Yuzuru Hanyu is arguably one of the best figure skaters in the sport’s history. At age 27, he is a two-time Olympic champion, a two-time World champion, and is the first men’s singles skater to achieve a “Super Slam” by winning all major competitions in both his senior and junior careers.
He has broken a total of nineteen world records during his short career, which is a record in itself. As the first male Asian figure skater to win an Olympic gold medal, Hanyu is a symbol of the explosive success that Japan has enjoyed in the figure skating world over the last two decades.
Yuzuru HANYU (JPN), first place, gold medal, Figure Skating, Men Single Skating, Free Skating, Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, Gangneung Ice Arena, South Korea on February 17, 2018. (Photo by Enrico Calderoni/AFLO SPORT)
Table of Contents
Yuzuru Hanyu: Early Life and Career
Yuzuru Hanyu was born on 7 December 1994 in Izumi-ku, Sendai, Japan. He began figure skating at the age of four, after attending his sister’s training sessions. On one occasion, after he fell on the ice but quickly got up to keep skating on the ice again, his sister’s coach Mami Yamada recommended that Hanyu begin training himself. She later remarked that she had never seen a child with so little fear – a good indication that he would be a successful skater.
In his second grade of elementary school, Shōichirō Tsuzuki, former coach of Japan’s first World Figure Skating Championships medalist Minoru Sano, began to coach Hanyu, after Yamada asked him to “not put his talent to waste”.
Hanyu began competing in national tournaments during the 2004-05 season at the age of ten. His performances during his first few seasons were steady – he won the 2004 Japan Novice Championships (Novice B category), won bronze in the 2006 Japan Novice Championship (Novice A category), placed seventh in the 2006-07 Japan Junior Championships, won the 2007 Japan Novice Championships (Novice A category) and won bronze in the 2007-08 Japan Junior Championships.
Yuzuru Hanyu won the All Japan Figure Skating Junior Championships in the men’s division for the first time, at the NGK Arena in Nagoya, Japan, November 24, 2008. Published in the evening edition on December 25, 2008. (Photo By Afloimages)
All throughout this time, Hanyu’s hometown ice rink was closed, and this had a significant impact on his training time. In spite of this, he continued to improve and move up the ranks of the junior figure skating world.
By 2008 Hanyu had debuted at the ISU Junior Grand Prix and, at aged 13, he became the youngest male skater to win the Japan Junior Championship in 2008-09. He qualified for his first Junior World Championships in 2009 and won the 2009-10 Japan Junior Championships. In 2010, Hanyu solidified his place as one of the best young skaters in the world when he became the fourth, and youngest, Japanese male to win the 2010 World Junior Championships.
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), MARCH 11, 2010 – Figure Skating : Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan during mens free skating for ISU Junior Figure World Championships in Hague, Netherlands. (Photo By Aflo Images)
Competitive Career Highlights
Hanyu took the figure skating world by storm when he began competing in senior competitions in 2011. He won silver at both the 2011 and 2013 Four Continents championships, bronze at the 2012 World Championships, silver in the 2012-13 Grand Prix and gold in the 2013-14 Grand Prix. He also won the Japanese national title four years in a row, from 2012 – 2015.
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), DECEMBER 5, 2013 – Figure Skating : Yuzuru Hanyu performs during the Men’s SP at the Grand Prix Final in Fukuoka, Japan on December 5, 2013. (Photo By Nikkan Sports/Aflo Images)
By the time the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics came round, Hanyu had proved that he was a force to be reckoned with and he was determined to make a name for himself in his first ever Olympic appearance. Hanyu became the first skater to exceed 100 points in a short program, scoring a world record of 101.45. He did this by executing a near-perfect quadruple toe loop jump and triple axel.
However, Hanyu did not perform as well during his free skate program, falling twice during his routine. He later admitted that he was convinced he had completely blown his chances during that performance, but despite receiving significant deductions for the falls, Hanyu still received the top score for the segment and won gold overall.
By winning the gold medal at just 19 years old, Hanyu was the youngest winner of the Olympic men’s skating title since 1948 and the first Asian male to win the men’s individual gold.
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), FEBRUARY 13, 2014 – Figure Skating : Men’s Short Program at “ICEBERG” Skating Palace during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Yohei Osada/AFLO SPORT)
Determined to continue dominating the 2014 season, Hanyu went on to win the 2014 World Championships and become the first male skater since 2002 to win both the World Championships and Olympic titles in the same year. Despite being plagued with injuries during the 2014-15 season, Hanyu placed second in the 2015 World Championships.
During the 2015-16 season, Hanyu broke a number of world records. At the 2015 NHK Trophy, he broke the short program world record again with a score of 106.33, the free skate world record with a score of 216.07, and the combined total score world record for with 322.40.
