KYODO NEWS – Jul 18, 2022 – 16:52 | Sports, All
Japanese figure skating icon Yuzuru Hanyu has called a press conference to make a “major announcement,” his management company said Monday.
The 27-year-old will speak at 5 p.m. Tuesday in Tokyo, fueling speculation he could be about to retire from competitive figure skating following a string of injuries that have curtailed his time on the ice in recent years.
Hanyu is a two-time world champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time Grand Prix Final winner, the 2020 Four Continents champion and a six-time national champion.
After an unsuccessful three-peat bid at the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, where he sprained his right ankle and finished fourth, Hanyu said about his future, “It doesn’t matter what field it will be. It could be an ice show or a competition.”
He has otherwise kept silent on the matter.
A native of Sendai in northeastern Japan’s Tohoku region, Hanyu inspired victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the area with his victory at the 2014 Sochi Games.
He made a historic defense of his Olympic championship at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and became the youngest recipient of the Japanese government’s People’s Honor Award at age 23.
He narrowly missed becoming the first-ever athlete to land the elusive quadruple axel in competition during his free skate in Beijing, falling on his attempt at the four-and-a-half rotation jump.
He withdrew from the world championships in March as he had not recovered from the ankle sprain he sustained at the Beijing Games.
The 2022-2023 Grand Prix assignments are slated to be announced by the International Skating Union soon.
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KYODO NEWS – 10 hours ago – 21:42 | World, Japan, Sports, All
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