Men’s Room: Yuzuru Hanyu, Japan

Yuzuru Hanyu won silver in Sochi in history-making trends, getting the initial men’s room skater to score over 100 details when you look at the short regimen, 1st Japanese man to winnings Olympic gold in men’s room skating, and (at 19 yrs . old) the youngest men’s room Olympic champ in nearly 60 years. Hanyu returned the place to find a parade of apparently near 100,000 people, but wasn’t content to sit down as well as take pleasure in the ruins of his Olympic triumph. Only four weeks afterwards, he competed at 2014 World titles and stated gold.

Hanyu’s post-Olympic month have off to a crude begin at his first big Prix occasion, the 2014 cup Asia. Within the warm-up prior to the free of charge regimen, Hanyu about collided with another skater. Determined to contend in any event, Hanyu dropped five times through the plan. He had been able to recuperate when it comes down to great Prix Final to make a personal-best score for the free of charge skate and declare gold by over 34 information behind the silver medalist, The country of spain’s Javier Fernandez. Fernandez finished the summer season over the top, but taking the silver medal at the 2015 business Championships while Hanyu got silver.

Hanyu and Fernandez, exactly who prepare together in Toronto, Canada under two-time Olympic silver medalist Brian Orser, both repeated their own brands another month. Hanyu obtained silver over Fernandez within 2015 Grand Prix last with world-record score for his quick plan, complimentary skate and total rating. But Hanyu was definately not his most useful during the 2016 globe Championships, producing several mistakes in the free skate while Fernandez ended up being near-perfect. Fernandez obtained another community championships concept, leaving Hanyu in next location.

Hanyu experienced a unique opponent during 2016-17 period: American teen Nathan Chen, just who stunned globally with his arsenal of high-scoring quadruple jumps. At their own first showdown, the 2016 big Prix Final, Chen had the greater score when you look at the free of charge skate but Hanyu’s contribute after the small system protected him a fourth successive win at this prestigious show. They faced off once again on 2017 Four Continents Championships, and Chen’s seven complete quad jumps-two from inside the short regimen and five inside the free skate-earned him the gold medal, while Hanyu was given silver.

Almost everything came to a mind at the 2017 business titles, with Chen, Hanyu and Fernandez all dueling when it comes to subject. Hanyu won his 2nd business concept, while expensive blunders directed Chen to a sixth place complete in the Worlds debut. Fernandez completed fourth, behind Japan’s Shoma Uno (gold) and China’s Boyang Jin (bronze).

Hanyu is the owner of several globe files: the quick plan score (set at fantastic Prix Final), the complimentary skate score (ready at 2017 globes) and also the record for greatest actually total get, points, arranged at great Prix last.

Females: Adelina Sotnikova, Russia

17-year-old Sotnikova upset the females’ area whenever she outscored 2010 Olympic winner Yuna Kim, the favourite to returning, for the silver medal in Sochi. She was actually the most important Russian lady to winnings an Olympic subject in singles find skating.

Debate around Sotnikova’s success still lingers, however. At the time, many questioned if the judges got scored the girl fairly-one girl in the Olympic judging panel was actually the partner of the manager from the Figure Skating Federation of Russia, and another ended up being taking part in a score-fixing scandal within 1998 Nagano Olympics. Enthusiasts of Kim launched an internet petition calling for a study, plus it rapidly gained significantly more than two million signatures. Although Global Skating Union declined to just take any motion.

Nearly 3 years following opposition, Sotnikova’s winnings got known as into question once again because of the McLaren document. This study of the business Anti-Doping institution detail by detail widespread doping among Russian athletes and a sophisticated cover-up procedure to make sure they certainly weren’t caught. It actually was stated that the bottles of one of Sotnikova’s urine examples was actually interfered with, and she is becoming examined consequently.