Winter Olympics: is figure skating great Yuzuru Hanyu going to retire? Japan star calls Beijing Games press conference

The two-time Olympic champion will address media on Monday, the Japanese Olympic Committee says

‘We ask [media outlets] to refrain from speculative reporting,’ the NOC says, batting aside swirling rumours

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Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu in the men’s singles free skate event at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 2:14pm, 14 Feb 2022Updated: 4:12pm, 14 Feb 2022

The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) said star figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu would be holding a press conference on Monday evening, sparking a frenzy of retirement rumours, whispers over his future, and even – thanks to it being Valentine’s Day – a surprise engagement.

Hanyu, a two-time Olympic champion and considered one of the sport’s greatest of all time, missed out on gold in Beijing last week in what was a long-touted quest to land the fabled quadruple axel.

Loyal fans, outside the Capital Indoor Arena and around the world, were left devastated after watching the “Ice Prince” wrap his foot up backstage after his events before tearing up in reaction interviews.

Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu in the men’s single free skate event in the Beijing Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium. Photo: AFP

“I’ve given my all and I have no regrets,” Hanyu told Japan’s Nippon TV, adding that he skated “without much feeling in my right foot”.

“The quadruple axel was better than I executed previously. If I wasn’t doing [it], I could have done a better combo. But that was my target. It felt more complete to try it.”

The JOC frantically released another statement in an attempt to appease the situation, all but confirming that the 27-year-old Sendai native would not be retiring amid speculation over the 30-minute conference.

Yuzuru Hanyu, of Japan, after the men’s free skate events at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium. Photo: EPA

“The press conference was organised because we have had a large number of individual media requests for one-on-one interviews, which were difficult to arrange,” it said.