving South Korea Chen drilled even harder into his programs with his longtime coach where Chen has won three consecutive world championships pushed his national championship streak to six and has been generally unbeatable To his teammate Zhou at Skate America last fall The reason he’s been so dominant has been his array of quads the jump that was once cutting edge but now has become standard fair Most of the skaters in the field can land them but few do so with the degree of elevation panache — not to mention the remarkable consistency that sees Chen rarely hit the ice “If I wake up on the right side of the bed they are effortless,” he joked and you try to make it better the next time.” The only quad that Chen has never landed — though he’s tried a few times while goofing around in practice — is the quad axel only a few have tried it in competition and nobody has ever landed it He landed a couple of shaky ones during his final practice Monday “Yuzuru has definitely pushed me a lot,” Chen said he was that benchmark for what an exceptional figure skater should be I remember watching him when I was at the Junior Grand Prix Final he was at the senior final and I was amazed at how good he was That’s what figure skating is supposed to be like.” Chen has had plenty of success in his head-to-head meetings with Hanyu since Pyeongchang But while marquee events such as the Grand Prix Final are important and the world championships are nearly the pinnacle of the sport nothing tops winning a gold medal at the Olympics and so far that is the one thing Chen has yet to accomplish that quest begins anew on Tuesday in Beijing More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Japanese figure skating icon and two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu announced his divorce on social media Friday only three months after his marriage was publicized saying the couple has been troubled by slander I decided to divorce because I wanted my partner to be happy to be happy without any restrictions," Hanyu who has drawn avid fans from around the world But he did not reveal the identity of his partner Hanyu said in the latest statement that his partner and their respective family members and associates have been targeted in stalking incidents and unauthorized coverage attempts by various media outlets publishing reports based on such acts it was extremely difficult to keep my partner and myself safe under these circumstances His management company also asked the press to refrain from following them in a separate statement on the same post Hanyu retired from competitive figure skating and turned pro after a fourth-place finish at the Beijing Winter Games missing out on capturing a third straight Olympic gold A native of Sendai in Japan's northeastern region He won the men's singles competition in the 2014 Sochi Winter Games becoming the first figure skater not from Europe or the United States to claim the Olympic title in the event he achieved a historic repeat at the Pyeongchang Games becoming the first skater to successfully defend his gold medal in the event since American Dick Button Hanyu became the youngest recipient of the Japanese government's People's Honor Award at age 23 that year Figure skating: Yuzuru Hanyu thanks fans, athletes in marriage message the double Olympic champ was still a 16-year-old and training in the affected region – and the disaster had a profound impact By ZK GohHanyu Yuzuru remembers everything clearly That day exactly 10 years ago when his world changed The Great East Japan Earthquake – a magnitude 9.0 tremor – struck at 2:46 pm local time 11 March 2011 while the 16-year-old Hanyu was training at his local ice rink in Sendai which led to a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant How earthquake survivor Yuzuru Hanyu persevered to achieve his dreamYuzuru Hanyu became double Olympic champion after surviving the huge earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in 2011 It was three weeks after the end of the 2010/11 season which saw Hanyu make his senior debut and clinch an unexpected silver medal at the Four Continents Championships Hanyu was on the ice at the Sendai Ice Rink when the earthquake hit ran out of the building immediately without even stopping to put his skate guards on I remember a lot of things," he would write in his first autobiography Blue Flames how terrible it was that my legs were shaking from the earthquake." While the rink did not collapse and the tsunami did not reach the area flooding the building and rendering it unusable Hanyu's parents' house sustained some damage in the shock meaning the young skater and his family had to spend time in a temporary evacuation centre set up in a gymnasium and therefore I would like to do anything for them – what I can do is just skating," he said a month after the tragedy skating wasn't going to be easy in the aftermath of the devastation left behind by the quake and tsunami With the Sendai Ice Rink out of commission – it would not re-open until July – a new training base had to be found Hanyu ended up moving to Hachinohe City at first – three hours away by car; later his skating club would move to Yokohama more than 300 km away from Sendai and far from the failing nuclear power stations "Shizuka was skating with me and made a donation to me and that's why I'm here." he skated in ice shows in the weeks that followed – partially as training has motivated him to continuously pay that back to the affected community Sit back and enjoy nearly 45 minutes of Yuzuru Hanyu with every performance from the Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games Hanyu continues to help the affected area as well as his ice rink Royalties and a part of the proceeds from two autobiographies Blue Flames (2012) and Blue Flames II (2016) go towards keeping the Sendai Ice Rink maintained he donated another 2.11 million Japanese yen (nearly U.S and has given some 31 million yen (around U.S He has also taken part in various charity television shows and ice shows to raise funds for the victims and in 2015 was selected as the Japanese Red Cross spokesman for