Winter Olympics: Japan’s ‘Ice Prince’ Yuzuru Hanyu thrills fans as figure skaters let loose at Games gala
- Star at his ethereal best skimming across Olympic ice for what might be the last time
Japanese superstar Yuzuru Hanyu was at his ethereal best skimming across Olympic ice for what might be the last time, as he joined the best figure skaters of the Beijing Games at the exhibition gala.
Inside the Capital Indoor Stadium, the crowd went wild – outside, fans lined up with Winnie the Pooh toys, waiting to catch a glimpse of their hero, one even in a full bear body suit.
Despite his disappointing fourth place finish in Beijing, double Olympic champion Hanyu inspires passionate devotion in fans all over the world, who often throw soft toys of the cartoon character onto the ice in reference to a tissue box he carries to the rink with him.
“I got 20,000 letters and messages from Chinese fans,” he said earlier this week. “I am so glad that I’m Yuzuru Hanyu. I am so lucky.”
Otherworldly in a flowing white shirt, Hanyu’s elegiac performance was a reminder of the talent that has graced three Olympics.
“Feelings-wise, of course, yes, I would love to skate at the Olympic Games once again,” he said after the men’s competition.
But at 27 years old, these Games could be his last.