Yuzuru Hanyu has arrived in Beijing for Winter Olympics
FILE – Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu competes in the men’s free skate during the 2021-22 Japan Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama on December 26, 2021. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
BEIJING – Having kept fans, media and even team mates guessing for days about his whereabouts, Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu finally touched down in Beijing on Sunday, two days before he begins his quest for a third gold at the Winter Games.
With his conspicuous absence until now, the 27-year-old had fans in an online frenzy, the suspense of his arrival building up to such an extent that a hitherto cagey Japanese delegation broke their own rule to confirm his touchdown.
Touchdown: Hanyu Yuzuru has arrived in Beijing for the Olympic Winter Games.@Japan_Olympics #羽生結弦
— Olympics (@Olympics) February 6, 2022
Ahead of the official word, members of the media had gathered in bigger-than-usual numbers at the rink where Hanyu was on the daily list of practice sessions on Sunday evening.
The defending Olympic champion begins his competition in the men’s singles on Tuesday.
Hanyu, who has millions of fans around the world, has made it his mission to become the first skater to land the quadruple Axel — regarded as the most difficult of the six figure-skating jumps — and include it in his Beijing program to win the title. He has hardly competed this season due to injury.
If he succeeds, Hanyu would achieve another milestone of becoming the first Olympian in nearly a century to win a third straight gold. Triple world champion Nathan Chen of the United States is seen as his closest rival for the trophy.
