ZCZC
BSP-07
OLY-2018-FSKATE-JPN-HANYU
Olympics: Figure skating champ Hanyu skips team event
TOKYO, Feb 3, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Japan’s “Ice Prince” Yuzuru Hanyu has
recovered from an ankle injury but will miss the Winter Olympics team
competition, focusing solely on defending his singles title, news reports
said Saturday.
The 23-year-old Olympic champion damaged ankle ligaments attempting a
quadruple lutz in training in November. He resumed training in Toronto in
early January and is now ready to compete in the Games after making a smooth
recovery, the Sankei Shimbun said.
But in order to avoid added strain on his ankle, he plans to skip the team
event starting on Friday and instead focus on the men’s singles on February
16 and 17, the newspaper said.
This means he will make his first competition appearance on ice since his
November injury in the Olympic short programme after he pulled out of
international competitions and Japan’s national championships.
Immediate comments from the Japan Skating Federation were not available.
American Nathan Chen, Spain’s Javier Fernandez and fellow Japanese Shoma
Uno — runner-up to Hanyu at the 2017 world championships — are among those
lurking, while China’s Jin Boyang could provide a threat after his Four
Continents gold last weekend.
Hanyu, who was named in Japan’s Olympic squad in spite of his injury, has
thrown a blanket over his preparations, and a virtual media blackout has been
in place since.
A fit Hanyu would be a strong favourite to become the first man to win
back-to-back Olympic titles since American Dick Button in 1948 and 1952.
He became the first Japanese man to win Olympic figure skating gold in
Sochi in 2014.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1028hrs