recovery efforts after successfully defending his Olympic title he skated his exhibition gala routine as a tribute to the victims of the disaster which if achieved would make him the first man in nearly a century to do so "I can still vividly see everything when the rink was damaged," Hanyu wrote in Blue Flames every practice and every competition count "That's what I have been thinking about the most since the day of the earthquake." It's those vivid recollections that have kept Hanyu going and will continue to do so explainedThe jump – four-and-a-half rotations in the air – has never been completed on competitive ice Two-time champion Hanyu would like to change that at the Beijing Games From record-breaking scores to medal moments the skating is set to steal the Olympic show once again A jump never fully completed in competition – much less at the Olympics – during the Games In short: We sure could. Namely because the reigning two-time Olympic men's singles champion, Hanyu Yuzuru of Japan So why is the jump so important to Hanyu? And why is it so difficult, exactly? We discuss that - and much more about the jump's historic implications - below. Hanyu Yuzuru: "I'm going to do everything I can to win."Speaking after being named in the Japanese team for Beijing 2022 double Olympic champion Hanyu Yuzuru admits he had never really thought about winning a hat-trick of gold medals But with a sixth national title in the bag he hopes his quad Axel will propel him to glory triple or quad – is the most challenging of figure skating jumps in terms of rotations because it is the only jump in the sport in which skaters take off facing forward Two-and-and-half rotations for a double Axel – and so on It’s also the easiest for fans to spot at home: If the skater is facing forward when he or she takes off for the jump kicking their free leg into the air to spring into it Because the skater doesn’t use their toe pick to launch into the jump triple Axels are seen across elite men’s skating while the double Axel is more common in women’s skating and pairs More top women have implemented the triple Axel into their repertoire including world record holder and Olympic favourite Kamila Valieva American Mirai Nigasu performed a memorable triple Axel at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics during the figure skating team event ExclusiveMidori Ito Conquers the Triple Axel | Impossible MomentsAfter faltering in her first attempt Japan’s Midori Ito became the first woman to land a triple axel at the Olympic Winter Games Hanyu, now 27, was 19 when he made history by becoming the first Japanese man to win a gold medal in figure skating at Sochi 2014. Four years later, in PyeongChang, he became the first man since American Dick Button (1948 and 1952) to win back-to-back golds at the Games No man has won three in a row since the 1920s While Hanyu most certainly will look to finish atop the podium against peers like Nathan Chen (USA), Uno Shoma (JPN), Kagiyama Yuma (JPN), Vincent Zhou (USA) and others he’s made clear his intention: The quad Axel is his priority I could drop the Axel and look at other ways of trying to win gold but the biggest reason I’m going to Beijing is because I want to complete the quadruple Axel I want the championship by using the Axel." Hanyu’s note of “I don’t have enough to win it” is a nod to the technical scores that skaters are awarded for their program content A quadruple Axel – because of its difficulty – has a higher ceiling of points starting with its base value and then added to (potentially) with the element’s GOE (Grade of Execution) Hanyu attempted a quad Axel in his free skate at the Japanese national championships in December he landed on two feet and completed the rotation (meant to be done mid-air) on the ice Jumps can be called under-rotated by the technical panel a jump is seen to have had one full rotation finished on the ice Hanyu’s quad Axel attempt was credited as a downgraded quad Axel Hanyu said the jump has been a central focus of his training which has primarily been based at home in Japan after he left his training base of Toronto at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 has been working with Hanyu over video the past two years He thinks his charge could make history with the jump in Beijing “The quadruple Axel is just one more thing that has not been done by anybody Orser connected Hanyu’s current chase of history to his own: Figure skating is always evolving and in the early 1980s it was about landing a triple Axel for the first time because I was really one of the first ones to do a triple Axel,” he said He climbs up into the top of this jump beautifully he needs to get into the rotation of it while he's climbing and he's not stepping up We're trying to understand the feet and how they have to get in sooner and tighter and quicker.” Orser added: “And so it's a different technique for the Axel I'm hoping and praying that he achieves this because it's really high on his list.” where Hanyu has been based since the pandemic By ZK GohIt's been a long three years, but figure skating fans will finally get to see Hanyu Yuzuru and Javier Fernández on the ice together again Now, finally, the duo, who are known to hold respect for each other, will get to regroup as Fernández and Hanyu take on the Fantasy on Ice tour together in Japan "They formed part of me for a long time and have helped me achieve much happiness." Javier Fernandez (ESP) - Bronze Medal | Men's Free SkatingThe men's free skating competition took place at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Saturday 17 February 2018 Hanyu later attributed it to a hole in the ice, which Fernández explained on commentary was a regular occurrence and could happen to anyone and could be a possible reason. However, the Spaniard's usage of the word "excuse" did not go down well, with Hanyu's fans accusing him of "betraying" his old friend. Fernández had to issue a clarification and apology on Instagram with a photo of him and Hanyu exchanging a high-five, insisting: "For all of those who still think that I betrayed, [disappointed] someone […] You are so wrong." