Yuzuru Hanyu (羽生 結弦,Hanyū Yuzuru;Hiragana:はにゅう ゆづる; born December 7, 1994) is a Japanesefigure skater andice show producer. Universally regarded as one of the greatest figure skaters in history[note 1] for his well-rounded skills, achievements, innovations, longevity, popularity, and impact on the sport, he started skating at four years old and competed in themen's singles discipline from 2004 to 2022. Hanyu is the first men's single skater in 66 years sinceDick Button to winback-to-back Olympic titles (2014,2018), and the first Asian Olympic champion in that discipline. He is atwo-time World champion (2014,2017), six-timeJapanese national champion (2012–2015, 2020–2021), and the first singles skater to win four consecutiveGrand Prix Finals (2013–2016). With his win at the2020 Four Continents Championships, he became the first skater in men's singles to complete theSuper Slam, having won all major international junior and senior titles in the course of his career. He is also the only single skater to be ranked first in theISU World Standings for five consecutive seasons (2014–2018). Hanyu brokeworld records 19 times, the most in singles since the introduction of theISU Judging System in 2003, and was the first skater to land aquadrupleloop jump in international competition among otherachievements.
According toNikkei Asia, Hanyu's move toprofessional level in 2022 marked the "end of an era" in competitive figure skating. His first major work as a professional is the ongoingYuzuru Hanyu Ice Story series, with its prelude eventPrologue (2022) being the first solo ice show and theRepray Tour (2023–24) the first solo tour production in figure skating. His second solo showGift (2023) was the firstice skating event to be held atTokyo Dome, breaking the record for the largest ice show audience with 35,000 people. Hanyu's Ice Story series, which has attracted more than 100,000 spectators in total by February 2024, opened a new genre of performing art and entertainment, weaving live skating performances into comprehensive, philosophical stories with elaborate on-screen narration.
At 16 years old, Hanyu experienced the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in his hometown ofSendai, which fundamentally shaped his life and career, having participated in different charity events and dedicated various performances to the victims of the disaster. He is also the chairperson ofNippon TV's annual3.11 commemoration ice showYuzuru Hanyu Notte Stellata, inaugurated in 2023. Since the earthquake, Hanyu has donated a cumulative total of more than $3 million USD for reconstruction, disaster prevention, and other humanitarian efforts. The donations include the full prize money of his Olympic wins and all royalties from his best-selling autobiography seriesBlue Flames I–IV.
In recognition of his achievements, Hanyu became the youngest recipient of thePeople's Honor Award (2018), bestowed by thePrime Minister of Japan, receivedJapan's Medal of Honor with purple ribbon twice (2014, 2018) and was awarded theKikuchi Kan Prize (2022). He is the first figure skater to be nominated for theLaureus World Sports Award (2019) and was named the Most Valuable Skater at the inauguralISU Skating Awards (2020). He was also featured in prestigious lists, such asForbes' 30 Under 30 Asia (2018),ESPN's top 25 of greatest Olympians of the 21st century (#10), and theInternational Sports Press Association's [fr] list of most impactful male athletes of the last 100 years (#6) (both 2024). In 2022, he was ranked sixth in the list of most-searched athletes onGoogle Search worldwide.
Yuzuru Hanyu was born on December 7, 1994, inIzumi ward,Sendai, Japan, as the second child to father Hidetoshi Hanyu, a junior high school teacher, and mother Yumi Hanyu, a former clerk at a department store.[13][14] Hanyu's given name結弦 (Yuzuru;lit. 'tie the bowstring') comes from the idea of "living a dignified life like a strongly-tied string of a bow”,[15] thus symbolizing confidence, strength, and straightness.[16] Hanyu's father was an advisor to thebaseball school club and recommended the sport to his son, but Hanyu eventually decided to pursue a career infigure skating. His mother used to make the costumes in his early career,[13] including thefree skate costume for the2010–11 season, which was designed by American figure skaterJohnny Weir.[16][17] In 2012, she moved with Hanyu to Toronto, Canada, and accompanied him during training, while his father and older sister, Saya, stayed in Japan.[13]
At the age of two, Hanyu was diagnosed withasthma, a condition that gradually improved with time yet negatively affected his stamina, especially during his junior career.[16] He began skating at the age of four atIce Rink Sendai [ja] (formerly Konami Sports Club) in Izumi,[18]: 2 after coach Mami Yamada had suggested he try the sport instead of being a nuisance during his sister's training.[19] Yamada noted Hanyu's impatience when he first got onto the ice, but also praised him for his sincerity.[20] Coaching him until the end of his second grade in elementary school, Yamada had to move to another prefecture and askedShōichirō Tsuzuki [ja], former coach of Japan's firstWorld medalist,Minoru Sano, to train Hanyu and "not put his talent to waste".[20][21] Hanyu described Tsuzuki's practice sessions as particularly strict and exhausting, tempting him to skip lessons at times, but he appreciated Tsuzuki's approach to build a solid foundation of skills and focus on basic training, noting: "He placed so much emphasis on skating and theAxel jump. Perhaps that made me confident to this day that the Axel is my forte."[22]
Hanyu competed for the first time in the 2004–05 season, winning gold at the Japan Championships in the Novice B category, the lower of the two novice level categories.[18]: 2 His home rink then closed due to financial issues, forcing him to switch to theKatsuyama Skating Club [ja] inAoba ward, Sendai. The same year, Shōichirō Tsuzuki moved toYokohama, andNanami Abe became Hanyu's main coach and choreographer, guiding him until 2012.[18]: 2 On weekends, Hanyu travelled three hours from Sendai to Yokohama for additional lessons at Tsuzuki's new skating club. In summer 2006, at 11 years old, Hanyu's confidence showed up when initiating aspin battle against that year's Olympic silver medalist,Stéphane Lambiel,[18]: 3 who was known for his world-class spins. Hanyu suffered a disarming defeat, which he remembered as an important career lesson: "After competing against him, I decided to improve my spins as well. You will definitely improve, learning from [the best]."[23] In the 2006–07 season, Hanyu won the bronze medal at the Japan Championships in the Novice A category, which earned him an invitation to theJapan Junior Championships, where he placed seventh.[24] His home rink in Izumi ward eventually reopened in 2007 after being closed for two years.[25] The next season, he placed first at the Japan Championships in the Novice A category and won the bronze medal at theJapan Junior Championships.[24]
In2008–09, Hanyu moved up to junior level and made his international debut in theISU Junior Grand Prix at theMerano Cup in Italy, where he placed fifth.[26] The same season, he won gold at theJapan Junior Championships, becoming the youngest male skater with 13 years to win the event.[19] This result earned him an invitation to theJapan Senior Championships for the first time, where he placed eighth. His national junior title also qualified him for the2009 World Junior Championships in February, where he finished 12th with anISU personal best score of 161.77 points in the combined total.[24] In that season, Hanyu had included the triple Axel, a jump with three and a half revolutions, in his programs for the first time, though receiving negativegrades of execution (GOE) for all three attempts.[27] The following2009–10 season marked the beginning of an 11-year-long quest for the firstSuper Slam in themen's singles discipline, with wins at theISU Junior Grand Prix Final andWorld Junior Championships. Hanyu placed first at both of his Grand Prix assignments, inPoland andCroatia, and entered theFinal as the top qualifier,[19] which he won with a new personal best score of 206.77 points.[28] AtJunior Nationals, he successfully defended his title from the previous season,[19] qualifying him for theSenior Nationals, where he finished sixth.[29] Based on his results, Hanyu was selected to compete at the2010 World Junior Championships, winning gold after placing third in theshort program and first in the free skate with a new personal best score of 216.10 points. Hanyu became the fourth and youngest Japanese man to win the junior world title.[30] In that season, he had significantly improved the quality of the triple Axel, his most difficult technical element at that time, having landed nine jumps with positive GOE in ten attempts.[27]
