Yuzuru Hanyu Shocks the World With Announcement of His Retirement
For anyone who has tuned into the Winter Olympics for the past ten years, the name Yuzuru Hanyu must ring a bell. Since his debut, the two-time Olympic figure skating champion has grown an international fanbase of “Fanyus” and is referred to as Japan’s beloved “Ice Prince.” However, on July 19, he announced his official retirement from competition, leaving skating connoisseurs in shock.
Hanyu’s decision to step back from the pressure of this rigorous sport means that he will be able to embrace it in all its beauty. His love for figure skating is far from diminishing, as he stated he would continue trying to accomplish the Quadruple Axel, a move that has never been landed in competition and was the hot topic of this year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing. The 27-year-old athlete is regarded as one of the best figure skaters of all time, and his career accomplishments certainly defend that statement.
“As a professional athlete, I will not be compared with other skaters who compete,” he stated, “but I will continue to overcome my weaknesses.” Hanyu’s determination to improve in his field and seek growth is what has brought him to the point where he is today, and he stated that he is so grateful to have people there who have supported him, as well as the media there to shed light on his achievements over the years.
Thread of skaters congratulating Yuzu for his retirement✨
— ru໒꒱ || temporarily ia (@4kaitenyuzu) July 19, 2022
The world first saw Hanyu perform in the 2004-2005 season of the Japan Novice Championships. From that point forward, both his skill and popularity grew at an exponential rate. During the 2013-2014 Japan Championships, he earned his spot on the Japanese roster for the 2014 Olympic and World Championships—where he would make his mark in Sochi. At the age of 20, Hanyu won his first Olympic gold medal in the men’s figure skating event. With a dozen broken world records, he will forever be remembered in the sport’s history.
His fans have noticed that his love for figure skating has never left despite growing into an international sensation. Despite suffering an ankle injury months before the Olympics, Hanyu practiced through the pain and finished fourth overall—a nevertheless amazing feat. After the press conference, devoted Fanyus voiced their gratitude and appreciation online. Yuzurujournal, a famous Instagram fan account for the skater with over twenty-nine thousand followers, posted, “What I hear from him this time is basically: I’ll no longer skate in a stressful environment, instead, enjoy every single moment of it, for myself and those who support me, as an athlete and simply as Yuzuru Hanyu.”
oh, i just realized. we never gave yuzu a last pooh rain… oh
— clara 🦢 (@clahanyushii) July 19, 2022
For now, the fate of Hanyu’s infamous Winnie the Pooh showers is unknown, but one thing is for certain: the world will never stop standing by the skating icon.
Columnist | K-pop Stan | Tweet me @senaho5