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Javier Fernandez (@javierfernandezskater) While not all of Hanyu's fans appear to have accepted the explanation no one really knows what the Japanese legend made of it all – or if he even heard about the comments Fernández had visited his old stomping grounds in Canada at the end of March But Hanyu has remained in Japan since the Beijing Olympics, recuperating from an injury he picked up in the Chinese capital. That means the two still haven't caught up with each other in person since 2019, when they are last known to have seen each other at the Skate Canada International Grand Prix. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Javier Fernandez (@javierfernandezskater) but practising with you was motivation for my practice and skating "Thank you for allowing me to come to Toronto He wants to be the first and he is really good at that He sells everything that he does on the ice the two will get to see each other again at Fantasy on Ice and reminisce about their time together in Toronto sends his best wishes to the Spaniard ahead of his last competition we revisit the circumstances around the Japanese's triumph By ZK GohIt's hard to believe, but it is exactly seven years since Hanyu Yuzuru won his first Olympic gold medal Hanyu's triumph was just one of a breakthrough international year for the then-19-year-old, who dominated the 2014 season. Here is how Olympic glory began for Hanyu. ExclusiveReplayYuzuru Hanyu (JPN) | Men's Figure Skating - Sochi 2014 ReplaysYuzuru Hanyu (JPN) Hanyu had shown his potential by winning his first Japanese national title as well as winning silver at both the Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championships He would also go on to finish fourth at the 2013 World Championships making his mark as one to watch in Sochi for the Olympic title The Olympic season started brightly for Hanyu as he won at the Finlandia Trophy in his first competition of the year both ended with silver medals behind Patrick Chan who would be one of his biggest rivals in Sochi Hanyu won the first of four consecutive Grand Prix Final titles finishing ahead of Chan; his short program score of 99.84 was then an ISU world record The Sendai skater would go on to defend his national championship earning selection for the Olympics and Worlds Hanyu's first appearance at the Olympics came in the team event which preceded the singles competitions in Sochi Competing only in the men's short program he outscored both Chan and 2006 Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko to win the segment scoring 10 points for Japan in the process with an eye on the men's singles event he opted not to take part in the free skate portion of the team event; Japan would go on to finish fifth Hanyu took to the ice again for his individual debut at the Olympics Skating to Parisienne Walkways by Gary Moore he opened with a near-perfect quadruple toe loop before a well-landed triple Axel triple toe combination and scored 101.45 points – breaking his own ISU world record The Japanese received deductions for falls on his opening quadruple Salchow and a later triple flip He was also marked down on his triple Lutz he was still the top scorer in the segment with his 178.64 points – despite his two-point penalties for the falls – outscoring Chan by 0.54 points With Plushenko withdrawing from the competition before it began and the Japanese had clearly outdone his Canadian counterpart Hanyu had become Olympic champion – the first Asian to win men's singles gold It was also Japan's only gold of Sochi 2014 and their second-ever figure skating Olympic title Yuzuru Hanyu became double Olympic champion after surviving the huge earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in 2011 He only finished third in the short program there but staged an impressive comeback in the free to win his first world title In 2014, Hanyu became the first man since Alexei Yagudin in 2002 to win the Grand Prix Final and World Championships title in the same year He would go on to defend his Olympic crown in 2018 and remains one of the favourites for Beijing 2022 Changing of the guard at the World Figure Skating Championships in Milan as Double Olympic champ Yuzuru Hanyu will not defend his title but remains undimmed in eyes of fansHe may not have retained his Olympic title But Hanyu is still loved dearly by his fans with the Japanese skater failing to land either a quadruple Axel or what would have been a third consecutive gold medal But the love of his millions of fans – especially in China – remains unabated as he returns to the practice rink ahead of exhibition gala on Sunday (20 February) Hanyu fell attempting the quad Axel which has never been successfully completed in competition He subsequently finished the competition in fourth place hit the top of the Weibo search rankings after the free program the Olympics are about trying to break through your own boundaries,” wrote a Weibo user A tribute to Hanyu YuzuruWhat makes Hanyu Yuzuru so special Hanyu acknowledged the avalanche of support after the free programme "I got 20,000 letters and messages from Chinese fans “Performing in that atmosphere makes me so happy "I knew that there were so many people supporting me on the other side of the television cameras Same goes for the people in the areas which were devastated by the earthquake in Japan I knew that a lot of people were supporting me from all over the world.” Even the triple Axel troubles many top skaters He inched towards the historic quad at December's 2021-22 Japanese Figure Skating Championships He stayed on his feet but did not quite complete the four and a half rotations he had suggested that pulling off the quad Axel would have meant even more to him than a third gold medal “I failed to realise my dream of completing it in this Olympics but I have worked really hard for it,” he said and I don't want it to sound like an excuse… But this is a fact: the day before (the free program) I hurt my leg When I jumped the quadruple Axel (in training) “If it had been a normal competition I would have