In the2010–11 season, Hanyu moved up to senior level at 15 years old, facing significant competition in the Japanese men's field, includingDaisuke Takahashi,Nobunari Oda,Takahiko Kozuka, andTatsuki Machida, who all had finished ahead of him at the previous Japan Championships.[29][31] Hanyu skated his short program to "White Legend" fromPyotr Tchaikovsky's balletSwan Lake, performed by Japanese violinistIkuko Kawai, and usedZigeunerweisen byPablo de Sarasate for the free skate.[32][33] He gave his international senior debut at the2010 NHK Trophy, where he landed his first successfulquadruple jump at an ISU-sanctioned event; a quadtoe loop. He placed fourth overall at the competition and seventh at the subsequentRostelecom Cup, missing out on a medal at his first two seniorGrand Prix events.[32] At the2010–11 Japan Championships, Hanyu was in second place after the short program, but faltered in the free skate and finished fourth overall.[24] The next year, at the2011 Four Continents Championships, he won his first medal at a main international senior competition,[32] placing second behind Daisuke Takahashi with a new personal best score of 228.01 points.[34] At 16 years old, Hanyu became the youngest medalist at the Four Continents Championships.[32]
On March 11, 2011, he was skating at his home rink in Sendai when the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami struck his hometown and the Tōhoku region. With his house being damaged, he had to spend the following three days with his family at an evacuation center.[16][31] A month later, on April 7, the water pipes at his rink burst as a result of anaftershock, known as theApril 2011 Miyagi earthquake,[35] and Hanyu was forced to move his training base to Yokohama andHachinohe until his home rink reopened on July 24, 2011.[31] In the meantime, he had participated in 60ice shows across Japan, using them as an opportunity to get additional practice time and raise money for the areas affected by the disaster.[16][32]
In the2011–12 season, Hanyu skated his short program toAlexander Scriabin'sÉtude in D-sharp minor and the free skate to a medley ofRomeo + Juliet byCraig Armstrong. The choreographies were created by Nanami Abe in collaboration withNatalia Bestemianova andIgor Bobrin from Russia.[33][36] Hanyu opened the season at theNebelhorn Trophy, where he won his first gold medal at an international senior competition. During the event, he shared his career goals with the media: "My goals for the future are to land all quad jumps in competition. I would also like to learn the quad Axel. Another goal is to win the next two Olympics, or at least win medals."[19] For the2011–12 Grand Prix series, he was assigned to theCup of China, where he placed fourth, and theRostelecom Cup, which he won with one of the closest margins of 0.03 points ahead ofJavier Fernández from Spain.[37][38] The results qualified him for his first seniorGrand Prix Final, where he finished fourth. Hanyu then won the bronze medal at theJapan Championships,[37] earning a spot on the Japanese team for the2012 World Championships. At his senior Worlds debut, he competed on a sprained ankle,[19] placing seventh in the short program, but with a strong free skate he moved up to third place overall, winning the bronze medal with a new personal best score of 251.06 points.[39] He became the youngest Japanese world medalist, finishing behind then two-time world championPatrick Chan (gold) and Daisuke Takahashi (silver). After the competition, both skaters acknowledged Hanyu as a potential strong rival in the future.[40]
Upon the conclusion of the 2011–12 season, Hanyu changed coaches, training withBrian Orser andTracy Wilson at theToronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club (Toronto CSCC) in Canada, who had coached Korean single skaterYuna Kim to Olympic gold in2010 among others.[41][42] Hanyu's main motivation for the change were the consistent quadruple jumps performed by Orser's student Javier Fernández.[43] According to Hidehito Ito, figure skating director of theJapan Skating Federation, the change was also necessary to "challenge" Hanyu and "raise the level [of his skating] more".[41][44] The first months, Hanyu was making frequent trips to Toronto, but continued to attend high school in Sendai.[41] After moving to Canada, he increased his on-ice training to 3–4 hours a day, up from 1–2 hours, which had been due to limited ice time in Sendai, schooling, and asthma.[16][25]
In the first season at his new skating club, Hanyu teamed up with two new choreographers. His short program was created by the2008 World champion,Jeffrey Buttle, to "Parisienne Walkways" byGary Moore, and the free skate was choreographed by CanadianDavid Wilson to a medley ofRiccardo Cocciante's musicalNotre-Dame de Paris.[33][36] The coaching change resulted in immediate success; At the2012 Finlandia Trophy, Hanyu landed his first quadrupleSalchow in international competition and won the event.[45][46] In the Grand Prix series, he scored his first twoworld records in the short program with 95.07 points at the2012 Skate America,[47][48] where he finished second behind Takahiko Kozuka,[36] and 95.32 points at theNHK Trophy, which he won ahead of Daisuke Takahashi.[47][49] The placements qualified him for theGrand Prix Final, where he finished second behind Takahashi and beat Patrick Chan for the first time in competition.[50] At theJapan Championships, Hanyu won his first national senior title, defeating the reigning and five-time national champion, Daisuke Takahashi, scoring an unofficial record of 285.23 points in the combined total.[51][note 2] However, his win was not well received among spectators and officials, being booed on the podium, but Orser encouraged his student, saying: "They will come around. Just give it some time and they will come your way."[44] After the2013 Four Continents Championships, where he had finished second behind CanadianKevin Reynolds, Hanyu suffered a knee injury and resumed training two weeks prior to theWorld Championships. An additional ankle sprain in practice forced him to compete on painkillers.[52]: 3 Placing ninth after the short program, he fought back with a strong free skate, finishing fourth overall behind Patrick Chan (gold),Denis Ten (silver), and Javier Fernández (bronze), and earning a third spot for Japanese men at the2014 Winter Olympics.[46]
For his first Olympic season, Hanyu returned to his short program "Parisienne Walkways" and selectedNino Rota's music fromRomeo and Juliet for the free skate, choreographed by David Wilson.[53] He launched the season with a win at the2013 Finlandia Trophy and won silver in both of his Grand Prix events, the2013 Skate Canada andTrophée Éric Bompard, qualifying him for the2013–14 Grand Prix Final.[53][54] At the Final, he set a new world record in the short program with 99.84 points and placed first overall ahead of Patrick Chan (silver) and Nobunari Oda (bronze), winning his first major international senior title.[48][55] At theJapan Championships, Hanyu went on to win a second national title and was selected to represent the Japanese team at the2014 Winter Olympics andWorld Championships.[53] At the Winter Olympics inSochi, he participated in the men's short program of thefigure skating team event, earning ten points forTeam Japan.[56] In the individual event, he broke his world record, becoming the first skater to score above 100 points in the short program with a score of 101.45.[44] Despite two falls in the free skate, he managed to win the event with a newOlympic record of 280.09 points in the combined total, finishing ahead of Patrick Chan (silver) and Denis Ten (bronze).[57][58] With his win, Hanyu became the youngest gold medalist since AmericanDick Button in1948.[57] It was the first Olympic title for an Asian skater in the men's singles event and the second for Japan in figure skating, followingShizuka Arakawa's win in thewomen's event in 2006 inTurin.[59][60] Hanyu concluded the season with a victory at the World Championships inSaitama, Japan, defeating compatriot Tatsuki Machida with 0.33 points and becoming the first skater to win the Olympics, Worlds, and the Grand Prix Final in the same season after RussianAlexei Yagudin in 2002–01.[44][61]
After the Sochi Olympics, Hanyu's coaching team was joined by jump expertGhislain Briand who had coached Canadian skaterElvis Stojko to Olympic silver and two world titles in the 1990s.[62][63] After Stojko's retirement, Briand was convinced that he would "never have the opportunity to work with another athlete with that much talent, dedication, and passion."[63] However, with Hanyu, Briand had eventually found a student who was open towards his unconventional training methods and analysis offigure skating jumps, stating: "Yuzu is probably the first athlete who really recognizes what I do with him. He is the perfect model and he masters his art like no one else. It sometimes makes the job easier, but his higher level also comes with many challenges."[62]: 1
