2017-18 season: 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics
This season holds everything that Yuzuru Hanyu has wanted for a long time: a chance for a second consecutive gold medal at the Olympics, and a chance to be on the Olympic podium with his friend Javier Fernandez. Everything has been building up to this--strap in, because this season was a bumpy one.
For this season, Yuzuru once again skated to Chopin's "Ballade No. 1," the program with which he was the first skater to score above 110 points and to beat his own record from the 2014 Olympics. He also decided to repeat performing "Seimei," the program with which he was the first to break 200 points and 300 (330) points in scoring. He also decided to repeat it because, he said, he wanted to skate a program at the Olympics that he felt represented Japan.
He re-debuted his short program at the 2017 Autumn Classic International, and it was the best start to the season he could possibly have made. His spins were flawless, his expression was beautiful, and his step sequence was just as compelling (if not more so) as it was during the last season he skated it. He did a flawless 4S, and a perfect 3A and 4T+3T past the halfway point of his program. He earned 112.72 points, breaking his world record from 2015 even with a somewhat downgraded base value from the previous year. Many said that he had just made a statement going into this Olympic season--he's still the best. (No other person has scored above 110 in the short program).
His free skate didn't go quite as well. His opened his program with a 1Lz that was supposed to be his first attempt at a 4Lz in competition, did a 3Lo instead of a 4Lo, a 3F that got called with an unclear edge, an actually very clean and pretty 4S+3T, completed a 2S+1T instead of a 4S+3T, did a 2T instead of a 4T, fell on a 3A, and then did a very underrotated 4T that he landed on two feet. So, mistakes in all but one of his eight jumping passes. He seemed tired afterward, perhaps a little disappointed in his performance. He earned 155.52 points for the free program and 268.24 points total, and ended up in second place behind Javier Fernandez.
During the short program at his first Grand Prix assignment, the 2017 Rostelecom Cup, Yuzuru once again did the 4Lo, but was a little off-axis and turned out of it. He followed it with a 3A straight out of the choreography, and it was perfectly clean. He performed a 4T+3T, but couldn't get the height necessary for a good 3T and fell after the landing. He scored 94.85 points despite these two mistakes, putting him in second place going into the free skating.
He put up a great fight after the short program didn't go the way he would have preferred. To open this program, he performed his first quadruple Lutz in competition, and despite the seriously lean it had after takeoff, he managed to land it with all the rotations and on one foot. He took off for a 4Lo, but during the jumped pulled out of the rotation and decided to make it a triple instead. After a clean 3F, he did that iconic step sequence from Seimei, followed by a slowing of the music and more jumps. He did a 4S but was too low on the landing and couldn't put it in combination like he had planned. Instead of a 4T, he performed a 2T, and then immediately after did a 4T+3T combination that was clean. He followed with a 3A+2T and then a single 3A as his last jump that leaned just a little bit right on the landing. Although this sounds like a hefty amount of mistakes, he still put down a pretty solid score: 195.92. He placed first in this segment of the competition, but second overall, three points behind Nathan Chen.
While at an official practice session for his second Grand Prix assignment, the 2017 NHK Trophy, Yuzu injured himself while practicing a 4Lz and decided to withdraw from the competition. There was silence on his end for a little bit, but it was eventually announced that he would not compete at any more competitions before the 2018 Olympics in order to give himself as much time as possible to heal. That was when fans gathered that the injury was more serious than Yuzuru initially made it look.
He didn't attend nationals but was still guaranteed a spot at the Olympics. He was off the ice for months leading up to the Olympics, and didn't start practicing jumps again until January. He was doing 3As only three weeks before the Olympics, and only started practicing his quads again two weeks before the Olympics. He even withdrew from the team event in order to buy himself more time to heal and regroup. Yuzu was only able to skate in three competitions for the entire season, and he didn't win either of the two that lead up to the Pyeongchang Olympics.
When he finally arrived in Pyeongchang, he was greeted with an absolute mass of media and fans. Despite the injury, he was still one of the favorites, if not the favorite, to win gold at the Olympics.
When entering the ice for the short program, he truly looked like he owned the ice. He was intense, focused, and calm. He took a deep breath before his short program began, and he was almost perfectly still as his opening notes played. When he began to move, he was relaxed, and his opening quadruple Salchow was effortless and absolutely stunning, with a spread-eagle transition directly out of it. His first spin was well-centered with good speed, and his second spin had even better speed with interesting arm variation. The choreography in between that spin in his next jump was compelling and just beautiful, and then he did a perfect triple Axel straight out of a back-counter and with steps coming out as well. As he built speed with crossovers for his last jumping pass, tension built simultaneously in the audience--and he landed it beautifully, his 4T+3T combination flawless and perfectly in time with the music, his arms above his head for the 3T. His step sequence after was both fun and intense and overwhelmingly elegant, and his closing spin was brilliant, perfectly-centered with acceleration throughout.