withdrawn I didn't do well in the short program but that gave me adrenalin and I think that Axel was the best quad Axel I had done so far Hanyu says he still wants to land the quadruple Axel he won’t lack a grand stage for his next attempt with the World Figure Skating Championships in Montpellier Only Sweden's Gillis Grafstrom has won three men's singles figure skating titles (1920 Will Hanyu return in four years' time to try and match him I came to the Olympic Games and I felt once again that the Olympics are so special I would love to skate at the Olympic Games once again three consecutive gold medals — that possibility is no more “But I said the same thing before: I am the king of the Olympics I am a figure skater who has two consecutive titles I am going to make sure I am proud of how I live my life from here on." Only time will tell what his third solo performance will look like On Saturday (4 November 2023) at Saitama Super Arena the Japanese skater will wheel out his third solo ice show - ‘RE_PRAY’ - that he himself is producing But, as it has become with the two-time Olympic champion, Hanyu, the master of tease, has revealed very little about RE_PRAY. Picture by The Yomiuri ShimbunHanyu Yuzuru will make his first public appearance since announcing his marriage in August All we know about the show is its source of inspiration (and there could certainly be more than one) - gaming the hobby which he has long professed his love for Hanyu had this to say in a statement when cryptically announcing RE_PRAY in September there are a lot of elements from the world of gaming “You only live life once while games are never-ending I believe the two contrasting worlds each have their own unique values that I can apply to skating it may lead them to rethink their past or perhaps force them to overthink things.” Hanyu has again turned to the critically acclaimed Mikiko whose credits include working with the futuristic mega J-pop trio Perfume Mikiko and Hanyu produced a show of unprecedented scale and proportion for a skating event in front of 35,000 fans that was difficult to put into words The expectation for RE_PRAY would be something similar although fans attending the show or watching the online livestreams will have to wait to find out what will unfold over an approximate two hours at the world-class venue in the Super Arena Saturday’s performance will also be Hanyu’s first public appearance since announcing his marriage in August Yet given how closely he guards his privacy it would be a massive surprise if there is any reference to it during the show I saw an entirely new genre of expression coming to life “It gave me joy and filled me with the desire to want to do even more become complete only when they are joined by the lives and experiences of the audience.” saying "I have nothing left to give" Picture by 2022 Getty ImagesBy Shintaro KanoHanyu Yuzuru may not have landed the first quadruple Axel in history But he walks away from the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games proud and with his chin up. "I honestly left everything out there. I have nothing left to give", a tearful Hanyu said on Thursday (10 February), following the free skate in which his score of 188.06 left him in fourth place, 10 points short of the podium. "I was at top gear right from the start and I thought I rotated the Axel as well as I could. I went for it, and it's something I'll cherish forever. "(Finishing fourth) It is what it is. This Olympics was a challenge and I gave it everything I have". Picture by 2022 Getty ImagesThe two-time Olympic gold medallist was aiming to become the first man to execute the quad Axel in competition at these Games packing up after 20 minutes without skating to his music "Heaven and Earth" But he under-rotated the opening jump of his program and fell though it was the closest he'd come to completion in either competition or practice Hanyu had unveiled the quad Axel in competition for the first time at the Japanese nationals in December Hanyu also fell on the following quad Salchow a jump he singled in the short program after hitting a hole That mistake left him in eighth going into the free eventually costing him a medal and for the first time in his career the 27-year-old leaves the Games empty-handed Picture by 2022 Getty ImagesHanyu however has no regrets as difficult as the journey was and as much as winning means to him "Sure the result is disappointing but I think I went all in," he said A lot goes through my mind when I think about what I tried But I think today's performance reflects the title of my music - Heaven and Earth fell on the Salchow but nailed everything in the second half It's about falling and getting back up again" The GOAT left the arena with a smile beneath his mask and full-on appreciation for his fans "I've been kind of wanting to do (the quad Axel) since I was a kid My mentor and coach back then kept telling me I'd do it one day and I've been working on it ever since "I want to thank everyone for all the support I don't know if I skated to their expectations and I'm sorry if I didn't All I want to do is thank them for everything" Orser discusses the two-time Olympic champion’s quest for the quadruple Axel how they’re learning from the 2017-18 season – and much more CHINA - FEBRUARY 08: Yuzuru Hanyu of Team Japan reacts during the Men Single Skating Short Program on day four of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 08 (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) a two-time Olympic champion and arguably the greatest male singles figure skater in history announced his retirement on Tuesday at age 27 “I’ll no longer be able to be compared with other competitors,” he said in a Tokyo news conference, according to a Kyodo News translation Hanyu won the 2014 and 2018 Olympic titles then placed fourth at his third Olympics and After an eighth-place short program took him out of the running for gold Hanyu attempted the first quadruple Axel in Olympic competition despite reinjuring an ankle between the two programs “I would love to skate at the Olympic Games once again,” but that he