In the2014–15 season, Hanyu skated his short program toFrédéric Chopin'sBallade No. 1 in G minor and selected a medley fromAndrew Lloyd Webber's musicalThe Phantom of the Opera for the free skate. The programs were choreographed by Jeffrey Buttle andShae-Lynn Bourne, respectively, who created all short and free skate programs for Hanyu from 2014 onward.[36] For Hanyu, the 2014–15 season was shaped by a series of injuries, starting with an accident in practice, where he hurt his back and was forced to withdraw from the2014 Finlandia Trophy.[64][65] In his first Grand Prix event at theCup of China, he collided with Chinese skaterYan Han during the free skate warm-up, suffering bruises on his head and chin along with injuring his midriff, left thigh, and right leg. Despite his severe condition, he decided to compete in the free skate and managed to finish second overall behindMaxim Kovtun from Russia.[66][67] At theNHK Trophy, he came in fourth, securing his place at theGrand Prix Final by one of the slimmest margins of 0.15 points.[68] At the Final, he successfully defended his title with 34.26 points ahead of silver medalist Javier Fernández.[64][69] In December, Hanyu competed at the2014–15 Japan Championships, placing first in both segments and winning his third consecutive national title.[70] However, he was forced to withdraw from the exhibition gala due toabdominal pain. He was diagnosed with a tubal residual disease and had to undergo surgery on his bladder, being hospitalized for two weeks and resting for another month.[71][72] His series of injuries continued with a sprain of his right ankle that forced him to stay in Japan until the2015 World Championships, where he finished second behind Fernández by less than three points.[64][73] In April, Hanyu competed for the first time at theISU World Team Trophy, placing first in both competition segments and earning 24 points to help Team Japan win the bronze medal behind Team USA (gold) and Team Russia (silver).[74]
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For the2015–16 season, Hanyu returned to his short program Ballade No. 1 and selected the soundtrack of the filmsOnmyōji andOnmyōji II byShigeru Umebayashi for the free skate, portraying the Japanese philosopher and astronomerAbe no Seimei.[75] He started the season by winning gold at the2015 Autumn Classic, finishing 36 points ahead of silver medalistNam Nguyen.[76] However, in his first Grand Prix event atSkate Canada, he placed sixth in the short program after invalidating two jumping passes, finishing second overall behind Patrick Chan.[77][78] Hanyu had been struggling with his short program layout throughout the previous season that included a quad toe loop and a tripleLutz-triple toe loop combination in the second half.[78][79] While his coach Brian Orser suggested a more "conservative" change, Hanyu decided to add another quad, stating: "I thought by the time of the Pyeongchang Olympics, you cannot win without a short program that includes two quads with difficult entries and exits—plus excellent footwork, spins, and presentation. As the reigning Olympic champion, I want to be absolutely dominant."[79] The offensive strategy earned him a series of back-to-back world records within two weeks: At the2015 NHK Trophy, he set new highest scores of 106.33 in the short program, 216.07 in the free skate, and 322.40 in the combined total, becoming the first skater to score above 200 and 300 points in the two segments, respectively.[80][81] It was the first free skate performance of Hanyu's competitive career with all-positive grades of execution, featuring three quadruple jumps and two triple Axels.[81][82] At the2015–16 Grand Prix Final in Barcelona, he broke his own records in all three segments with 110.95 points in the short program, 219.48 in the free skate, and 330.43 overall, becoming the first man to win the Grand Prix Final for three consecutive seasons.[80][82] He finished 37.48 points ahead of Javier Fernández, breaking the record of the largest victory margin at the Grand Prix Final, which was held byEvgeni Plushenko with 35.10 points in 2004.[83] At theJapan Championships, Hanyu won his fourth consecutive national title after placing first in both segments.[84] However, a lingering pain in his left foot worsened throughout the season, threatening his participation at the2016 World Championships in Boston.[85][86] At the event, he managed to skate another clean short program of 110.56 points, but faltered in the free skate, placing second overall behind Fernández.[82][87] It was subsequently announced that Hanyu had been diagnosed with aLisfranc injury in his left foot, forcing him off ice for two months.[85][86]
In the2016–17 season, Hanyu skated to the song "Let's Go Crazy" byPrince in the short program and a medley of "Asian Dream Song" and "View of Silence" byJoe Hisaishi, titledHope and Legacy, in the free skate.[88] He opened the season with a win at the2016 Autumn Classic, becoming the first skater to successfully land a quadrupleloop jump in competition.[61][89] After a rough performance atSkate Canada with a second-place finish behind Patrick Chan, Hanyu and Orser had a debate on the approach for the next competitions. While Orser described the performances as a "skeleton of the [planned] choreography" and pleaded to work on the "total package", Hanyu was convinced that landing his jumps was the key to a well-rounded program.[90] The strategy paid off with a win at theNHK Trophy, surpassing the 300 mark with a total score of 301.47.[91] At the2016–17 Grand Prix Final in Marseille, Hanyu placed first the short program with a season's best score of 106.53. In the free skate, he made mistakes on three jumping passes, placing third in the segment, but his advantage from the short program was enough to stay in first overall, becoming the first male single skater to win four consecutive Grand Prix Finals.[92] After contracting the flu, Hanyu was forced to withdraw from theJapan Championships, missing the event for the first time.[89] At the2017 Four Continents Championships, he placed third in the short program after turning his quad Salchow into a double,[89] a jump that had caused him issues throughout the season.[93] He fought back with a strong free skate, placing first in the segment and scoring a new season's best of 303.71 points in the combined total. However, he finished second behind AmericanNathan Chen by about four points, taking the silver medal for a third time.[94] At theWorld Championships, Hanyu moved up from fifth place after the short program to first with a clean free skate performance that featured four quadruple jumps and two triple Axels. He scored a new world record of 223.20 points in the segment and won his second world title, finishing ahead of his compatriotShoma Uno (silver) andJin Boyang from China (bronze).[95] The event marked the first time that all three medalists scored above 300 points.[58] In July 2022, Hanyu named the free skate performance ofHope and Legacy as the one that he thought would represent him best and was the most perfectly executed of his competitive career.[96]: 1 At the2017 World Team Trophy, the final competition of the season, he came in seventh place after an error-filled short program, but placed first in the free skating,[89] becoming the first skater to complete three quadruple jumps in the second half of a skating program. He contributed 18 points to the team score and won gold with Team Japan.[97]
For theOlympic season, Hanyu returned to his short program Ballade No. 1 and free skateSeimei from the 2015–16 season.[36] At the2017 CS Autumn Classic, he scored a new world record of 112.72 points in the short program;[48] at theRostelecom Cup, he landed his first successful quadruple Lutz jump in international competition.[98] However, due to mistakes, he finished second at both events behind Javier Fernández and Nathan Chen, respectively.[98][90] In November, Hanyu was scheduled to compete at theNHK Trophy, but injured alateral ligament in his right ankle after a fall on a quad Lutz in practice and was forced to withdraw from all remaining competitions of the year.[90][99] At the2018 Winter Olympics inPyeongchang, he placed first in the short program with a new Olympic record of 111.68 points.[58][100] In the free skating, he missed a jump combination and stumbled on his final triple Lutz, placing second in the segment, but it was enough to stay in first overall ahead of Shoma Uno (silver) and Javier Fernández (bronze), scoring another Olympic record of 317.85 points in the combined total.[58][101] With his win, Hanyu became the first male single skater in 66 years to successfully defend his Olympic title since Dick Button in1952.[90][101] Upon the conclusion of the Olympics, Hanyu announced the quadruple Axel as his next career goal, a jump that hadn't been landed in competition until then.[102] In order to allow his injured ankle to recover, he decided to withdraw from theWorld Championships,[103] but remained first in theworld standings for a fifth consecutive time at the end of the 2017–18 season.[2]
