Injured Olympic champion Hanyu to miss worlds
Print Edition
OLYMPIC champion Yuzuru Hanyu will not compete in this month’s world championships in Italy due to injury, Japan’s Skating Federation said yesterday.
Hanyu requires “two weeks of rest and three months of rehabilitation” for damaged ligaments in his right ankle, as well as other injuries, the federation said in a statement.
“As the result of medical diagnosis, I am not able to compete in the world championships, but I will focus on treatment and rehabilitation so that I can return to full health as soon as possible,” Hanyu said in the same statement. “I will continue to do what I can little-by-little.”
The 23-year-old, who originally suffered the injury in November, won gold in Pyeongchang, becoming the first man to capture back-to-back Olympic figure skating gold in 66 years.
Hanyu revealed on his return from the Winter Olympics that he had won despite his ankle being at barely one quarter of full fitness. “To be honest, if I compare the situation of my ankle now from the worst time, the pain has only improved by 20-30 percent,” said Hanyu.
But he has also expressed a wish to continue competing at the top level, with his eye on the quadruple axel. It is a jump requiring four-and-a-half rotations which is so technically difficult that no skater has yet managed to execute it.
Japan was distraught when Hanyu fell and twisted his ankle attempting the ultra-tough quadruple lutz jump during practice on the eve of the NHK Trophy in November, threatening his Olympic participation.
Then the nation erupted in euphoria as the injured star soared to take gold in South Korea after staying out of the media for weeks and training in Canada.
His gold-winning feats in Sochi in 2014 and Pyeongchang last month prompted the government to consider him for the People’s Honor Award, one of the highest national accolades.
The world championships take place in Milan on March 21-25.
At last year’s event in Helsinki, Hanyu led a Japanese 1-2 with Shoma Uno, who also clinched silver in Pyeongchang.
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