Japanese ice skater Yuzuru Hanyu put on a captivating short program performance at Saitama Super arena to defend his men’s single crown at the Japanese National Championships. He slightly under-rotated his much anticipated attempt at a quadruple axel in an otherwise unblemished free skate.
“I’m honestly relieved,” said Hanyu, who was overcome with emotion as he took the ice in preparation for his free skate.
“I felt as though I was about to cry even before the six-minute warm-up.”
Returning from an eight-month layoff, in which he missed this season’s Grand Prix, the two-time Olympic gold medalist looks ready to go after a third gold medal in Beijing.
“I will keep practicing hard,” Hanyu said.
The two-time world and reigning Olympic champion is going all-in for Beijing, and plans to attempt his much anticipated quadruple axel - a trick never seen before in competition - but a move he landed during practice.
“I’ve been honing it for two years and there’s a part of me that says I should just let it go. Many people have told me I’m the only one capable of doing it so I feel like this is a mission I have to accomplish.” Hanyu said.
The 27-year-old won Olympic gold at both the Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 Games. He will be on the short list of favorites for Beijing.