For the2018–19 season, Hanyu selected his programs with the thought to pay tribute to the skating idols of his childhood. His short program to "Otoñal" byRaúl Di Blasio was dedicated to American skater Johnny Weir who had used the piece for his free skate in the 2004–05 season. Hanyu's new free skate programOrigin, a medley of the pieces "Art on Ice" and "Magic Stradivarius" byEdvin Marton, was a homage to Russian Evgeni Plushenko who had skated to the music in his free skateTribute to Nijinsky in 2003–04.[88][104] Regarding his program choices, Hanyu remarked: "I am satisfied that as a result [of my Olympic success] I have been released from the pressure that I have to produce results. I think and feel that I can skate for myself from now on. I want to go back to my skating origins."[104]
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Hanyu opened the season with a win at the2018 Autumn Classic, but expressed dissatisfaction with his performances, pledging to improve in the next competitions.[105] At theGrand Prix of Helsinki, he sethighest scores in all segments under the new +5/-5 GOEjudging system,[note 3] earning 106.69 points in the short program, 190.43 in the free skate, and 297.12 points in the combined total. He also became the first skater to land a quad toe loop-triple Axeljump sequence in competition, winning the event by about 40 points overMichal Březina.[107][108] At theRostelecom Cup in Moscow, Hanyu upped the short program record to 110.53 points, but on the following day, he re-injured his right ankle in practice after falling on a quad loop. Yet he opted to compete, aided by painkillers, and managed to place first in all segments, winning gold at both of his Grand Prix assignments for the first time.[109] After the competition, Hanyu admitted: "I thought about withdrawing because of the injury, but it is my choice. I really wanted to skate this program in Russia."[110] Due to the injured ligaments and tendons in his right foot, he was forced to withdraw from theGrand Prix Final andJapan Championships, taking about three weeks of rest and another month of rehabilitation.[108][111] At the2019 World Championships in Saitama, Hanyu placed third in the short program after turning his opening quad Salchow into a double,[108] but came back with a strong free skate, becoming the first skater to surpass the 200 and 300 marks in the new judging system with 206.10 points in the free skate and 300.97 in total. However, he finished second behind Nathan Chen who bested both scores later in the event.[112][113] Similar to his preparations for the Olympics, Hanyu had relied on painkillers before and during the competition to make jumping possible.[108] Due to the injury, he was forced to withdraw from the season's final event, theWorld Team Trophy.[114]
In2019–20, Hanyu returned to the short program "Otoñal" and free skateOrigin,[36] and launched the new season with a solid win at the2019 Autumn Classic. Brian Orser praised his student, noting that he has "never seen him at this time of the year to be so focused."[115] In the Grand Prix series, Hanyu won his first gold medal atSkate Canada, scoring new personal bests of 212.99 in the free skate and 322.59 in the combined total.[116] He placed first with a new largest victory margin of 59.82 points ahead of Nam Nguyen, improving his own record of 55.97 points from 2015.[117] Hanyu expressed his satisfaction with the performance, feeling reaffirmed about the image of skating he was aiming for, and added: "For the first in a long time, I genuinely felt being able to win against myself."[118] At theNHK Trophy, he captured another gold with a total score above 300 and more than 55 points ahead of silver medalistKevin Aymoz.[119][120] At theGrand Prix Final, Hanyu went into the short program without company due to a delayed arrival of his coach Ghislain Briand. In his performance, he missed a mandatory jump combination, placing second in the segment and trailing Nathan Chen by about 13 points.[120] In the free skate, Hanyu landed five quadruple jumps in one program for the first time in his career, including his first attempt on a quad Lutz since 2017, but missed a planned triple Axel-triple Axel sequence, finishing second overall behind Chen by more than 43 points.[121]
Competing at his firstJapanese championships since the 2016–17 season, Hanyu placed first in the short program, 5.01 points ahead ofShoma Uno.[122] Several jump errors in the free skate saw him place third in that segment, behind Uno andYuma Kagiyama, and win the silver medal overall. It was Hanyu's first loss to Uno.[123] Heading into theFour Continents Championships inSeoul, Hanyu opted to return to his Ballade No. 1 (Chopin) program and his "Seimei" program from prior seasons.[124] Referencing the2018 Winter Olympics which were held in Pyeongchang, Hanyu noted that while he wanted to win a gold medal once again in South Korea, he wanted to showcase and focus on his own style of figure skating even more. In the short program, Hanyu broke his previous world record with 111.82 points.[125] Hanyu called it "the most perfect performance I've ever done."[126] Despite errors on two of his quad attempts in the free skate, he won that segment as well, taking the gold medal overall with 299.42 points.[127] Hanyu's victory on February 9, made him the first and only male singles skater to win all of the major ISU championship events at the junior and senior levels, a feat known as theSuper Slam, previously only achieved by five other competitors in the other three skating disciplines.[128] He was assigned to compete at theWorld Championships inMontreal, but these were canceled as a result of thecoronavirus pandemic.[129] At theISU Skating Awards in 2020, Hanyu was nominated for Best Costume and Most Valuable Skater for the 2019–2020 season, and proceeded to win the latter.[130]
In 2021, due to travel restrictions related to thecoronavirus pandemic, Hanyu started to train alone in Sendai with some remote consultation from his coaches. Despite the difficulties of training alone, Hanyu found that it had been a good opportunity to learn how to control and analyze himself,[131] which led him not return to Canada until he turned professional and made Ice Rink Sendai his training base again.[132] Hanyu also opted to receive remote choreography for his programs ever since and has contributed significantly to the choreography of his programs in the 2020–21 season.[133] On August 28, he announced that he would skip theGrand Prix series, citing the risk ofCOVID-19 for himself, the competition staff, and for his fans who would gather to support him.[134] Despite feeling "conflicted" over whether he should have competed or not as COVID-19 continued and practicing without his coaching team, Hanyu decided to compete inJapanese championships, which doubled as the final qualifier for the upcoming World Championships inStockholm.[135][136] He placed first in the short program (103.53 points) and the free skate (215.83 points) with all positive grades of execution on jumping passes and won his fifth national figure skating title with a total score of 319.36 points.[137][138]
The2021 World Championships were to be the first direct competition between Hanyu andNathan Chen since the2019–20 Grand Prix Final.[139] Hanyu placed first in the short program with a solid performance, 6.02 points ahead of compatriotYuma Kagiyama.[140] In the free skate, Hanyu opened his program with two quadruple jumps and a triple Axel but received negative grades of execution for all three of them. Scoring 182.20 points, he placed fourth in the free skate and third overall, behind Chen and Kagiyama.[141] It was the first competition Hanyu had placed below second since 2014; however, he became the first male single skater besides GermanJan Hoffmann to win seven World medals in the post-war era since 1946.[5] On the following day, Hanyu confirmed the report of his asthma attack by overseas media. He stated that he felt a little painful after finishing the free skate, and explained: "There were few small troubles that kept stacking up ... However, if asked whether that was what led to the huge mistake (in the free skate), I don't think it was as big of a miss as it was in terms of the miss in the score."[142] Hanyu's placement combined with Kagiyama's qualified three berths for Japanese men at the2022 Winter Olympics.[143] Hanyu competed as part of Team Japan for the2021 World Team Trophy. He placed second in both the short program and the free skate, only behind Nathan Chen. He achieved a personal season's best score in both the short program and the free skate with 107.12 and 193.76 points respectively and earned a total of 22 points to help his team take home the bronze medal.[144][145][146]
