羽生結弦
Yuzuru Hanyu is the current Gold medalist and the previous Gold Medalist in the 2014 Olympics for Men's Figure Skating. The last time an Olympian won 2 consecutive golds streaks was 66 years ago by Dick Button. Everyone knows his skating style to be versatile with strong artistry. But Yuzuru is not only know for being one of the, if not the greatest, figure skater the world has ever seen. He is known for his very positive nature, and his kindness and unbelievable sportsmanship, as well. In this post, we will learn just how amazing Yuzu is as an athlete and as a person.
Yuzuru was born was born in December 7, 1994, in Sendai Japan. The characters of his name means a bowstring which is pulled tightly, to signify strength, confidence, and straightness. In Japan, it is often tradition to choose characters you want your child's nature to exhibit. For example, one is named Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) for their beauty. Hanyu was named such by his parents, because they were hoping that he would be hard-working and live a dignified, but simple life.
Yuzuru as a child
Notable Achievements as an Athlete:
- The first Asian figure skater competing in men's singles to win the Olympic Gold, also the youngest to win the Olympic title (at the age of nineteen) since Dick Button in 1948.
- The first Asian figure skater competing in men’s singles to win two consecutive Olympic championships. He is also the first male skater to do so in 66 years, since Dick Button in 1952.
- The first skater from Asia to win the Grand Prix Final, Olympic, and World Championship titles in the same season (2013-14) and the only skater to do so since Alexei Yagudin (in 2002).
- Holds the record for the largest victory margin at an Olympics, Worlds or Grand Prix Final (37.48 points, 2015–2016 Grand Prix Final).
- The first skater in history to successfully land a quadruple loop in competition.
The first and only singles skater in history to win 4 consecutive Grand Prix Final titles (2013–2016).
The first men's singles skater from Asia to win multiple World Championships.
The first skater to successfully land 3 quadruple jumps in the second half of a free skating program (2017 World Team Trophy).
He broke 12 world records in his career as a figure skater. He is THAT consistent and THAT strong as an athlete.
As athletes, you don't only need to be physically strong, but also mentally. Yuzuru trains in Canada with his coach Brian Orser, under the close watch of Japanese media. He is a sensation in Japan. He is always under scrutiny and all eyes are on him. That's a lot to take as an athlete, I imagine cameras around me as a train would be a distraction, but he is so mentally strong that even after years and years of this, he still manages to keep a calm state of mind.
In figure skating, there are two kinds of programs, The Short and the Long. The short program lasts for 2 minutes and 50 seconds, with a list of required elements to be achieved, while the long program lasts for 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Yuzuru's most notable program was what everyone know as Seimei that debuted in his 2015-2016 season. Seimei has traditional Japanese music from a Japanese movie about a character in Japanese folklore: Abe no Seimei, a spiritual adviser and astrologer from the 11th century with Merlin-like mystical powers. He talked about the decision to do this program in hopes to display to everyone the versatility and beauty of Japan.
He is well-loved by his fellow athletes for his light-hearted nature and loved by his country for that, as well. He can be a goofball along with fellow athletes on the ice, the media adores him because he just seems to always say the right things. In nature, he is goal oriented as anyone can see and very driven. I really adore Yuzu as an athlete and one of the things I live by in life that was greatly influenced by him was when he said :
"If you cannot do it, practice until you can do it. If you can do it, then practice till you can do it perfectly. If you can do it perfectly, then practice until you can do it perfectly every time."
Pooh Bear Obsession
What the Ice looked like after Yuzu's skate:
That's it for Yuzuru Hanyu! Let's all Congratulate him in his victory for the Gold medal once again. May we learn something from him and his nature as an athlete. I also hope he inspires not only figure skaters, but any other discipline as well. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post. All the love!! xx