Check out these Magnificent Photographs of Men’s Figure Skating

Yuzuru Hanyu, who won the Olympic Games for the third consecutive time and challenged a quadruple jump
Yuma Kagiyama, a new candidate for Japan’s ace.
Masama Uno, who won a medal for the second consecutive Olympics

It was a battle of the highest level in history.

The curtain rose on the Beijing Olympics on February 4. The men’s free skate on February 10 drew the highest household rating (in the Kanto region) of 32.0%.

Yuzuru Hanyu (27)

In the center of it all was Yuzuru Hanyu (27), who was trying to win his third consecutive Olympic title and quadruple jump. Although he lost points due to a fall, he became the first skater to have a quadruple jump approved by the International Skating Union. Although he did not win a medal, he improved his ranking from 8th in the short program to 4th overall, showing his determination as the previous champion. In the interview right after, she said

It may have been an unrewarding effort, but I was able to make it (the quadruple jump), and that’s my asset. This is the Olympics where I challenged myself, where I gave everything.

He looked back on his performance. Yoshie Noguchi, a sports writer, explains the meaning of his challenge.

She showed us the importance of taking on challenges as she fought beyond the boundaries of victory and defeat, and by surpassing the four-and-a-half rotation barrier, it will be said later that the Olympics were the starting point for a dramatic evolution of her technique.

Hanyu has opened the door for the next generation. Emi Watanabe, a former figure skater for Japan, also praised Hanyu.

Normally in the Olympics, you don’t include a big move that you know will fail. I felt Hanyu’s will that he had to jump a quadruple and a half in order to evolve the skating world. When I was an active skater 40 years ago, triple rotation was the norm, but now, quadruple rotation is becoming the mainstream. It will take some time, but I believe that the time will come when everyone will be able to jump a quadruple and a half. Still, I think the first step that Hanyu took in this competition was a feat that will go down in history.

Yuma Kagiyama (18)

A new hero was also born. He scored a personal best 208.94 points in the team men’s free skate on April 6. He won the silver medal in the men’s single with a total of 310.05 points.

The quality of his quad is good. I like the quality of your quad, the height, the beauty, it’s perfect. And you can build it up without making mistakes. I think it was a great performance, and I’m convinced that only five people have ever reached the 300-point mark.

Masama Uno (24)

Noguchi also remembers the courage of Masama Uno (24), who won a medal in two consecutive Olympics.

In the free skate, Uno took on the challenge of five quadruple rotations, the most difficult of his career, and showed us how much he has grown. Both Uno and Kagiyama will start again on the 12th. On the practice field, Uno skated “Bolero,” which he failed in the free skate, with no mistakes, and Kagiyama succeeded in one quad after another. Both of them have come a long way technically and mentally after the Olympics. I believe that a new era will be built around them.

The baton that Hanyu opened for a new era will be passed on to new athletes, and the battle will lead to the next stage.

FRIDAY Emergency Extra Edition “2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Figure Skating Men’s Single Preliminary Digest” will be on sale on February 19 (Sat)!

From “FRIDAY” March 4, 2022 issue