Hanyu confirmed his plans to compete in the2021–22 Olympic season, and was scheduled to compete at the2021 NHK Trophy and2021 Rostelecom Cup in November for the2021–22 Grand Prix series.[147] On November 4, 2021, the Japan Skating Federation announced Hanyu's withdrawal from the NHK Trophy due to an injury in his right ankle ligament during a fall in practice.[148] The JSF subsequently announced his withdrawal from the Rostelecom Cup prior to the event, but said that he would remain in consideration for the Olympic team.[149][150]
Hanyu made his season debut at the2021–22 Japan Figure Skating Championships, placing first in both the short program and free skate, winning his sixthJapanese National title, tyingTakeshi Honda's record of most national titles in the last 50 years. He also attempted aquadrupleAxel for the first time during the free skate, although it was downgraded to a triple Axel with a two-footed landing.[151] Hanyu was assigned to represent Japan at the2022 Winter Olympics and the2022 World Championships.[151][152]
At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Hanyu missed his opening quadruple Salchow jump in the short program due to a hole in the ice and placed eighth with 95.15 points, qualifying him for the free skate. The score was his lowest in the segment since the 2019 World Championships.[153] In the free skate, he fell twice in his first two opening jumps, a quadruple Axel and a quad Salchow.[154] His quad Axel attempt is the first that was not downgraded to triple Axel.[155] Other than these two mistakes, he delivered a clean skate, placing third in the free skate and fourth place overall with a total score of 283.21 points, behind fellow Japanese compatriot and bronze medalist Shoma Uno.[154] Following his free skate, Hanyu confirmed in a press conference that he had re-injured his right ankle in practice the day before the free skate, but since it was the Olympics and not a normal competition, he chose to compete on painkillers instead of withdrawing.[156] On March 1, 2022, the Japan Skating Federation announced Hanyu's withdrawal from the 2022 World Championships due to the unhealed injury.[157]
At a press conference on July 19, 2022, Hanyu announced his decision to "step away" from competitive figure skating at amateur level and turnprofessional, stating that "he had achieved everything he could achieve" and would no longer "seek those kinds of evaluations."[158][159] He also stated his intention to continue pursuing his "ideal skating" and dream of completing the quadruple Axel as a professional athlete.Nikkei Asia andInternational Figure Skating noted that Hanyu's exit from the competitive circuit "marks the end of an era".[160][161]Juliet Macur ofThe New York Times remarked that "we may never see another skater like Yuzuru Hanyu".[159] Numerous sports figures from and outside figure skating reacted to Hanyu's announcement with gratitude and praise, including Japanese gymnastKōhei Uchimura,[162] baseball playerShohei Ohtani, and tennis playerNaomi Osaka.[163][164]
In August and September 2022, Hanyu opened accounts on social media, having eschewed it for years, that are mainly managed by staff.[165] He stated his intention to show his skating through hisYouTube channel and increase opportunities for everyone to watch it, including those who are unable to attend ice shows.[166] On August 10, he live-streamed an open practice session on his channel titledShare Practice where he presented some of his past programs, including three run-throughs and a clean performance of his free skateSeimei with the same elements as used in his layout at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The session was open to the press, followed from the rinkside by numerous journalists and photographers, and was watched live on YouTube by more than 100,000 people, having exceeded a total of 3 million views in less than a month.[167]
In 2022, Hanyu presented his first ice show as a professional figure skater, titledPrologue, in Yokohama andHachinohe.[168] It was the first solo ice show production in figure skating,[169][170] with each show having a duration of 90 minutes and featuring a selection of eight different programs performed at the athletic level of skating competitions, including multiple quadruple jumps and triple Axels.[170][171]Prologue was a prelude event to the Yuzuru Hanyu Ice Story solo show series, produced and directed by himself in collaboration with choreographerMikiko.[169][172]
The first main chapter of the series was the solo showGift, the firstice skating event to be held atTokyo Dome, one of Japan's largest and most prestigious entertainment venues,[172][173] with a new audience record for ice shows of 35,000 spectators.[169] The show was presented on February 26, 2023, and featured 12 skating programs that were woven into a comprehensive, philosophical story of 120 minutes about Hanyu's life and future on ice.[174][175] In his performances, he was accompanied by the dance groupElevenplay, theTokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and a special band led bySatoshi Takebe.[172][173] TheOlympics' official news site called Hanyu's programs "performances for the ages", noting that it was "more a concert for a blockbuster artist than an ice show."[172] On July 14,Gift became the first ice show to be distributed on the streaming platformDisney+ worldwide.[174]
TheRepray Tour, a sequel toGift and the second main chapter of Hanyu's Ice Story series, was the first solo ice show tour to be produced in figure skating,[176][note 4] scheduled with four stops across Japan in Saitama,Saga, Yokohama, andRifu from November 2023 to April 2024.[169][177] Similar toGift, each show had a duration of 120 minutes with 12 programs being merged into a gaming-themed story that picked up the contrasts between the virtual and real world, giving "food for thought about life and the series of choices we make."[176][178] Hanyu's performances to soundtracks from popular video games likeFinal Fantasy orUndertale attracted many fans not only from figure skating but also the gaming scene.[178][177][179] Due to high ticket demand, an additional performance in Rifu was added to the three initial tour stops.[177]
On October 4, 2024, Hanyu announced the third installment of the series with theEchoes of Life Tour, which was held with three stops from December 2024 to February 2025.[180] For Echoes of Life, Hanyu wrote the script in the form of a storybook that was released in advance in Japanese and English.[181] The story came to life through a futuristic staging that included light effects and elaborated videos created with3D computer graphics, which were combined with twelve figure skating programs performed by Hanyu and sometimes accompanied from the stage by the dance troupeElevenplay. The theme of Echoes of Life centered around the philosophical question: “What does it mean to live?”[182][183]
On January 11, 2026, the production of another solo show titledRealive was announced. The project will be held inSekisui Heim Super Arena on April 11–12, 2026.Realive is a one-off live performance that builds on the Ice Story series, bringing the programs that Hanyu has created up to now to life once again. This will be Hanyu's first solo production after the announcement of his maintenance period in August 2025. As in previous Ice Stories, Hanyu will star and serve as executive producer, with Mikiko serving as the director.[184]
Particular to Hanyu's Ice Story show series is that the programs are part of a cohesive narrative.[185] With Hanyu's Ice Story series, a new genre of performing art and entertainment has been created, weaving live skating performances with high-level technical elements into deep stories with elaborate on-screen narration.[174][186][187][185] The series has attracted more than 100,000 spectators in total, with all 14 solo performances being sold out by lottery.[188] The shows received universal acclaim in Japan and overseas, including figure skating world champions Patrick Chan andElizaveta Tuktamysheva who praised Hanyu's remarkable athleticism and stamina, being able to skate up to 12 programs in one show.[189][190] Japanese sportswriter Takaomi Matsubara named Hanyu's solo shows a new milestone in professional skating and,[170][171] according toUSC Annenberg columnist Valerie Fang, "we are witnessing the rise of a figure skating franchise."[178]
In March 2023, the annual ice showYuzuru Hanyu Notte Stellata, a commemoration event of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, was inaugurated atSekisui Heim Super Arena in Rifu, which had served as amorgue at the time of the disaster.[191] The show is produced byNippon TV with Hanyu as the chairperson, featuring a cast of international professional skaters as well as a guest artist from a different sport or performing art field. The special guests of the first three editions were three-time Olympic gymnastics championKohei Uchimura, renowned stage actorMao Daichi, and Japanesekyōgen actorMansai Nomura.[192][193][194] On December 11th, 2025, a new installment of Notte Stellata was announced. The event will be held on March 7–9, 2026, and the special guest will be the Tohoku Youth Orchestra[195][196].