With this program, he vanished any doubts people had about him following his injury and his time off the ice. He sat down in the kiss & cry with his coaches, and received 111.68 points for his performance, the second highest short program score of all time (the first of which he had set earlier in the season).
Yuzu went into the free program looking even more focused than before. He opened his program with a quad Sal like it was easy, and then followed that with a 4T like it was even easier. His 3F was clean and straight out of steps, and his first spin was beautiful and relaxed, if just a little slow near the end of it. His step sequence was slow and methodical in the best way possible, and intensity to Yuzu like we've never seen, especially as he simply did a couple of forward crossovers--it was so simple, yet it added so much to the program. When the music switched from intense with a strong beat to slow and delicate, he landed a perfect 4T+3T combination, and then had a step-out on his next jumping pass, the 4T. His 3A+Eu+3S was clean, followed by a clean 3Lo, and then closed with a very tilted 3Lz that he practically landed on his toepick, but managed to stay on his feet. His next spin was perfectly timed right before his choreographic sequence, which was bursting with energy and included his classic hydroblade followed by an Ina Bauer. His last spin had more speed than the first two, and when he struck his ending pose, he was so overwhelmingly happy the he could not hold it for long.
He yelled in celebration, and crouched down to grasp his right foot as though thanking it for holding out throughout the course of the Olympics. When he finished, he already knew he had won the competition--with his score from the short program and how the previous skaters had already done in the free, the odds that he would be surpassed were slim. He stood there, taking in his applause, and was confident enough to hold up his finger to say, Yes, I'm number one.
He earned 206.17 points for the free program, and 317.85 points total. He earned his second consecutive Olympic gold medal, alongside his country mate Shoma Uno who earned silver and his training mate (and good friend) Javier Fernandez, who earned the bronze medal. Yuzuru won the competition by 11 points. He was the first skater since 1952 to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals in the men's singles field.
It was revealed after the competition that Yuzuru was still injured and had to skate on ISU-sanctioned painkillers in order to be able to even attempt the jumps. Post-Olympics, Yuzuru took much more time off the ice to try and heal, withdrawing from the 2018 World Championships. As of now, Yuzu has revealed that he does indeed intend to keep skating in the seasons to come, and that now he wants to change his goals and skate for to meet his own expectations rather than others'.
I think I speak for all of the Fanyus when I say that I look forward to seeing what he does next. Be safe and be happy, Yuzuru Hanyu, and skate for yourself instead of for us.
For this season, Yuzuru once again skated to Chopin's "Ballade No. 1," the program with which he was the first skater to score above 110 points and to beat his own record from the 2014 Olympics. He also decided to repeat performing "Seimei," the program with which he was the first to break 200 points and 300 (330) points in scoring. He also decided to repeat it because, he said, he wanted to skate a program at the Olympics that he felt represented Japan.
2017 ACI - Yuzuru Hanyu Short Program
He re-debuted his short program at the 2017 Autumn Classic International, and it was the best start to the season he could possibly have made. His spins were flawless, his expression was beautiful, and his step sequence was just as compelling (if not more so) as it was during the last season he skated it. He did a flawless 4S, and a perfect 3A and 4T+3T past the halfway point of his program. He earned 112.72 points, breaking his world record from 2015 even with a somewhat downgraded base value from the previous year. Many said that he had just made a statement going into this Olympic season--he's still the best. (No other person has scored above 110 in the short program).
His free skate didn't go quite as well. His opened his program with a 1Lz that was supposed to be his first attempt at a 4Lz in competition, did a 3Lo instead of a 4Lo, a 3F that got called with an unclear edge, an actually very clean and pretty 4S+3T, completed a 2S+1T instead of a 4S+3T, did a 2T instead of a 4T, fell on a 3A, and then did a very underrotated 4T that he landed on two feet. So, mistakes in all but one of his eight jumping passes. He seemed tired afterward, perhaps a little disappointed in his performance. He earned 155.52 points for the free program and 268.24 points total, and ended up in second place behind Javier Fernandez.
2017 Rostelecom - Yuzuru Hanyu Short Program
During the short program at his first Grand Prix assignment, the 2017 Rostelecom Cup, Yuzuru once again did the 4Lo, but was a little off-axis and turned out of it. He followed it with a 3A straight out of the choreography, and it was perfectly clean. He performed a 4T+3T, but couldn't get the height necessary for a good 3T and fell after the landing. He scored 94.85 points despite these two mistakes, putting him in second place going into the free skating.
He put up a great fight after the short program didn't go the way he would have preferred. To open this program, he performed his first quadruple Lutz in competition, and despite the seriously lean it had after takeoff, he managed to land it with all the rotations and on one foot. He took off for a 4Lo, but during the jumped pulled out of the rotation and decided to make it a triple instead. After a clean 3F, he did that iconic step sequence from Seimei, followed by a slowing of the music and more jumps. He did a 4S but was too low on the landing and couldn't put it in combination like he had planned. Instead of a 4T, he performed a 2T, and then immediately after did a 4T+3T combination that was clean. He followed with a 3A+2T and then a single 3A as his last jump that leaned just a little bit right on the landing. Although this sounds like a hefty amount of mistakes, he still put down a pretty solid score: 195.92. He placed first in this segment of the competition, but second overall, three points behind Nathan Chen.
