Japan Data

Hanyū Yuzuru: A Competition Record

Sports

All the career highlights and competition results for superstar Japanese figure skater Hanyū Yuzuru since his senior debut in 2010.

Japanese figure skater Hanyū Yuzuru dominated the Japan Championships held in December 2020, ending a five-year title drought at the competition with a score of 319.36. Appearing in his first event since withdrawing in August from the Grand Prix series over concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the star, who was debuting his new routine, took the lead after the short program by being the only skater to score over 100. He clinched his victory in the free skating, earning over 25 points more than his nearest rival, defending champion Uno Shōma.

2020–21

  • Short program: “Let Me Entertain You” by Robbie Williams; choreography by Jeffrey Buttle.
  • Free skating: “Ten to chi to” (Heaven and Earth) by Tomita Isao; choreography by Shae-Lynn Bourne.
World Championships Qualified.
Japan Championships 1st (319.36) Debuts new routine. Scores an uncharacteristically low 103.53 points in the short program after committing an error on a spin, but superb jumping in the free skating seals the overwhelming victory.
Grand Prix series Does not compete Withdraws due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019–20

  • Short program: “Otoñal” (Autumnal) by Raúl Di Blasio; choreography by Jeffrey Buttle.
  • Free skating: “Art on Ice” and “Magic Stradivarius” by Edvin Marton; choreography by Shae-Lynn Bourne.
  • In the Four Continents Championships, reverts to Pyeongchang gold-medal routine of “Ballade No. 1” and music from the soundtrack to Onmyōji (The Yin Yang Master).
World Championships Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Four Continents Championships 1st (299.42) Sets a new world record of 111.82 in the short program, beating his own previous high. Wins overall despite mistakes on quad jumps in the free skating.
Japan Championships 2nd (282.77) Finishes first in the short program, but errors in the free skating allow Uno Shōma to take the overall title.
Grand Prix Final 2nd (291.43) Second to US skater Nathan Chen, who beats his own world record with a score of 335.30 to secure a third successive title.
Grand Prix NHK Trophy 1st (305.05)
Grand Prix Skate Canada 1st (322.59)  

2018–19

  • Short program: “Otoñal” (Autumnal) by Raúl Di Blasio; choreography by Jeffrey Buttle.
  • Free skating: “Art on Ice” and “Magic Stradivarius” by Edvin Marton; choreography by Shae-Lynn Bourne.
World Championships 2nd (300.97) Records his highest score of 2018–19, but loses to US skater Nathan Chen, who scores 323.42.
Grand Prix Final Does not compete Unable to compete after failing to recover from his injury in Russia.
Grand Prix Rostelecom Cup 1st (278.42) Injures his ankle the day before the free skate, but competes and wins after taking painkillers.
Grand Prix Helsinki 1st (297.12)  

2017–18

  • Short program: “Ballade No. 1” by Frédéric Chopin; choreography by Jeffrey Buttle.
  • Free skating: From the soundtrack to Onmyōji (The Yin Yang Master) by Umebayashi Shigeru; choreography by Shae-Lynn Bourne.
  • In July 2018, he receives the People’s Honor Award after retaining his Olympic title.
Pyeongchang Olympics 1st (317.85) Wins his second consecutive Olympic title becoming the first male figure skater to do so since Dick Button of the United States in 1952. Made a miraculous recovery from an ankle injury that prevented him from practicing for two months.
Grand Prix NHK Trophy Does not compete Injured the day before the competition starts.
Grand Prix Rostelecom Cup 2nd (290.77) Completes his first successful quadruple Lutz.

Hanyū Yuzuru performs in the free skating at the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018. (© Jiji)
Hanyū Yuzuru performs in the free skating at the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018. (© Jiji)

2016–17

  • Short program: “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince; choreography by Jeffrey Buttle.
  • Free skating: “View of Silence” and “Asian Dream Song” by Hisaishi Jō; choreography by Shae-Lynn Bourne.
World Championships 1st (321.59) Wins his second title three years after the first. Sets a new world record with his score of 223.20 in the free skating.
Four Continents Championships 2nd (303.71) Second to US skater Nathan Chen.
Japan Championships Does not compete Sidelined by a bout of influenza.
Grand Prix Final 1st (293.90) Becomes the first skater to win the Grand Prix Final four times running.
Grand Prix NHK Trophy 1st (301.47)  
Grand Prix Skate Canada 2nd (263.06)  

2015–16

  • Short program: “Ballade No. 1” by Frédéric Chopin; choreography by Jeffrey Buttle.
  • Free skating: From the soundtrack to Onmyōji (The Yin Yang Master) by Umebayashi Shigeru; choreography by Shae-Lynn Bourne.
World Championships 2nd (295.17) Second to Spanish skater Javier Fernández.
Japan Championships 1st (286.36)  
Grand Prix Final 1st (330.43) Sets his current personal best and successfully completes a quadruple loop in an exhibition program.
Grand Prix NHK Trophy 1st (322.40) Becomes the first skater to score more than 300 points.
Grand Prix Skate Canada 2nd (259.54) Second to Canadian skater Patrick Chan.