On September 15, 2024, Hanyu led a charity performance titled "Challenge" inIshikawa Prefecture, accompanied bySatoko Miyahara,Akiko Suzuki, andTakahito Mura.[197][198] The event was streamed live and on-demand via video streaming services, selling more than 10,000 tickets.[199] The¥53,662,728 ($367,758) proceeds from the event were donated to the Ishikawa Prefecture and Noto local government for the reconstruction of the areas affected by the2024 Noto earthquake, which occurred on January 1, 2024.[200]
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Hanyu is regarded by analysts as an accomplished skater known for his high-level technical elements as well as mature and versatile artistry.[4][2][201] His performance is often characterized as "the perfect combination of skills, strength and elegance",[202][203][204] tending to "[blur] rigid gender lines".[6] According to four-time Olympic medalistEvgeni Plushenko, Hanyu had a "decided edge over other skaters in the completeness of his performance—spins, skating skills, transitions between jumps and musical interpretation".[6] Two-time world championStephane Lambiel described him as "the most complete athlete in figure skating, probably ever."[6]
Hanyu is known for his ability to generate skating speed "out of nowhere" and cover long distances with only a few strokes.[5][203][205] At the2021–22 Japan Championships, he managed to perform a clean short program without using consecutivecrossovers and reduce the number of basic skating movements to a minimum.[206] This is a feat that has long been considered near impossible, as stated by former competitive skaterJohn Misha Petkevich in his bookFigure Skating: Championship Techniques from 1989: "Without a doubt, crossovers are the staple of every skater. Not only are they used to negotiate corners, but they are also used to pick up speed. Skating without crossovers would be virtually unthinkable."[207]
The ability to accelerate with a few strokes allows Hanyu to execute his jumps from a variety of difficult entries. Notable are the backwardcounter turn,twizzle, andspread eagle into his signature tripleAxel jump.[208][209][210] Hanyu is also known for his strong vaulting technique with minimal pre-rotation on the ice at the take-off,[211][212][note 5] achievingtrajectories of impressive size.[203][205] With a height of 70 centimeters and covering a distance of 3.62 meters, his triple Axel was the largest measured jump in the men's short program at the 2019 World Championships.[214]: 1 In 2018, Hanyu's triple Axel from the 2018 Winter Olympics was used as a demonstration example by the ISU for the GOE judging criteria "very good height and very good length" as well as "steps before the jump, unexpected or creative entry".[215] Despite the complex preceding steps and big trajectory, he manages to land his jumps smoothly and increase his skating speed from take-off to landing.[203][205][214]: 1 With thetoe loop,Salchow,loop, and Lutz, Hanyu has successfully executed four different types ofquadruple jumps in the course of his competitive career. He stated his preference for edge jumps, and notably featured all three types in his short program of the 2016–17 season.[216]
Hanyu is able to execute thelayback Biellmann anddoughnut camel spin,[217] which are more commonly seen in women's singles and known for their difficulty among male skaters due to the high flexibility required in spine, hips, and shoulders.[218][7][219] Other signature moves include the laybackIna Bauer,hydroblading, and the side lunge.[220]: 2 Overall, Hanyu's technical elements stand out for their high quality of execution,[4][3][203] having received a total of 29maximum scores in international competition,[221][note 6] covering all four types of required elements in the men's singles discipline: jumps, spins,steps, andchoreographic sequences.[222][223][224] Beyond that, his elements are noted for their seamless embedding into the choreography and his movements for their precise timing with the music,[225][226] the latter being awarded a perfect 10.00 in theinterpretation component at the 2021–22 Japan Championships.[227]
Hanyu's programs cover a variety of different music genres, including classical pieces, modern pop rock, musicals, and traditional Japanese music.[36][158] He notably portrayed the historical Japanese figuresAbe no Seimei andUesugi Kenshin in his free skate programs at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics.[228][229] He also dedicated various exhibition programs to the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and performed them as live music collaborations at shows likeFantasy on Ice among others.[230] Hanyu is known to be involved in all aspects of his programs, from the music selection and editing process to the costume design and choreography.[202][229] As his choreographerShae-Lynn Bourne stated, "He knows what costume he wants. He knows what jump order he wants. He makes a lot of the decisions on his own. You can't say 'no' to that ever. You know, with music especially, because he is going to skate with conviction."[228]
Figure skaters Hanyu looked up to while growing up areEvgeni Plushenko and Johnny Weir.[218][231] With his competitive programs for the 2018–19 season, he paid homage to the two skaters by skating to "Otoñal" byRaúl Di Blasio as well as "Art on Ice" and "Magic Stradivarius" byEdvin Marton, which had been used by Weir and Plushenko, respectively, in their programs.[104] At the press conference of the 2018 Winter Olympics, Hanyu also mentionedStephane Lambiel,Javier Fernández, andDick Button as the skaters who had influenced him as a skater.[232]
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Hanyu has appeared in many commercials and advertising campaigns over the years. In 2013, Hanyu, alongside fellow Japanese figure skaterDaisuke Takahashi, became the2014 Sochi Winter Olympics campaign ambassador forP&G's global "Proud Sponsor of Moms" campaign.[233] He also signed an affiliation contract withAll Nippon Airways which ended when he turned professional in 2022 but he remained sponsored by the company till September 2023.[234][235][236] From February 8 to 23, 2014, Hanyu endorsed ANA's new line offlight attendant outfits, which were designed byPrabal Gurung and appeared in a TV commercial for their2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics "Hello Blue Hello Future" campaign.[237][238] In September 2014, Hanyu starred in a TV commercial forCapcom's new video gameMonster Hunter 4G[239] and endorsedLotte's Ghana milk chocolate withMao Asada, singerAiri Matsui, and actressesSuzu Hirose andTao Tsuchiya, in following years he also endorsed Lotte's Xylitol Whites and GUM FOR THE GAME.[240][241][242][243]
Hanyu has also worked with other brands such asAjinomoto endorsing their sport nutritional products Amino Vital and nutritional meals along with other athletes likeUta Abe,[244] bath salts Bathclin Kikiyu,[245] bedding products Nishikawa Sangyo co.,[246] andPhiten for their Aqua-Titanium sports socks and line of Rakuwa nylon-coated necklaces and bracelets including Hanyu's inspired 'Wings Gold' models.[247] In 2019, Hanyu became the ambassador forCitizen in China, Hong Kong, and Macau,[248] as well as the global ambassador of the Sekkisei series byKosé.[249] He was later appointed as the global "muse" of the Sekkisei Miyabi brand in 2020.[250] In October 2021, Hanyu was chosen as a face of Towa Pharmaceutical co. appearing in a TV commercial with veteran actressTetsuko Kuroyanagi[251][252] and endorsed ANA's new teleportation services "avatarin".[253]
In 2013 and 2021, Hanyu was appointed as the model forMiyagi Prefecture Police's traffic safety poster aiming to encourage compliance with traffic rules and spread awareness of safe driving. According to an official in March 2021, Hanyu was chosen because "he embodies sportsmanship".[254] In June 2021, Hanyu was appointed as the ambassador of the world's first officialParalympics gameThe Pegasus Dream Tour, making his video game debut with his avatar appearing in the game. According to the representative of the game's developer company, Hanyu was chosen because "he is an athlete as well as a person who has artistry in his way of life".[255][256] Since April 2014, Hanyu has been acting as the tourism ambassador ofSendai and featured in the city's tourism posters as well as tourist guidebooks.[257][258][259] On March 14, 2024, he was announced as a new brand ambassador for the Italian luxury fashion houseGucci, joining Italian tennis playerJannik Sinner, Chinese actor and singerXiao Zhan, British soccer playerJack Grealish, and American rapper and hip-hop dancerJay Park among others.[260] On November 21, 2024, he was announced as the brand ambassador for Chinese multinational home appliances and consumer electronics companyHaier in Japan for their brands Haier and Aqua.[261]
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Since the2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Hanyu has been an advocate for and supporter of various campaigns to help earthquake victims, as he was also directly affected by the disaster, stating: "When the earthquake hit, I was on the ice at my home rink in Sendai".[16] Shortly after the disaster, he and other skaters skated in ice shows to raise money for the victims, raising a total of more than US$150,000. He also sold his personal belongings at the show, raising an additional¥2,954,323 ($35,387).[16] Since the disaster, Hanyu has been lending his image to the Great East Japan Earthquake Employment, Education and Health Support Organization to use for posters encouraging donations for the disaster area.[262]
Hanyu donated his 2014 Olympic gold medal ¥6 million ($55,000) prize money as well as his 2018 Olympic gold medal ¥10 million ($92,000) prize money received from theJapan Skating Federation andJapanese Olympic Committee to Sendai and Miyagi Prefecture to help with the reconstruction of the disaster areas.[263][264] Additionally, he donated all the royalties and part of the proceeds of his autobiography series to Ice Rink Sendai, which was rendered unusable after the earthquake.[25][265] It was revealed in 2026 that a total of ¥109,971,996 ($741,230) had been donated to the rink.[266][267][268]
In September 2014, Hanyu was appointed as the Tsunami Disaster Prevention Ambassador for one year, in which he participated in activities to spread public awareness of tsunami disaster prevention.[269] In February 2015, Hanyu became the spokesman for reconstruction efforts led by theJapanese Red Cross Society.[270] He also lent his image as the spokesman for the Red Cross' "Hatachi no Kenketsu" donation campaign where he starred in the promotional video with patients.[271] In April 2016, upon his request to his sponsor Phiten, drinking water was donated to the areas affected by the2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.[272] In March 2019, he donated a pair of figure skates to an online charity auction which raised 7.12 million yen ($64,000) for the disaster area reconstruction.[273] He also collaborated withLine Corporation supervising the creation of "Yuzuru Hanyu 3.11 Smile Stamp". All revenue from the stamp was donated to the Nippon Foundation's "Special Fund for Disaster Reconstruction" to support reconstruction and future disaster preparation.[274][275] On August 21, 2019, Hanyu appeared in a series of posters alongside the protagonist of the animeYowamushi Pedal to promote Tour de Tohoku, an annual charity cycling event.[276] To mark the 10th anniversary of Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2021, Hanyu organized the "Together, Forward" exhibition, which revisited the affected people and places of the disaster. The exhibition was held in multiple Japanese cities to remind everyone of the importance of disaster prevention and preparation.[277]
