Japanese determine skater Yuzuru Hanyu simply tried to make historical past on the Beijing Winter Olympics, making an attempt to change into the primary skater to ever land a quadruple axel in competitors. Sadly, it simply wasn’t his day.
The 2-time and presently reigning Olympic ice skating champion, Hanyu had beforehand shared his plans to try a quad axel within the lead as much as the Beijing Video games. The quad axel is virtually the Holy Grail of ice skating, being the one quad leap that had by no means been efficiently executed in competitors. As such, the ice skating neighborhood and fandom have been abuzz with pleasure for Hanyu’s already extremely anticipated free skate efficiency.
Extensively thought to be one of many best determine skaters of all time, Hanyu mainly set a document for breaking world data, with 19 damaged as of 2021. He was additionally the primary skater to ever efficiently land a quadruple loop in competitors, executing the leap on the CS Autumn Traditional in 2016.
Sadly, the quad axel nonetheless stays out of attain. Skating to “Ten to Chi to (Heaven and Earth)” by Isao Tomita, Hanyu did not execute the extraordinarily tough leap in the course of the Males’s singles Free Skating closing, as an alternative being half a rotation off and taking a fall. However in a healthful flip of occasions, Twitter was instantly flooded with messages of assist and sympathy.
Hanyu’s whole Olympic run sadly obtained off to a shaky begin after the skater faltered throughout his quick program on Tuesday. With an surprising error on his first leap turning his quadruple salchow right into a single, the 27-year-old ended the day in eighth place, making his possibilities of taking gold in the present day slim.
Even so, Hanyu knew from the beginning that he doubtless would not win a 3rd Olympic gold. The favored skater had a tough season in 2021, compelled to withdraw from a number of competitions on account of a ligament damage in his proper ankle, and initially hadn’t deliberate on competing at Beijing. As such, retaining his Olympic title was by no means his main aim.
“In fact, I’m capturing for first place,” Hanyu mentioned after qualifying for the Olympics final December. “However I do know full properly that proper now, I don’t have sufficient to win it. Positive, I might drop the axel and have a look at different methods of making an attempt to win gold however the largest motive I’m going to Beijing is as a result of I wish to full the quadruple axel.”
He did not fairly make the leap and certain will not take residence a medal, however Hanyu nonetheless has a safe place in ice skating followers’ hearts.