2014–15

  • Short program: “Ballade No. 1” by Frédéric Chopin; choreography by Jeffrey Buttle.
  • Free skating: “The Phantom of the Opera” by Andrew Lloyd Webber; choreography by Shae-Lynn Bourne. 
World Championships 2nd (271.08) An injury after the Japan Championships prevents him from training for two months. Come in second to Spanish skater Javier Fernández.
Japan Championships 1st (286.86)
Grand Prix Final 1st (288.16)
Grand Prix NHK Trophy 4th (229.80)  
Grand Prix Cup of China 2nd (237.55) Injures his head and thigh after a collision with a Chinese skater during the warmup before the free skating.

2013–14

  • Short program: “Parisienne Walkways” by Gary Moore; choreography by Jeffrey Buttle.
  • Free skating: From the soundtrack to Romeo and Juliet by Nino Rota; choreography by David Wilson.
World Championships 1st (282.59) Becomes the second Japanese man to win the competition after Takahashi Daisuke in 2010. Is also the second male skater to finish first at the Grand Prix Final, Olympics, and World Championships in the same season after Alexei Yagudin of Russia in 2001–2.
Sochi Olympics 1st (280.09) Becomes the first skater to score over 100 points in the short program in international competition and the first Japanese man to win a figure skating gold medal at the Olympics. Receives the Medal of Honor (Purple Ribbon).
Japan Championships 1st (297.80) Scores over 100 points in the short program.
Grand Prix Final 1st (293.25) Wins the Grand Prix Final for the first time, setting a new world record for the short program of 99.84.
Grand Prix Bompard 2nd (263.59) Second to Canadian skater Patrick Chan.
Grand Prix Skate Canada 2nd (234.80) Second to Canadian skater Patrick Chan.

Hanyū Yuzuru performs in the short program at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014. (© Jiji)
Hanyū Yuzuru performs in the short program at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014. (© Jiji)

2012–13

  • Relocates to Toronto, where he begins training under Brian Orser.
  • Short program: “Parisienne Walkways” by Gary Moore; choreography by Jeffrey Buttle.
  • Free skating: From the soundtrack to Notre-Dame de Paris by Riccardo Cocciante; choreography by David Wilson.
World Championships 4th (244.99) Recovers somewhat from a ninth-place finish in the short program, but fails to make the podium.
Four Continents Championships 2nd (246.38)  
Japan Championships 1st (285.23)
Grand Prix Final 2nd (264.29) First time on the Grand Prix Final podium. Second to Takahashi Daisuke, the first-ever Japanese winner of the competition.
Grand Prix NHK Trophy 1st (261.03)  
Grand Prix Skate America 2nd (243.74) Despite setting a new world record for the short program, drops back in the free skating. Japanese skaters Kozuka Takahiko and Machida Tatsuki finish first and third, respectively.

2011–12

  • Short program: “Étude in D-sharp minor, Op. 8, No. 12” by Alexander Scriabin; choreography by Abe Nanami.
  • Free skating: “O Verona” by Craig Armstrong, “Kissing You” by Des’ree, and “Escape” by Craig Ferguson; choreography by Abe Nanami.
World Championships 3rd (251.06) Third behind the Canadian skater Patrick Chan and his Japanese compatriot Takahashi Daisuke.
Japan Championships 3rd (241.91)
Grand Prix Final 4th (245.82) First appearance in the competition.
Grand Prix Cup of China 4th (226.53)  
Grand Prix Rostelecom Cup 1st (241.66) First Grand Prix victory. Finished ahead of second-place Spanish skater Javier Fernández by a margin of 0.03 points.

2010–11

  • Short program: From Swan Lake by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; choreography by Abe Nanami.
  • Free skating: “Zigeunerweisen” by Pablo de Sarasate; choreography by Abe Nanami.
Four Continents Championships 2nd (228.01)  
Japan Championships 4th (220.06)  
Grand Prix Rostelecom Cup 7th (202.66)  
Grand Prix NHK Trophy 4th (207.72) Senior debut

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Hanyū Yuzuru performs in the  short program at the 2020 Japan Championships. © Jiji.)

figure skating Hanyu Yuzuru