In cooperation withYomiuri Shimbun, a free entry exhibition of Hanyu's photos, costumes, and medals was held in multiple locations in Japan in 2018 and 2022 and online in 2020. A total sum of more than 150 million yen was donated from the sales of the exhibition's merchandise. Around 42 million yen was donated in 2018 to support victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and other disasters, and around 27 million yen was donated in 2020 to the National Corona Medical Welfare Support Fund. The donation from the 2022 exhibition that exceeded 85 million yen was donated to the Yomiuri Light and Love Foundation which was used to create a disaster relief fund in preparation for any future large-scale disaster that occurs in Japan.[278] In February 2023, it was announced that 10 million yen from the fund would be donated for relief and reconstruction efforts in areas affected by the2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake inTurkey.[279] In January 2024, it was announced that 10 million yen from the fund would be donated to theIshikawa Prefecture which was severely impacted by the2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake.[280] In July 2024, it was announced that a total of 2 million yen from a portion of the sales from Costume Kewpie® dolls dressed in Hanyu's costumes, plus a donation from Hanyu himself, would be sent to Ishikawa Prefecture to help with the reconstruction of the disaster-stricken areas through the Yomiuri Light and Love Foundation.[281]
From 2014 to 2022, Hanyu regularly participated inNippon TV's annual charity program24-Hour Television, holding special ice shows and visiting victims in disaster areas. In 2014, he held a one-night ice show to bring in donations.[282] In 2015, he andHey! Say! JUMP memberYuri Chinen designed "Chari-T-shirts" for the program under the slogan "To connect: a smile beyond time". Profits from the t-shirt sales were donated to charity.[283] He also visited earthquake-affected areas inFukushima andIshinomaki, interviewing the victims as part of the program segment.[284]
In December 2022, Hanyu was appointed as a special messenger for NTV's programnews every. [ja] presenting a new segment called "Yuzuru Hanyu, Thoughts I want to convey" every few months to promote awareness about natural disaster areas and disaster prevention.[285] Since 2011, Hanyu has donated a cumulative total of more than $3 million for reconstruction, disaster prevention, and other humanitarian efforts.[286]
On February 1, 2025, the "Ishikawa Prefecture Support Project" was launched, featuring Hanyu in life-size panels and posters installed at tourist facilities throughout Ishikawa Prefecture. The project, which will run until March 31, 2026, aims to encourage people to travel around the Prefecture and develop an interest in Noto to help the region's recovery after the2024 Noto earthquake.[287]
On January 24, 2026, it was revealed that Hanyu had donated ¥54,205,800 to local skating rink, "Bell Sunpia Miyagi Izumi", inMiyagi prefecture.[288] The information had been shared three days before by a fan who posted a photo of a notice board at the facility onX.[289] The donation supported renovation work carried out between June and September, 2025 which included installation of six dehumidifiers and eight air blowers, application of anti-condensation paint to the steel framework, and the replacement of the battery ofZamboni used to maintain the ice surface after Hanyu had expressed concern about the condition of the ice rink due to condensation problems, which could cause that children skating there might fall and get injured.[288]
Hanyu served as a judge on Japan's popular New Year's Eve music showKōhaku Uta Gassen twice, in 2015 and 2022.[290][291] He made his on-screen debut asDate Shigemura, a samurai lord, in the 2016 movie,The Magnificent Nine.[292][293] In May 2023, Hanyu guested on a special episode celebrating the 48th-anniversary of the world's longest-running single-host talk show,Tetsuko's Room [ja].[294] Hanyu was one of the athletes featured in the 2022 Winter Olympics official documentary filmBeijing 2022 released in May 2023.[295][296] On March 5, 2025, Hanyu collaborated with Japanese singerKenshi Yonezu to perform a figure skating program for the music video of the latter's songBow and Arrow, which was used as the opening theme of theanimeMedalist.[297][298][299] The two versions of the music video ofBow and Arrow (the standard version and theYuzuru Hanyu Short Program version) were included in the "installer device version" of thePlazma/Bow and Arrow single, which was released in June 2025.
Hanyu released two video albums compiling some of his competitive career performances, the first titledTime of Awakening was released on May 21, 2014, including performances till the 2014 Winter Olympics.Time of Awakening became the first album from an athlete to topOricon's DVD weekly chart since its establishment in 1999 and peaked at number 3 on the Blu-ray weekly chart after selling 44,000 copies in its first week.[300][301] The second album titledTime of Evolution was released on September 15, 2019, including performances from the 2015–16 season to the 2018 winter Olympics.Time of Evolution became the first sports-related work to top Oricon's Blu-ray weekly chart and peaked at number 2 on the DVD weekly chart after selling over 38,000 copies in its first week.[302][303]
On December 18, 2015,NHK Enterprises released the DVD ofThe Flowers Bloom on Ice, featuring behind-the-scenes and interviews withShizuka Arakawa and Yuzuru Hanyu as they skate at the ice show together to support reconstruction after the 2011 Japan earthquake.[304]
In 2018, Hanyu's first self-produced showContinues with Wings was live broadcast onCS TV Asahi and live-streamed at 66 movie theaters throughout Japan.[305][306] He is also one of the lead cast members besides Stéphane Lambiel and Johnny Weir at the annual touring ice showFantasy on Ice, having participated in all editions of the tour since its revival in 2010 with one exception, having missed the shows in 2016 due to rehabilitation from a ligament injury.[230][307]
Hanyu released the first two parts of his autobiography seriesBlue Flames andBlue Flames II in 2012 and 2016, respectively. In 2023, the third partBlue Flames III and the fourth and final part of the seriesBlue Flames IV were released. As of 2023, the series has sold over 400,000 copies.[308]
Hanyu released various photobooks, cooperating with multiple publishers and photographers. His first photo book,Yuzuru, was released on October 4, 2014, selling over 23,000 copies in the first week. It ranked first inOricon's weekly charts for photos and sport-related categories, as well as second in the chart's general books category.[309]
On September 25, 2015,Yuzuru Hanyu Sayings was released, containing pictures and quotes by the skater. The book toppedAmazon's reservation sales rankings.[310][311] On October 2, 2022, a second part of the book was released.[312] On March 1, 2018, the bookLive Your Dream including a collection of interviews with Hanyu from 2015 to 2018, was released. The book sold 28,000 copies, ranking third in Oricon's weekly general books chart.[313] On October 11, 2018,Yuzuru Hanyu Soul Program was released. The book includes photos and descriptions of programs performed by Hanyu.[314] In November 2022,Yuzuru Hanyu Amateur Era Complete Record was released. The book looks back on Hanyu's competitive skating life, including press photos and competition results.[315]
Hanyu has graced the cover of numerous sports magazines, including the 100th edition ofWorld Figure Skating, Japan's oldest figure skating magazine.[316] He also appeared on the covers of famous fashion and lifestyle magazines, such asElle Japan,GQ Japan,Aera,An An,Brutus,Harper's Bazaar Japan, andT Japan.[317][318][319][320][321][322][323]AERA's special issue about Hanyu, titledThe driving force behind the leap, sold over 29,000 copies in the first week, topping Oricon's weekly general books chart in October 2022.[324] In August 2024, he also became the first person to be featured on the cover of two consecutive editions of theAERA magazine.[325] In February 2026, Hanyu became the athlete with the most number of appearances on the cover ofAn An.[326]
Many sport writers, commentators, and skaters have made the case for Hanyu as the greatest skater in history,[10][6][8][3] particularly after his second Olympic victory, for his well-rounded skills, longevity at the top in a highly competitive field, and ability to deliver under pressure.[11][12][4][5][2] His decision to attempt the quadruple Axel at the 2022 Winter Olympics instead of taking a conservative option was seen to have strengthened his status.[4][5]
Hanyu is regarded as part of the vanguard of the quad revolution in men's figure skating.[9][5] He was one of the few skaters who challenged quadruple Salchow at the 2014 Olympics.[218] He is credited as the first figure skater to successfully land a quadrupleloop in competition after performing it in the short program at the Autumn Classic International inMontreal,Canada on September 30, 2016.[327][328] He is also the only skater who has landed a quadruple toe loop-triple Axel sequence in competition, doing so for the first time atGrand Prix Helsinki 2018.[329] Hanyu is also the first skater to land a quadruple toe loop-Euler-triple flip combination atSkate Canada 2019.[330] At the2022 Winter Olympics, Hanyu made his first attempt on the quadruple Axel in an international competition. Despite falling on the jump, he received the base value of quad Axel before being reduced for under-rotation.[331] It was the closest quad Axel attempt in a competition until AmericanIlia Malinin successfully landed one at the2022 CS U.S. Classic,[332][333] who cited Hanyu as his inspiration to attempt the jump.[333] However, in regards to the ongoing debate on jumps versus artistry in the sport,[334][335][336] Hanyu spoke through an interpreter after his second Olympic win in 2018:[337]
"I believe [...] that this artistry is very much based on having the correct technique and a strong foundation at the core of everything. It is upon these that the artistry is built, and without that strong foundation and that basis in technique, it is not possible to have that full artistry required as well. [...] Of course there are some other figure skaters who perhaps place a much higher priority on the jumps themselves and they are also successful in winning in competitions through this as well. However, personally I believe that within these different difficult jumps these are used as the basis for the artistry, and this relationship is balanced, which comes together to form what is most important."
