At a pre-Olympic figure-skating competition in Moscow last October, Yuzuru Hanyu was told that he resembled to some a heroic character, delicate but fierce, from the Japanese tradition of anime.
He did not see himself that way, Hanyu said in an interview, but with a smile, he added, “I like to win with some drama.”
He could have had no idea how much drama lay ahead.
Less than three weeks later, Hanyu sustained ligament damage to his right ankle while rehearsing a difficult four-revolution jump. Nearly four months would elapse before he could compete again, here at the Winter Olympics. But he showed little erosion of skill or victorious determination from the layoff.
Skating in an arena where fans waved dozens of Japanese flags, Hanyu was not flawless before what was essentially a home crowd. But he displayed sufficient stamina, jumping ability, elastic spins and ethereal grace to win a second consecutive gold medal, becoming the first men’s repeat champion since Dick Button of the United States in 1948 and 1952.
Hanyu, 23, also prevailed with cunning strategy. He placed two of his four quadruple jumps and all of his combination jumps in the second half of his performance, receiving bonus points given to skaters at a point when their legs begin to tire in a four and a half minute routine.
SOURCE :- nytimes
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