Yuzuru Hanyu Wiki: Everything To Know About 2018 Olympics Gold Medalist Skater

Some people were super excited by the recent 2018 Winter Olympic Games and many of them, for good reason, are residents of Japan.. This year they were represented by one of their own, Yuzuru Hanyu. The Olympics only come around once every four years and people are usually excited when the event is around the corner and they get to watch the best athletes from their country compete in the games. After the events are over, people are left fascinated by the winners and also the best performers, especially in Japan. In a country that thrives on industrialization where much of the population is working in industries and in the capital market, there aren’t many athletes that are privileged to participate in the Olympics. Before, during and even after the games, each athlete is celebrated and that is why Hanyu is celebrated in Japan. Yuzuru Hanyu is a figure skater who competes in the men’s singles discipline. The Skater won a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, the same thing he did in Sochi four years ago. He’s not only an Olympic champion but also a World champion, as well. 23-year-old Yuzuru Hanyu was born in Sendai, Japan, and he has an older sister, Saya. Hanyu’s father gave him the name hoping that he could be hardworking and with a sharp mind and he grew up to be exactly that. His parents also wanted him to live a simple life but be dignified, graceful and powerful. Many people probably aren’t aware that Hanyu is asthmatic and is sometimes seen trying to catch his breath after completing a race. The figure skater went to Tohoku High School where some famous Japanese figure skaters like Takeshi Honda and Shizuka Arakawa went to school, as well. By 2014, Hanyu was a sophomore at Waseda University’s e-School program where he was studying human informatics and cognitive sciences. Another interesting thing about Yuzuru Hanyu is that he has loved Winnie the Pooh since he was a kid and has been given stuffed Pooh bears as gifts by spectators who loved watching him participate in his favorite sport after he finishes a race.

Yuzuru Hanyu began skating when he was just four years old. At the time, Hanyu was following his sister, who is also a skater, to the rink. He used to look up to Evgeni Plushenko and he first competed nationally as a novice skater between 2004 and 2005. Hanyu won a bronze medal at the 2006 Japan Novice Championships in the first novice category. This helped him advance and compete at the 2006-2007 Japan Junior Championships where he came in 7th. The rink close to Hanyu’s home reopened in 2007 and he took the opportunity to train even harder. When the Japan Novice Championships came around again, he won a gold medal at the first category and was invited right away to compete at the 2007-2008 Japan Junior Championships where at that time he managed to win a bronze medal. Hanyu’s figure skating career was growing, and in 2009, he participated in the Junior Grand Prix Final championships in Croatia and Poland where he emerged as the top qualifier for the Junior Grand Prix Final championship. Hanyu won the competition and proceeded to compete on the 2010 World Championship which he also won. He competed again at the Grand Prix Final championships in 2011 and he won yet again. Following a 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami which struck his home and region, the water pipes under the ice of the rink near his home where he used to train burst and Yuzuru Hanyu had to relocate to Yokohama and Aomori where he continued to train until his home rink reopened months later. He skated in 60 ice shows and used them as opportunities to train and in the same year, he and other skaters organized a figure skating event to raise money for the earthquake victims.

Last year in October, Yuzuru Hanyu was told that he looked like a certain heroic character who was delicate but fierce from the of the tradition of Anime, an ordinary Japanese tradition. However, Hanyu didn’t see himself that way, but he hoped he would win with some drama. He didn’t know how much drama lay ahead of him until weeks later, Hanyu sustained an injury to his right ankle while he was rehearsing a hard four-revolution jump. Due to the injury, Hanyu wasn’t allowed to compete again and the world champion, as well as a two-time Olympic champion, was really devastated. When he got to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, he showed a little erosion of determination and skill to take the competition. On the day he was to skating at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, Hanyu didn’t perform flawlessly before the eyes of the home crowd in an arena where many fans waved little Japanese flags, but he still managed to show sufficient stamina. His ability to jump, his eclectic spins and even his ethereal grace won him his second consecutive gold medal. He also became the first Japanese to do so and the first Olympic champion to do that since United State’s Dick Button in 1948 and 1952. The ankle wasn’t completely healed, and Hanyu was worried before the games whether or not he would be able to skate again and represent his country at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. But to his surprise, the injured joint held up until he won the race and he even said that he was thankful to his ankle for doing a good job. On the contrary, Hanyu himself took part in the Olympic short and long program and he wasn’t in a hurry but he was determined to finish strong, and finish strong he did. He took the title as the greatest skater ever with his amazing speed, artistry, coverage as well as his technical skill. Dick Button was amazed by the Olympic champion and when he reached him by phone he said that Hanyu was beautiful and moved like a dream. Hanyu was wearing a white tunic and performed like a character from Japanese folklore known as Abe no Seimei, a spiritual adviser, and astrologer who lived in the 11th century. The skater received one perfect score out of 10 for musical interpretation and also two 10's for his program’s design. Hanyu can now appear relaxed much like competitor Julain Yee, a Malaysian skater. People joke with Hanyu, saying he usually looks like he just woke up from bed and went to jump straight into rink.

The reigning Olympic champion and world champion in figure skating, Yuzuru Hanyu will be available at the ice show slated to take place next month in Tokyo according to event organizers. Hanyu won’t feature in the March world championships in Milan at the figure skating event to nurse his ankle injury. The Grand Prix Final champion won’t perform on the ice but he will be part of the speakers in the talk session with guest skaters in April’s show that will be held in Musashino Forest Sports Plaza. In an interview, Hanyu had said he used to ask many skaters how to go about skating, in the past, and that some even influenced him as a growing skater. Hanyu learned much from them and prepared well for any event that he skated in. “The Magnificent Nine” actor will not be losing much when he skips the next world championship as he has several titles to his name already including two world championships, two Olympic championships and four Grand Prix Final championships.

Born and raised in Sendai, Hanyu’s name means “bowstring” and symbolizes confidence, strength and straightness. The skater was inspired by his sister Saya, Olympian Evgeni Pushenko and Johnny Weir. Speaking of Weir, he said that he was a just a beautiful skater and that was the reason he admired him much. The skater and the actor of “The Magnificent Nine” stated that Weir was quite interesting, but that they were not exchanging emails but Weir once sent a message to Hanyu via Twitter when he was at the Four Continents championship. Hanyu said he appreciated the gesture very much. The pair finally met in Japan where Weir help design a free skating costume for his new friend.

Most skaters try to do quads, a jump with four or more revolutions, as cleanly as possible to increase their points and some are more successful than other. Commentators and other skaters admire Hanyu for his well-rounded performances which are a combination of technical precision, artistry, and athleticism. The skater is super talented in figure skating and he is probably the most complete athlete to come out of Japan. Hanyu’s performances tend to cross gender lines with his elegant, dramatic and emotional dance that is common in women’s skating but also through the moves he makes. Beyond his proficient jumps, Hanyu’s routines are usually packed with elaborate spins such as the Biellmann which is a one-foot spin where the other foot is lifted up and behind the head. The move is quite popular with female skaters as it needs a great amount of flexibility to make them look spectacular. His moves are so iconic that his fans have named one of his moves the “Hanyu Spin."

Yuzuru Hanyu has a net worth of $2 million dollars. He has made his net worth from skating and winning the world championships, Olympic championships, Grand Prix Final championships and also starring in a movie, “The Magnificent Nine.” Hanyu is a kind person, and he uses part of his net worth to fund the future skaters in his country.

There is nothing so great like being a celebrated champion. For Hanyu, there is nothing such pleasing like retaining his title, winning the gold medal, and being the pride of your country. The Japanese skater is undoubtedly going far.