Yuzuru Hanyu is not just your average figure skater. The 22-year-old Japanese athlete has proven himself as an icon to many of his fans and the entire figure skating community. His ability to perform complicated techniques and combinations is what made him the number one athlete in his sport, gaining immense popularity and accolades.
But what makes Hanyu stand out is his ability to shatter world records. His fans rejoiced during the last Winter Olympics when the man breaks the Olympic World Record in Sochi; scoring a massive 101.45 on his Short Program.
This time around, right at the start of the new season; Yuzuru Hanyu breaks another world-record.
Breaking his record
Yuzuru Hanyu has done it again. The 22-year-old figure skater from Japan opened the Autumn Classic International competition by breaking his own record. Last Friday night, the athlete performed his short program and wowed the crowd by scoring a massive 112.72 points.
Hanyu was able to perform his routine without errors, and the figure skater himself is relieved that he was able to execute it properly. According to the 22-year-old, it felt like he was able to grow while performing his program, that's why when he was on stage; he was able to the routine it with confidence.
The Japanese skater danced to Chopin’s Ballade No.
1. Some of the highlights of his program were the quadruple salchow, the triple axel, and the triple toe loop. He also attained level-fours for his step sequence and phenomenal flips.
The 112.72 record set by the athlete in this event shattered his previous record at the 2015 Grand Prix Final.
Injured knee
If you think Hanyu entered the rink without a hitch, then you are wrong.
The figure skater from Japan has been reported to have an aching knee before the competition. Coach Brian Orser said on Thursday that because of his aching knee, Hanyu would perform in the competition without doing a quad loop.
Orser also shared that Hanyu told him about his right knee ten days ago. Because of this, they decided to drop the quad loop on his routine for this season.
The skater was supposed to do the loop as a part of his original routine.
Other notable skaters also gave their best on the competition. Javier Fernandez of Spain followed Hanyu with 101.20. Canada’s Nam Nguyen scored 88.40. Fellow Japanese figure skater Daisuke Murakami landed in seventh place with a short program score of 70.09.
The Autumn Classic International will resume its free skating competition on Saturday.
