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Japanese figure skater Hanyu Yuzuru retires from competing
Updated 23:46, 19-Jul-2022
CGTN
Japanese figure skater Hanyu Yuzuru announces retirement from competitions at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, July 19, 2022. /CFP

Japanese figure skater Hanyu Yuzuru announces retirement from competitions at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, July 19, 2022. /CFP

Japan's two-time Olympic figure skating champion Hanyu Yuzuru announced that he would retire from competitions and turn professional at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday.

Hanyu, 27, won his first World Championships medal in 2012, kicking off a storied career that established him as one of the greatest figure skaters of all time.

He completed a "Super Slam" in 2020 after finishing first at the Four Continents Championships, before which he had collected the Junior Worlds and Junior Grand Prix Final titles in 2010, two Olympic gold medals at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018, two World titles in 2014 and 2017, and a straight sweep of four titles at the Grand Prix Finals from 2013 to 2016. In addition, he is a six-time champion at the Japanese nationals.

He famously attempted a quadruple Axel at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, but eventually placed fourth due to a missed quadruple Salchow in the short program that cost him precious points.

Hanyu Yuzuru poses after finishing his free skating at the Beijiing Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, February 10, 2022. /CFP

Hanyu Yuzuru poses after finishing his free skating at the Beijiing Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, February 10, 2022. /CFP

The quad Axel will remain on his checklist when he turns professional, Hanyu said at the press conference.

"I think it's ok if I don't accomplish the quad Axel in a competition. Instead, people can better witness me challenging it now that I don't have to do it for the sake of competing. This challenge is not limited to those who compete, and I will keep pursuing it with my sportsmanship mentality," Hanyu said.

While Hanyu continues to motivate himself with the Axel jump, he will also have to continue to battle with his ankle injury, as he is still recovering from one that happened in Beijing.

He bounced back from a similar injury in 2018 to take gold in PyeongChang, but wasn't able to repeat the miracle this time.

"After I came back from Beijing, I thought a lot when I was having my ankle treated and couldn't step on ice. It occurred to me that I didn't have to stay in competitions all the time. When I started the Fantasy on Ice tour, I realized there was a bigger stage I wanted to step onto," he said.

"Turing professional" is how Hanyu preferred to phrase his decision, instead of using the word "retirement."

"I want to exhibit more fascinating sides of this sport, and I'm still challenging many things. That's why I didn't want to say I was retiring," Hanyu said.

Hanyu Yuzuru in action during the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, April 1, 2017. /CFP

Hanyu Yuzuru in action during the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, April 1, 2017. /CFP

Hanyu named his free skate program at the 2017 World Championships "Hope and Legacy," using a mix track of two scores from Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi, "Asian Dream Song" and "View of Silence."

Hanyu landed four quadruple jumps in the program and totaled 321.59 points to break his own record and snatch the title, despite a fifth place finish after the short program. 

Before he came into the spotlight, figure skating had long been recognized for its female competitors. There were a few big names among male skaters, such as Evgeni Plushenko, but none elevated the sport to the level Hanyu has. 

The fact that he set world records 19 times over his 12-year-long competitive career is proof of his uncompromising pursuit of perfection. 

Hanyu Yuzuru during the award ceremony for men's figure skating at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, February 15, 2014. /CFP

Hanyu Yuzuru during the award ceremony for men's figure skating at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, February 15, 2014. /CFP

When Hanyu broke the men's short program world record in his first Olympic trip as an 19-year-old, Dick Button, a previous Olympic two-time winner commented that Hanyu "deserved every one of those points that he could possibly get." Little did anyone know, Hanyu would become the first male figure skater in 66 years to repeat Button's glorious achievement. 

Hanyu Yuzuru celebrates after his free skating program at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, February 17, 2018. /CFP

Hanyu Yuzuru celebrates after his free skating program at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, February 17, 2018. /CFP

Born and raised in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, Hanyu was a survivor of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, escaping a shaking rink during practice when the earthquake happened in March 2011. 

"I can still vividly see everything when the rink was damaged," Hanyu wrote in his autobiography, "Blue Flames."

"I want to make every day count now. I want to make every single normal day, every ice show, every practice and every competition count."

"That's what I have been thinking about the most since the day of the earthquake," Hanyu wrote.

He donated all of the royalties from the book to the local rink in Sendai to keep the hopes of future generations alive, as he will now inspire many more children when he brings forth ice shows as a professional figure skater. 

"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 have known him," he said. 

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