didn’t know if Beijing would ultimately be his last Games “After the Beijing Olympics when I got home, I couldn’t skate because of the pain in the ankle,” he said Tuesday, according to Olympics.com but I felt that I don’t need to be on this stage forever.” Hanyu reportedly said he plans to continue skating professionally in non-competitive shows “I carried on until Beijing in pursuit of the quad Axel “I actually feel it gives a chance for more people to witness it [in person].” Hanyu was a precocious talent who started skating at age 4 winning the world junior title at age 15 in 2010 The epicenter of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami was 80 miles from his native Sendai. He was training at the time -- “I ran out of the building in my skating boots,” he said then I was terrified.” -- and reportedly spent three or four days at an evacuation center before returning to his damaged family home he ended the reign of Canadian Patrick Chan with gold in a flawed Sochi Olympics men’s free skate Hanyu suffered repeated ankle injuries -- plus a head-on collision at 2014 Cup of China -- and defeats in every season but he remained the king of the sport through his second gold in PyeongChang He became the first man to repeat as Olympic singles figure skating champion since American Dick Button in 1948 and 1952 Nathan Chen ascended in the last Olympic cycle but always spoke with reverence when asked about Hanyu Not quite on the scale of the Japanese megastar’s fans who camped out overnight to watch him skate at even low-level events across the world and littered the ice with Winnie-the-Pooh bears after each of his programs Chen may have also competed for the last time He is expected to return to Yale and sit out at least through this season The top returning skaters are Japanese men who followed Hanyu -- 24-year-old Shoma Uno and 19-year-old Yuma Kagiyama OlympicTalk is on Apple News A Division of NBCUniversal DISCLAIMER: This site and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only and there is no gambling offered on this site This service is intended for adult audiences No guarantees are made for any specific outcome If you or someone you know has a gambling problem Hanyu Yuzuru tries to turn a page with 'notte stellata 2024'With more hope and uplift the two-time Olympic champion and friends pay their respects to those struck by the 11 March 2011 earthquake that levelled eastern Japan “Last time, I performed on the day of 11 March for the first time and being completely honest, it wasn’t easy for me because it brought back difficult memories, seeing all the images,” Hanyu said on Friday (8 March) in his home prefecture Miyagi, where he opened notte stellata for the second straight year. “But through that show I received hope, courage and encouragement from a lot of people. So this time, I wanted to return the favour, give back more hope than I was given. “In that regard, I think the show had a completely different concept to last year.” Hanyu Yuzuru tries to turn a page with 'notte stellata 2024'","section_level_1":"news","section_level_2":"notte-stellata-2024-yuzuru-hanyu-earthquake-respect","discipline":"discipline-figure-skating","odf_id":null,"module_instance":"CTAs - Blue Link","module_id":"028e795f-bcd5-462e-86da-9067756e22a7","link_tag":"Start 2026 in Italy Picture by notte stellataHanyu Yuzuru in notte stellata 2024 Notte stellata is the two-time Olympic champion’s self-produced homage to those affected by the 11 March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake a M9.1 devastation which triggered a tsunami and a nuclear power plant crisis that descended the country into chaos forcing the then 16-year-old skater and his family to spend time in an evacuation shelter Notte stellata is Italian for starry night - in reference to the evening sky Hanyu gazed at 13 years ago amid the pitch black with no power in the region the two-time world champion and Olympic medallist a former top star of the famed all-female troupe Takarazuka Revue the sellout crowd of 6,100 at Sekisui Heim Super Arena in the town of Rifu was on hand to see Hanyu Since retiring from competition in July 2022 Hanyu - who turns 30 in December - has shown no signs of slowing down producing and performing show after show throughout the year He said professional skating is more demanding than competitive skating but thinks he can maintain the work rate for the foreseeable future “I’m still skating at a quality I’m satisfied with and while I’m doing that I’m just completely wrapped up with myself,” Hanyu said “I’m not sure if or how much I’ve changed in terms of style but I hope kids in Sendai will look up to me work hard to become an Olympic champion like me - the way I once used to growing up here and admiring Olympians before me Because what I’m doing now feels tougher than when I was competing So if I think about what a second career is to me things change every day and for now I want to focus on what I’m doing at the moment “I feel like my mission is to project figure skating in a light where when they see me people will think it’s cool or that a male skater can be beautiful.” we revisit the circumstances around his battle through injury to retain his title Hanyu dominated in the Gangneung Ice Arena as the Winnie the Pooh bears rained down from the audience in celebration Here is how Hanyu overcame those difficulties to make it back to the top step of the Olympic podium. ExclusiveYuzuru Hanyu (JPN) - Gold Medal | Men's Free SkatingThe men's free skating competition took place at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Saturday 17 February 2018 Hanyu struggled with various injuries to his back he was still able to break multiple scoring records while winning the Grand Prix Final in 2015 and 2016 It was a sign that he would not give up that easily The 2016/17 season proved to be better for the Japanese in terms of injuries as he remained relatively healthy and became the first skater to successfully land a quadruple loop before breaking the free skate ISU best score at the Worlds as he regained his world title Hanyu began his Olympic season