Highlight - First 4Lz in Competition
While at an official practice session for his second Grand Prix assignment, the 2017 NHK Trophy, Yuzu injured himself while practicing a 4Lz and decided to withdraw from the competition. There was silence on his end for a little bit, but it was eventually announced that he would not compete at any more competitions before the 2018 Olympics in order to give himself as much time as possible to heal. That was when fans gathered that the injury was more serious than Yuzuru initially made it look.
He didn't attend nationals but was still guaranteed a spot at the Olympics. He was off the ice for months leading up to the Olympics, and didn't start practicing jumps again until January. He was doing 3As only three weeks before the Olympics, and only started practicing his quads again two weeks before the Olympics. He even withdrew from the team event in order to buy himself more time to heal and regroup. Yuzu was only able to skate in three competitions for the entire season, and he didn't win either of the two that lead up to the Pyeongchang Olympics.
When he finally arrived in Pyeongchang, he was greeted with an absolute mass of media and fans. Despite the injury, he was still one of the favorites, if not the favorite, to win gold at the Olympics.
2018 Olympics - Yuzuru Hanyu Short Program
When entering the ice for the short program, he truly looked like he owned the ice. He was intense, focused, and calm. He took a deep breath before his short program began, and he was almost perfectly still as his opening notes played. When he began to move, he was relaxed, and his opening quadruple Salchow was effortless and absolutely stunning, with a spread-eagle transition directly out of it. His first spin was well-centered with good speed, and his second spin had even better speed with interesting arm variation. The choreography in between that spin in his next jump was compelling and just beautiful, and then he did a perfect triple Axel straight out of a back-counter and with steps coming out as well. As he built speed with crossovers for his last jumping pass, tension built simultaneously in the audience--and he landed it beautifully, his 4T+3T combination flawless and perfectly in time with the music, his arms above his head for the 3T. His step sequence after was both fun and intense and overwhelmingly elegant, and his closing spin was brilliant, perfectly-centered with acceleration throughout.
SP Highlight - 4S
SP Highlight - 3A
SP Highlight - 4T+3T
With this program, he vanished any doubts people had about him following his injury and his time off the ice. He sat down in the kiss & cry with his coaches, and received 111.68 points for his performance, the second highest short program score of all time (the first of which he had set earlier in the season).
2018 Olympics - Yuzuru Hanyu Free Skate
Yuzu went into the free program looking even more focused than before. He opened his program with a quad Sal like it was easy, and then followed that with a 4T like it was even easier. His 3F was clean and straight out of steps, and his first spin was beautiful and relaxed, if just a little slow near the end of it. His step sequence was slow and methodical in the best way possible, and intensity to Yuzu like we've never seen, especially as he simply did a couple of forward crossovers--it was so simple, yet it added so much to the program. When the music switched from intense with a strong beat to slow and delicate, he landed a perfect 4T+3T combination, and then had a step-out on his next jumping pass, the 4T. His 3A+Eu+3S was clean, followed by a clean 3Lo, and then closed with a very tilted 3Lz that he practically landed on his toepick, but managed to stay on his feet. His next spin was perfectly timed right before his choreographic sequence, which was bursting with energy and included his classic hydroblade followed by an Ina Bauer. His last spin had more speed than the first two, and when he struck his ending pose, he was so overwhelmingly happy the he could not hold it for long.
He yelled in celebration, and crouched down to grasp his right foot as though thanking it for holding out throughout the course of the Olympics. When he finished, he already knew he had won the competition--with his score from the short program and how the previous skaters had already done in the free, the odds that he would be surpassed were slim. He stood there, taking in his applause, and was confident enough to hold up his finger to say, Yes, I'm number one.
FS Highlight - 4S
FS Highlight - 4T
FS Highlight - Forward Crossovers
FS Highlight - Hydroblade
He earned 206.17 points for the free program, and 317.85 points total. He earned his second consecutive Olympic gold medal, alongside his country mate Shoma Uno who earned silver and his training mate (and good friend) Javier Fernandez, who earned the bronze medal. Yuzuru won the competition by 11 points. He was the first skater since 1952 to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals in the men's singles field.
After FS - Triumph
After FS - Celebration
It was revealed after the competition that Yuzuru was still injured and had to skate on ISU-sanctioned painkillers in order to be able to even attempt the jumps. Post-Olympics, Yuzuru took much more time off the ice to try and heal, withdrawing from the 2018 World Championships. As of now, Yuzu has revealed that he does indeed intend to keep skating in the seasons to come, and that now he wants to change his goals and skate for to meet his own expectations rather than others'.
I think I speak for all of the Fanyus when I say that I look forward to seeing what he does next. Be safe and be happy, Yuzuru Hanyu, and skate for yourself instead of for us.
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