Hanyū Yuzuru: Career Highlights and Photos of Memorable Moments
All the career highlights and competition results for superstar Japanese figure skater Hanyū Yuzuru from his senior debut in 2010 to his retirement in 2022.
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Japanese figure skater Hanyū Yuzuru announced his retirement from competitive skating on July 19, 2022, after a glittering career in which he won two Olympic gold medals and twice triumphed at the world championships. Here we look back on his achievements, illustrated with some memorable moments in photos.
2021–22
- Short program: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint-Saëns; choreography by Jeffrey Buttle and Shae-Lynn Bourne.
- Free skating: “Ten to chi to” (Heaven and Earth) by Tomita Isao; choreography by Shae-Lynn Bourne.
| World Championships | Does not compete | |
| Beijing Olympics | 4th (283.21) | Targets a third successive gold, but errors in the short program put him in eighth position. He also falls in the free program while attempting a quadruple axel and fails to make the podium. |
| Four Continents Championships | Does not compete | |
| Japan Championships | 1st (322.36) | Wins for the second successive time, and the sixth time ever. Although the International Skating Union does not recognize scores at national championships, this is unofficially the highest score for the season. |
| Grand Prix series | Does not compete |
Despite mistakes, Hanyū completed the first ever move recognized as a quadruple axel during the Beijing Winter Olympics on February 10, 2022. (© Jiji)
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 | 3rd (289.18) | Takes the lead in the short program, but jump errors in the free skating hold him back behind US skater Nathan Chen and 17-year-old compatriot Kagiyama Yūma. |
| 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. |
Hanyū Yuzuru performs in the short program at the 2020 Japan Championships. (© Jiji)
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) |
After his short program at the Grand Prix NHK Trophy, Hanyū fans throw Winnie-the-Pooh toys onto the rink at Makomanai Ice Arena in Sapporo on November 22, 2019. (© Jiji)
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) |
Hanyū Yuzuru in action in the short program at the Grand Prix Rostelecom Cup in Moscow on November 16, 2018. (© AFP/Jiji)
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.
| World Championships | Does not compete | An ankle injury prevents him taking part. |
| 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 (left) receives the People’s Honor Award from Prime Minister Abe Shinzō on July 2, 2018, for his achievement in winning successive gold medals at the Winter Olympics. (© 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) |
Hanyū Yuzuru strikes a pose during the short program at the Grand Prix Final in Marseille, France, on December 8, 2016. (© Jiji)
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. |
Hanyū Yuzuru skating in the short program during the World Championships in Boston on March 30, 2016. (© Jiji)
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. |
Hanyū Yuzuru after his free skating performance in the Japan Championships in Nagano on December 27, 2014. (© Jiji)
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)
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. |
Hanyū Yuzuru in the Grand Prix NHK Trophy short program at the Sekisui Heim Super Arena in Miyagi Prefecture on November 23, 2012. (© Jiji)
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 Armstrong; 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. |
Hanyū Yuzuru in the free skating program during his first appearance in the Grand Prix Final in Quebec on December 10, 2011. (© Jiji)
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 |
A 15-year-old Hanyū Yuzuru making his senior debut in the free skating at the Grand Prix NHK Trophy at the NGK Arena in Aichi Prefecture on October 24, 2010. (© Jiji)
(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Hanyū Yuzuru giving his all during the Japan Championships short program in 2020. © Jiji.)