with another world record scoring 112.72 points in the short program at the Challenger Series Autumn Classic International He then won silver at the Rostelecom Cup Grand Prix at which he landed his first quadruple Lutz in competition but his participation in PyeongChang was thrown into doubt in November 2017 he injured an ankle ligament which forced him out of his second Grand Prix assignment the NHK Trophy (and therefore the Grand Prix Final) it looked like the Olympics would be a step too far as Hanyu did not return to the ice to practise until January The Japanese Skating Federation chose not to enter Hanyu in the team event in order to allow him more ice time in training before the singles His first public skate in three months came on 16 February in the short program and it seemed like he had never been away from the ice with his score of 111.68 points just shy of his world best Hanyu again did the quad Salchow and toe loop avoiding the more trying quads to ease the pressure on his ankle It turned out he had been relying on approved painkillers to get him through the competition as he was still struggling with the injury Although he turned out of his second quad toe leaving him unable to complete that combination and receiving a mark-down for repeating a jump Hanyu fist pumped the air and screamed to himself in delight While his technical score was marked down for his errors he received a massive program components score with all his artistry-based marks in the nines and tens His 317.85 points gave him not only his second consecutive gold medal, but also the gold in the 1000th medal event in Winter Olympic history Yuzuru Hanyu is men's singles Olympic champion for the second time 1980 champion Robin Cousins gives us the lowdown Hanyu had also been selected in the Japanese team for the 2018 World Championships in Milan but his ankle ligament injury put paid to any plans of repeating his Olympics-Worlds double from 2014 where a parade was held in April in his hometown Sendai to celebrate his efforts then-Japanese prime minister Abe Shinzo also awarded Hanyu the People's Honour Award just the 27th person to receive the commendation and to date still the most recent After his first practice session at the Autumn Classic International Japan's double Olympic champion said he had been working on his jumping to try and land the first quad Axel in the history of competitive figure skating And that he has landed quad Axels in the harness The 2019/20 season proved fruitful for the Japanese as he won at both of his Grand Prix assignments by large margins before winning silver at the Grand Prix Final the coronavirus pandemic deprived him of a chance to regain the world title and also led to him withdrawing from the Grand Prix series in 2021 At Beijing 2022, Hanyu has the chance to become the first man to win three Olympic singles titles in a row since Sweden's Gillis Grafström Indeed, only two other people have won three Olympic titles in singles or pairs – Norway's Sonja Henie in ladies' singles in 1928, 1932, and 1936; and the Soviet pairs skater Irina Rodnina from 1972 to 1980 More history awaits Hanyu in the Chinese capital His rivals will have something to say about that Double Olympic champion Hanyu overcame a couple of sketchy early jumps to produce a scintillating free skate to 'Origin' and take victory at the Autumn Classic International in Oakville Ontario over Kevin Aymoz and Keegan Messing Picture by 2022 Getty ImagesBy Shintaro KanoIn a stunning turn of events, double Olympic figure skating champion Hanyu Yuzuru singled his opening quad Salchow in the men's short program for a less-than-stellar 95.15 points, placing eighth overall on Tuesday (8 February). Hanyu said he was caught in a hole on the rink as he wound up for the first element of his performance at Beijing 2022. "I’m struggling to get a hold of this more than anyone right now", Hanyu said at Capital Indoor Stadium, where the entire crowd gasped after popping his jump. "Honestly, it feels like I didn’t even make a mistake. I don’t know, is it bad karma? Did I do something to be disliked by the ice? That’s how I feel, standing here being interviewed. "Right at takeoff for the Salchow, on the curve, there was a hole. It wasn’t even a jump, really. My form was good, my rhythm felt right and I think you saw that in my other jumps". Hanyu started 21st to the day's biggest pre-competition cheers - but who could have imagined the startling sequence waiting for figure skating's biggest star. The 27-year-old Japanese only arrived here on Sunday afternoon and practised on Monday in the sub rink. Tuesday morning was the first time he set foot in the competition venue. Hanyu - who held the world record in the short with a 111.82 until Nathan Chen shattered it on this day - virtually threw up his hands as he felt convinced and confident about the build-up he had to these Games since winning the nationals in December. Coach Brian Orser on Hanyu Yuzuru: ‘He always strives for something’In an exclusive interview He said he feels like there was no mistake on his behalf "The preparation to get here was right It’s mind-boggling because everything had gone right until now I felt razor sharp during the six minutes and I could sense things down to the centimeter "I was being careful about avoiding holes in the ice so I probably swung out 10 centimeters more than I usually than this happens And he has not thrown in the towel just yet - because you never know I’m just going to give it everything I’ve got and try to claw back into the competition" Asked if he was still planning to attempt the quadruple Axel in the free Hanyu Yuzuru continues professional show whirlwindThe double Olympic champion returns to the professional ice this weekend with three shows in his home region of Miyagi paying respect on the 12th anniversary of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake – just two weeks after completing his one-off solo show in Tokyo Gymnastics legend Uchimura Kohei is set to make an appearance The Japanese legend has produced and performed multiple professional ice shows as a one-man band. The 