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), NOVEMBER 28, 2015 – Figure Skating : ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2015 NHK Trophy Men’s Free Skating at Big Hat, Nagano, Japan. (Photo by AFLO SPORT)
Within a matter of weeks, he had broken his own records again at the 2015-16 Grand Prix Final. He broke the short program world record again with a score of 110.95 points and the world record free skate with a score of 219.48. His total score also broke the record for the largest victory margin, previously achieved in 2004 by Russian skater Evgeni Plushenko. By winning gold in that competition, Hanyu became the first male skater to win a Grand Prix Final three seasons in a row.
He went on to win the 2016-17 Grand Prix Final, breaking his own record to become the first male to win four Grand Prix finals in a row. Hanyu also became the first skater in history to successfully land a quadruple loop in competition during the 2016 CS Autumn Classic International.
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 – Figure Skating : 2016 Skate Canada Autumn Classic International Men’s Short Program at Sportplexe Pierrefonds, Montreal, Canada. (Photo by YUTAKA/AFLO SPORT)
After placing second again in the 2016 World Championships, Hanyu won back the gold medal and his second world title in the 2017 World Championships. During that competition, he was able to pull off a quadruple loop and break the ISU best score record during the free skate. However, Hanyu again suffered various injuries in the lead up to the 2018 Olympics and he was unable to compete in the 2017 NHK Trophy, the 2016-17 Grand Prix Final and the 2017 Japanese national competition.
As the 2018 Olympics approached, it was unclear whether Hanyu would be able to compete. Having injured an ankle ligament during a training session, Hanyu was not able to return to practice until weeks before the Games. Despite not officially qualifying for the Olympics, he was still able to enter as both the defending Olympic champion and the world champion at the time.
Hanyu did not participate in the team event in order to allow himself more time to recover. The Japan team finished fifth in his absence. Despite doubts as to his fitness to compete, Hanyu stunned the world with an outstanding short program and a tidy free skate. His impressive score of 317.85 was enough for Hanyu to win his second Olympic gold, and he became the first male figure skater to win two consecutive Olympic titles since 1952.
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), FEBRUARY 17, 2018 – Figure Skating : Men’s Free Skating at Gangneung Ice Arena during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Koji Aoki/AFLO SPORT)
After the Olympics, Hanyu admitted to relying heavily on painkillers during the Games. His injuries continued to hold him back throughout the season and he was unable to compete in the Grand Prix Finals or Japanese nationals.
When he finally recovered and was able to return to competing again, Hanyu won his third silver medal at the World Championships in 2019, bringing his total World Championships medal count to seven. Alongside German skater Jan Hoffmann, he is the only male singles’ skater to do so in the post-war era. Hanyu continued his success during the 2019-20 season, winning the Four Continents Championships, completing his career “Super Slam” and winning the ISU’s most valuable skater for 2020.
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), MARCH 23, 2019 – Figure Skating : The men’s Free Skating in the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.(Photo by AFLO)
Hanyu won the Japan National Championship for the fifth and sixth time in 2020 and 2021, but the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted his chances to dominate in the usual international competitions during that period.
In the build up to the 2022 Olympics, Hanyu faced mounting pressure to make history by becoming the first man to win three Olympic titles in a row since 1928. However during his free skate performance, Hanyu attempted and failed to land a quadruple axel and consequently finished in fourth place.
The quadruple axel, which is a four-and-a-half-revolution jump, had never been successfully landed during a competition, and Hanyu’s attempt to do so was celebrated by his many fans around the world. By taking on a challenge that no one had achieved before, his fans agreed that he was living in the true Olympic spirit of “faster, higher, stronger”. Hanyu later admitted that he had sprained his ankle the day before his performance and that, had it been any other competition, he would have withdrawn. However, Hanyu was determined to attempt the jump anyway and despite not successfully completing it, he was pleased that it was his best attempt so far.
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), FEBRUARY 10, 2022 – Figure Skating : Men’s Free Skating during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. (Photo by Koji Aoki/AFLO SPORT)
Retirement from Competitive Figure Skating
On 19 July 2022 at the age of 27, Hanyu announced his retirement from competitive figure skating. This difficult decision was prompted by his desire not to be analyzed and judged anymore, having already achieved everything he could have hoped to within the competitive arena. He described the difficulty that he has felt over the last few years in meeting the world’s expectations, noting that it was “a burden I’ve felt for a long time”.
July 19, 2022 Yuzuru Hanyu Press Conference Yuzuru Hanyu announces his retirement from competition ANA InterContinental Hotel Tokyo, Akasaka (Photo by Tokyo Sports/Aflo Images)
Following some soul-searching after the 2022 Winter Olympics, Hanyu realized that his love of skating was not only tied to setting records or scoring points, but about the joy of improving and achieving personal goals. So, Hanyu is not hanging up his skates just yet. Instead, he will continue skating as a professional athlete. In this way, he will be able to continue refining his craft while still enjoying it at the same time. Hanyu is still determined to pull off that quadruple axel too during a routine.
