A Japanese legend and all-time great is officially hanging it up, reported Jessie Yeung for CNN. Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu announces his retirement from the competition Tuesday evening. His career has been nothing short of iconic for the country of Japan. He’s broken more than a dozen world records and has won two Olympic gold medals.
“I won’t be compared to other competitors anymore,” he stated during a press conference in Tokyo. “But I’ll continue to battle my weaknesses and overcome my past.”
“In terms of results, I’ve achieved everything I could achieve. I stopped wanting to be evaluated.”
During his press conference in Tokyo, the 27-year-old, dressed formally in a suit and tie, highlighted that although he’s taking a step back from competition, he intends to continue his journey as a professional athlete. He went on to add that he still strives to do the impossible. Although nobody has ever completed the quadruple axel, he believes he can still accomplish this. He attempted in 2022 at the Beijing Olympics, however, he proved to be unsuccessful.
Japanese all-time great figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu has announced his retirement from competitionhttps://t.co/fLYTzFpzQC
— CNN International (@cnni) July 19, 2022
Who’s Hanyu and what has he accomplished for Japan?
Hanyu is a two-time world champion and winner of the four Grand Prix Finals. He has a country supporting him and this includes a massive following in China. He’s what Tom Brady is to America China and Japan. In fact, he’s earned the famous nickname “Ice Prince.”
In other words, he’s a big deal. While many may have not heard of him, he’s someone to be respected. Many of his followers often toss Winnie the Pooh on the ice after he’s done performing. Apparently, the TV character represents a form of good luck in Hanyu’s eyes. Although he’s done skating he still wishes his fans and people from around the world to continue to support him and his endeavors going forward.
“I urge you to keep supporting me in my battles,” he expressed, bowing repeatedly to the cameras and reporters.
He won his first gold medal at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at the age of 19. He became the youngest men’s champion since 1948, per CNN. He’s the first Asian man to win figure skating gold.