28-year-old is not stopping there. Fresh off giving his worldwide fans the "Gift" of a live-streamed show, Hanyu is heading home, to Miyagi Prefecture, for what will be an emotional homecoming. Miyagi Prefecture was one of the hardest-hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami disaster on 11 March 2011. Hanyu himself had to be evacuated from hometown Sendai, later recalling the stillness of the star-filled night sky, from which the name of his forthcoming shows "notte stellata" (starry night in Italian) comes. Due to his career, Hanyu has never performed on the anniversary of the tragedy. That will change this week, when he will perform on three consecutive days from 10–12 March. Hanyu Yuzuru continues professional show whirlwind","tag":"[\"discipline-figure-skating\",\"newsclip\",\"yuzuru-hanyu\",\"noc-jp\",\"gender-male\",\"preview\",\"kohei-uchimura\"]","module_type":"InStoryCampaign","module_title":"From a Gift to a starry night Hanyu Yuzuru continues professional show whirlwind","section_level_1":"news","section_level_2":"from-a-gift-to-a-starry-night-hanyu-yuzuru-continues-professional-show-whirlwind","discipline":"discipline-figure-skating","odf_id":null,"module_instance":"CTAs - Blue Link","module_id":"028e795f-bcd5-462e-86da-9067756e22a7","link_tag":"Start 2026 in Italy Hanyu has self-produced two shows – "Prologue" and "Gift" – both of which were performed solo it was the first time a figure skating show had taken place at one of Japan's most historic sporting venues the one-night-only show sold out the 35,000 tickets available and also many worldwide live streaming tickets With the first two chapters of his professional skating career under his belt Hanyu will now turn his attention to "notte stellata" as the whirlwind of shows continues he has regularly donated his earnings to Sendai and Miyagi he has the chance to reflect on the events of 12 years ago like what they thought when they were looking up at the sky that evening "I want this to be an opportunity to bring people together I can't remember the last time I saw as many stars as I did that night "It turned pitch black just like that and the electricity was out It was so dark in the city but I remember thinking how bright the stars were then." Hanyu is the first Asian men's singles skater to win the Olympic gold Hanyu has been busy away from his skates too his recent "Gift" show at the Tokyo Dome is being turned into an illustrated book Japanese manga specialists CLAMP have been tasked with drawing the book which is set to be published in AB page size over 64 pages by Kodansha on 1 September The book is due to tell the story of the ice show in illustrated picture format with non-Japanese translations a possibility in future Relive the best moments of two-time gold medallist Hanyu's Olympic skates as the Japanese star announced his retirement from competitive figure skating Notte stellata will be Hanyu's first collaboration with others since he began performing his self-productions Hanyu and Uchimura, who is six years Hanyu's senior, both retired competitively last year, the former in July and the latter in March. Throughout their careers, the two showed mutual admiration and respect, embracing a common drive to perfect their respective crafts that placed each in a league of his own. Now, they will be plying their trades together although it remains to be seen just how exactly, which only adds to the intrigue. How the two interact on ice will be one of the big talking points from Notte stellata. He has hardly competed this season due to injury.If he succeeds Hanyu would achieve another milestone of becoming the first Olympian in nearly a century to win a third straight gold for figure skating Triple world champion Nathan Chen of the United States is seen as his closest rival for the trophy.Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Clare Fallon Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Picture by 2022 Getty ImagesBy Olympics.comHanyu Yuzuru will not take part in the forthcoming ISU World Figure Skating Championships in France has not recovered from an ankle injury sustained in Beijing 2022 practice The 2022 World Figure Skating Championships will take place from 21 to 27 March Hanyu previously told media the injury would sideline him Music | Beijing 2022 - Yuzuru HanyuLearn more about Yuzuru Hanyu His right ankle had already been the source of constant injury concerns in the months leading up to Beijing It hurt so badly during morning practice the day of competition that I even thought about pulling out," he admitted the 27-year-old went ahead with his free routine in which he under-rotated the quad Axel and fell He may not have won a third consecutive Olympic title or achieved his dream of landing the first quad Axel in competition but Japanese star Hanyu still managed to show why he is adored around the world Find out what he made of his performances at Beijing 2022 here the Japanese star will have the entire summer to rest his ankle – and judging by his comments after the Beijing gala "I had a good time skating at these Olympics To think that the daily grind will soon start all over again makes me sad," he had indicated think about a lot of things and then make decisions." the next Grand Prix season isn't due to begin until October With a teasing smile at his Beijing press conference he said: "If you ask me whether these were my last Games that you want to take on even if you're hurt "There's no other place like that for a figure skater There is a part of me that does want to skate here again." Yuzuru Hanyu will become the first figure skater ever to have a solo ice show at Tokyo Dome one of Japan's biggest entertainment venues The two-time Olympic gold medalist said Monday his next ice show where he wrapped up his first set of ice shows titled "Prologue," that began a month earlier in Yokohama "Please come to receive my gift of new stories and programs," Hanyu said after his performance that featured two kinds of quad jumps and three triple axels in front of about 3,000 fans at the Flat Hachinohe ice arena and choreographer Mikiko will work on