As part of his new career goals, Hanyu wants to make skating more accessible to people around the world who don’t usually watch the sport. So far, he has stayed true to his word by sharing his performances on a new YouTube channel. In August of 2022, he live-streamed a training session during which he performed his previous skate programs to nearly 4 million viewers.
Yuzuru Hanyu shows his practice session to a large group of press on August 10, 2022. (Photo by Nikkan Sports/Aflo Images)
Prologue, the Ice Show
In November 2022, Hanyu began performing his first “ice show” in Yokohama. A one-man show named Prologue, the ice show is a 90-minute tribute to his career and was completely self-produced and directed. Hanyu had complete control of the show’s design, from everything to the title and logo to the music and costumes.
Hanyu performed on his opening night to a sold-out crowd of nearly 8,000, re-enacting the iconic moments of his career to date and reportedly leaving his audience in tears.[8] The show even opened with a six-minute warm up sequence inspired by Hanyu’s usual pre-competition routine. Finishing to a standing ovation, Hanyu stated afterwards that “The expression and responses I got from the crowd were more than enough. In that sense, I think I succeeded.”
Yuzuru Hanyu: Awards and Legacy
On 2 July 2018 at the age of 23, Hanyu was bestowed with the People’s Honour Award. Established in 1977, this is one of the most prestigious awards in Japan and is given to people in recognition of their accomplishments in sport, entertainment, and other fields. It has so far been awarded to 27 people.
Figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu (left) is presented with a plaque of the National Honor Award by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Prime Minister’s Office on July 2, 2018 morning. 11:33 a.m. (Photo by Mainichi Newspaper/Aflo Images)
Hanyu made history by becoming the youngest ever recipient of the award and to date still the most recent. The award was bestowed by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for “giving dreams and thrills to the people and hope and courage to society”.[10] In addition, Hanyu was the first figure skater to be nominated for the Laureus World Sports Award and has been featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list and the ESPN’s World Fame 100.
While Hanyu was always at the forefront of pioneering jumps throughout competitions, his primary focus has always been on respecting the aesthetic nature of the sport. His programs were always carefully designed to deliver a message relevant to the audience at that time.
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Hanyu performed to Robbie Williams’ “Let Me Entertain You”.
Yuzuru Hanyu, DECEMBER 25, 2020 – Figure Skating : Japan Figure Skating Championships 2020 Men’s Short Program at Big Hat in Nagano, Japan. (Photo by Naoki Morita/AFLO SPORT)
His 2022 Winter Olympics performance was set to the theme song of a TV series about Kenshin Uesugi, a 16th century Japanese warlord who famously struggled to justify the constant fighting in Japan during that time. Hanyu equated this with his own battle to reconcile the at times cut-throat and competitive environment of the figure skating world.
Hanyu has repeatedly credited his support network and fans for his successes. His charisma on the ice and incorporation of pop culture references has led to the growth of super fans nicknamed the “Fanyus”. Hanyu’s popularity is unprecedented as a figure skater and has helped to popularize the sport within Japan.
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), February 9, 2020 – Figure Skating : ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2020, Men’s Free Skating at Mok-dong Ice (Photo by MATSUO.K/AFLO SPORT)
As stated by The New York Times’ Juliet Macur, we may never see another skater like Yuzuru Hanyu. However, that does not mean that we won’t see more talented skaters in the future. Hanyu’s lasting legacy will be his ability to turn the technical art of figure skating into story-telling and social commentary. The world is watching with excitement as he channels his superb technical abilities, popularity, and storytelling talent to take the figure-skating sport to new heights.
References
- Who Is Yuzuru Hanyu? What We Know – PureWow
- Yuzuru Hanyu – Wikipedia
- Hanyu Yuzuru: How his Olympic story and glory began at Sochi 2014
- Hanyu Yuzuru | Biography, Olympics, Medals, & Facts | Britannica
- Hanyu Yuzuru’s ‘miracle on ice’ at Pyeongchang 2018 and what happened after (olympics.com)
- Hanyu Yuzuru missed out on history at Beijing 2022, but remains undimmed in eyes of fans (olympics.com)
- Hanyu Yuzuru to retire from competitive skating | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
- Hanyu Yuzuru opens the ‘Prologue’ – a new chapter to an illustrious career (olympics.com)
- 2-time Olympic champ Yuzuru Hanyu premieres own new ice show (kyodonews.net)
- Olympic figure skating champ Yuzuru Hanyu to receive People’s Honor Award (kyodonews.net)
- Meet the ‘fanyus,’ the passionate yet chaotic force behind Yuzuru Hanyu | The Japan Times