Yuzuru Hanyu: the legend of figure skating fighting a war that cannot be won

By Cheryl Wong

“With one delayed single axel, one triple axel, Yuzuru Hanyu, double gold medalist, just gave a masterclass on what figure skating actually is.”

- Pyeongchang Olympics commentator, 2018

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics have recently come to a close. Despite coming just short of the podium in men’s figure skating, Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu has topped popularity charts and gained the admiration and respect of many. For years, he has been deemed the “ice prince” and has been a driving force in figure skating. Ending his 2022 Olympic journey without a medal in hand, how has Hanyu once again proved his title as the GOAT of figure skating? 

Photograph by Wikimedia.

Yuzuru Hanyu (Japanese: 羽生結弦) began skating at the age of four after tagging along with his sister’s training sessions. His talent was quickly discovered by coaches, and he won both junior international competitions at the age of fourteen, the youngest Japanese man to win the junior world title. 

At nineteen, he won gold at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and went on to win another gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, a feat completed for the first time in 66 years. In 2020, he became the first and only male single skater to achieve a Super Slam, winning all major junior and senior competitions in his career, and has broken world records a total of nineteen times. 

He even suffered from a serious injury three months prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics and only trained for a few weeks before the competition. By pushing through and winning the competition with an injury, he proved his dedication and talent for the sport. 

From elegant Ina Bauers to effortless hydroblading, Hanyu performs with elegance and grace on the ice, showcasing the beauty of figure skating at its best. 

In a sport where technical elements such as jumps have become increasingly important, Hanyu has been regarded as the “most complete figure skater of all time,” landing difficult jumps such as quadruples and the triple axel with outstanding quality (and becoming the first skater to successfully land the quadruple loop in competition) whilst sustaining incredible artistic expression and interpretation, a quality that has been unrivalled for many years.

He captivates many with his performances, each decorated with complex sequences and transitions between technical elements that flow with the sound of music. Furthermore, in many gala performances such as Haru Yo Koi (May Spring Come) at the Beijing Olympics, Hanyu demonstrates how figure skating can still be exquisite with minimal jumps.

Upon achieving the Super Slam, including two Olympic gold medals, Hanyu expressed struggles with finding the motivation to continue his skating. It was widely speculated that post-2018 Winter Olympics was the perfect time for him to retire on a high note, especially considering the increasingly shortening span of a skater’s competitive career. However in recent years, Hanyu developed an ultimate goal of his own: to successfully land a quadruple axel.

What is the quadruple axel, and why is there such a craze about this jump? The axel is recognized as the most difficult jump out of six in figure skating, with the skater jumping from a forward position and spinning 4.5 revolutions, 180° more than a typical quadruple. To put it into perspective, a triple axel is a jump many skaters struggle with. This physics-defying jump is a feat many believed to be impossible, being the only quad jump that has never been successfully executed in competition and could cause serious damages to the body during training. With its risks and need to sacrifice other aspects of training, no other skaters have ever seriously trained for this incredible feat. 

In 2022, Yuzuru Hanyu competed in his third Olympics after winning first in the Japanese Nationals. With a season full of withdrawals due to injury, a third Olympic gold was never his primary goal. It was clear that Hanyu was competing for the quadruple axel. After qualifying for the Olympics, Hanyu stated: “Sure, 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." 

Unfortunately, Hanyu fell on his attempt in the free skate and ended up fourth in the competition. 

Afterwards, it was revealed that Hanyu hurt his ankle right before the free skate and received pain-killing injections, on top of heavy doses of painkillers, in order to skate. However, Hanyu’s efforts did not go to waste, as it became the first international attempt at the quadruple axel to be deemed an under-rotated axel instead of a downgraded one. Although unable to achieve his dream, his Olympic spirit, perseverance, and strive for revolutionary breakthroughs has captured the hearts of many fans around the world. 

「守一座守不住的城，打一場打不贏的仗。」“Protecting a city that cannot be protected, fighting a war that cannot be won” — a Chinese commentator’s memorable words perfectly described Hanyu’s heroic and valiant journey as a figure skater. It is not the result that is the most meaningful, but the journey that has shaped the respect the world has for Yuzuru Hanyu.