In recognition of his achievements, Hanyu has been awarded numerous accolades, including the People's Honor Award in 2018 becoming the first figure skater and the youngest recipient of the award.[338] He was also awarded theMedal of Honour with Purple Ribbon in 2014 and 2018,[339][340] and received two monuments depicting his trademark poses performed at the 2014 and 2018 Olympics in his hometown ofSendai.[341][342] He was also nominated for theLaureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year in 2019 becoming the first figure skater to be nominated for the award,[343][344] and was awarded the Most Valuable Skater of the2019–20 season at the inaugural ISU Skating Awards in 2020.[130] In 2021, he was awarded theAzusa Ono Memorial Award, the most prestigious award that can be conferred to students and given to those recognized as a model, fromWaseda University.[345][346] On October 11, 2022, he was announced as a recipient of theKikuchi Kan Prize for his accomplishments as a competitive figure skater as well as his attitude of "continuing to take on challenges".[347]
In 2022, Hanyu placed sixth in the list of most-searched athletes onGoogle Search worldwide, behindNovak Djokovic,Rafael Nadal,Serena Williams (all tennis),Manti Te'o (American football), andShaun White (snowboard).[348] He was also featured in prestigious lists, such asForbes' 30 Under 30 Asia 2018[349] as well asESPN's World Fame 100 and The Dominant 20,[350][351] received multiple awards and ranked high in various lists and popularity polls by media outlets.[352][353] In 2024, Hanyu was featured in ESPN's top 25 selection of the greatest Olympic athletes of the 21st century, being the highest-ranked figure skater in the list (10th place) ahead of three-time Olympicice dance championsTessa Virtue andScott Moir (11th place).[354] He was also featured in the 10 10 list of most impactful and representative male athletes of the last century, published by theInternational Sports Press Association [fr] (AIPS). The rankings were based on an online voting by 913 established internationalsports journalists from 137 countries, with the results being presented at the AIPS' 100 year anniversary ceremony at theUNESCO headquarters in Paris during the2024 Summer Olympics. Hanyu ranked 6th behindMuhammad Ali (boxing),Usain Bolt (athletics),Michael Jordan (basketball),Pelé (soccer), andRoger Federer (tennis).[355]
Since Hanyu began carrying aWinnie-the-Pooh tissue box to competitions in 2010, his supporters and fans eventually made it a custom to acknowledge the end of his performances by throwing Pooh bears onto the ice instead of other kinds ofstuffed toys or gifts, which has been a tradition in figure skating. Hanyu donates the bears to disadvantaged children at local hospitals and charities surrounding the arena that hosted the event.[356][357]
Hanyu studied at Nanakita Elementary and Junior High School.[358] In 2013, Hanyu graduated fromTohoku High School [ja] then entered ane-school program on Human Information Science atWaseda University.[24][359][360] He attended the school from his training base in Canada.[361] In August 2020, it was revealed that his graduation thesis summarizes how3D motion capture technology could be used in figure skating, and in particular its potential for use in figure skating judging.[362] One area of research he did is recording and analyzing his movement while doing the triple Axel jump off-ice which he hopes can be used to improve the skills of athletes andA.I. judging.[363] He officially graduated from the university in September 2020, but was unable to attend the ceremony due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in Japan.[364] In March 2021, a bulletin paper summarizing his graduation thesis was published in theWaseda Journal of Human Sciences.[365]
On August 4, 2023, Hanyu announced his marriage to an unnamed spouse through his official social network account.[366][367] Hanyu announced on November 17, 2023, that he and his spouse had divorced, citing harassment by the press as cause for the separation.[368][369]
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Throughout his career, Hanyu has broken world records nineteen times – seven times under the current +5/-5 GOE System and twelve times in the former +3/-3 GOE System.[note 3] He holds the historical world record in all three competition segments: the short program, free skating, and combined total score.[48][112]
| Date | Score | Segment | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 3, 2018 | 106.69 | Short program | 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki |
| Nov 4, 2018 | 190.43 | Free skating | |
| Nov 4, 2018 | 297.12 | Combined total | |
| Nov 16, 2018 | 110.53 | Short program | 2018 Rostelecom Cup |
| Mar 23, 2019 | 206.10 | Free skating | 2019 World Championships |
| Mar 23, 2019 | 300.97 | Combined total | |
| Feb 7, 2020 | 111.82 | Short program | 2020 Four Continents Championships |
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| Season | Short program | Free skate program |
|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | "White Legend" | Zigeunerweisen |
| 2011–12 | Étude in D-sharp minor | Romeo + Juliet |
| 2012–13 | "Parisienne Walkways" | Notre-Dame de Paris |
2013–14 | "Parisienne Walkways" | |
| 2014–15 | Ballade No. 1 in G minor | The Phantom of the Opera |
| 2015–16 | Ballade No. 1 in G minor | Seimei |
| 2016–17 | "Let's Go Crazy" | Hope and Legacy |
| 2017–18 | Ballade No. 1 in G minor | Seimei |
| 2018–19 | "Otoñal" | Origin |
| 2019–20 | "Otoñal" | Origin |
| Ballade No. 1 in G minor | Seimei | |
| 2020–21 | "Let Me Entertain You" | Heaven and Earth (天と地と) |
| 2021–22 | Heaven and Earth (天と地と) |
Solo ice shows
Ensemble ice shows
| Season | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | 1st | 1st | 4th | |||||||||
| Winter Olympics (Team) | 5th | |||||||||||
| World Championships | 3rd | 4th | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | WD | 2nd | C | 3rd | WD | |
| Four Continents | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | C | |||||||
| Grand Prix Final | 4th | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | WD | 2nd | ||||
| GPCup of China | 4th | 2nd | ||||||||||
| GPFinland | 1st | |||||||||||
| GPFrance | 2nd | |||||||||||
| GPNHK Trophy | 4th | 1st | 4th | 1st | 1st | WD | 1st | WD | ||||
| GPRostelecom Cup | 7th | 1st | 2nd | 1st | WD | |||||||
| GPSkate America | 2nd | |||||||||||
| GPSkate Canada | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | ||||||||
| CSAutumn Classic | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | |||||||
| Finlandia Trophy | 1st | 1st | WD | |||||||||
| Nebelhorn Trophy | 1st | |||||||||||
| Japan Championships | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | WD | WD | WD | 2nd | 1st | 1st |
| World Team Trophy | WD | WD | 3rd (1st) | 1st (3rd) | WD | 3rd (2nd) |
| Season | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Worlds | 12th | 1st | ||||
| JGPFinal | 1st | |||||
| JGPItaly | 5th | |||||
| JGPCroatia | 1st | |||||
| JGPPoland | 1st | |||||
| Santa Claus Cup | 1st | |||||
| Mladost Trophy | 1st | |||||
| Skate Copenhagen | 1st | |||||
| Japan Senior | 8th | 6th | ||||
| Japan Junior | 7th | 3rd | 1st | 1st |
'I have to say, he is the greatest of all time. That's for sure.' The words ofBrian Orser resonate more than ever after Yuzuru Hanyu became the first man in 66 years to win the Olympic gold medal twice in a row.
The main reason I chose Canada was because I wanted to train with coach Brian Orser. The reason for that is I saw how Javier Fernández was able to consistently deliver the quadruple jump after he started training with Brian Orser, and I went to learn the secret of doing that.
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
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Championships – Men's singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Academics | |