the Tokyo Dome show Hanyu announced his retirement from competitive figure skating and became a professional skater says Olympics is "proof that I lived"The 27-year-old GOAT of men's figure skating calls it a career after three Olympic Winter Games two gold medals and one unforgettable attempt at history with the quadruple Axel Hanyu made the announcement at a hastily arranged press conference in Tokyo, his first since the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. And there were no tears, just smiles, as one of Japan's most popular athletes called time on an unrivalled competitive career in the sport. "I have decided to go into professional figure skating", Hanyu said, decked out in a sharp navy suit and appearing at times nervous. "I'm not sad at all. There's no sadness. And I want to keep working. "But I'm no longer confined to the realm of competitions anymore. I think I can take figure skating to different places in different ways now". Hanyu Yuzuru announces end to competitive figure skating career - Watch retirement press conference highlightsTwo-time Olympic gold medallist Hanyu Yuzuru announced his retirement from competitive figure skating on Tuesday 19 July 2022 The Japanese legend of the sport won the Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 men's singles titles plus two World Championship and four Grand Prix final crowns Watch as the six-time Japanese national champion shared his reasons for the career switch at the age of 27 how it felt when he "came up short" at Beijing 2022 and the impact the Winter Games had on his career Hanyu said he made his final decision as he was treating the right-ankle sprain he suffered ahead of the free program in Beijing "I can say for sure that I won't miss the tension of a competition" "But I hope to work as hard as ever so people will want to keep supporting Hanyu as they know him "After the Beijing Olympics when I got home I couldn't skate because of the pain in the ankle I thought about all kinds of things then but I felt that I don't need to be on this stage forever." native goes out widely recognised as the greatest male figure skater of all-time The 27-year-old put an end to a career that began when he was 4 years old and ended with a fourth-place finish in Beijing after a historic attempt at the quadruple Axel Hanyu had not addressed his future since Beijing month-long ice show tour through Japan during which he did not do media a decision either way had to be announced soon - and that day was Tuesday Hanyu won just about everything there is to win on the ice four Grand Prix Final wins and six national championships including last year's which he won to punch his ticket to Beijing His highest score came at Skate Canada in 2019 In 2018 following his second Olympic triumph in PyeongChang - he became the first man in 66 years to repeat as singles champion - Hanyu received the People's Honor Award - the highest honour awarded to a civilian in Japan the Games hold a special place in his heart "It goes without saying that the Olympics to me "It is a place where I was able to prove that I dreamed Hanyu did not offer details other than that he is heading to the ice show circuit discussing and planning at the moment but I can’t go into details yet" “I want to put on a show that’s fitting of the times and also one that will be attractive to someone who’s never watched figure skating before" But he did say his chase for the quadruple Axel is still on - it just won't be done at competitions I want to land the quadruple Axel in front of everybody" It just won’t be on a competitive stage" Hanyu Yuzuru goes deepThe two-time Olympic gold medallist launches his first self-produced tour in Saitama tapping into life and our choices through gaming RE_PRAY is Hanyu’s third self-produced solo performance but it is the first time he is taking a show on tour. After Saitama, he is scheduled to perform in Saga in January 2024 and Yokohama in February. “I have nothing but gratitude for everyone who stayed up all night to make sure RE_PRAY happened today,” Hanyu said in a brief conversation with reporters afterwards. “I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to deliver this show, this program, in front of all these people. “Be it games, manga, or novels, I have sources of inspiration that make me think about my life in general and just how frail life can be.” Hanyu Yuzuru goes deep","tag":"[\"discipline-figure-skating\",\"newsclip\",\"gender-male\",\"yuzuru-hanyu\",\"sport-skating\",\"country-jp\",\"noc-jp\",\"tags-editors-pick-x0237\",\"topics-athletes\",\"topics-japan\"]","module_type":"InStoryCampaign","module_title":"In his latest solo show 'RE_PRAY' Hanyu Yuzuru goes deep","section_level_1":"news","section_level_2":"figure-skating-hanyu-yuzuru-re-pray-review","discipline":"discipline-figure-skating","odf_id":null,"module_instance":"CTAs - Blue Link","module_id":"028e795f-bcd5-462e-86da-9067756e22a7","link_tag":"Start 2026 in Italy Hanyu - who did not address his marriage he announced in August on stage or afterwards - took the fans on an introspective ride through life portraying himself as a character in a role playing game like his favourite ‘Final Fantasy’ some of which was new and some his best hits like ‘Seimei’ and 'Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso’ the 28-year-old Hanyu said he wanted to give the audience food for thought about life and the series of choices we make Looking razor sharp despite having been out of competition for more than a year now the artist known as Hanyu appears to be going deeper and deeper with each one of his productions “It’s difficult to describe in a few words but I am not asking people to find any answers from this one story alone I just want people to think about it through this story known as RE_PRAY “This is different from all the ice shows I’ve done in the past long program but a collection of programs in one grander tale “There were some programs tonight that I’ve performed before but when you piece it together as part of something telling this story has made me want to skate well while pushing myself to the limit again.”