After winning two Olympic gold medals, Yuzuru Hanyu wants to master a quadruple axel.
Hanyu, who at the Pyeongchang Games became the first man to repeat as Olympic champion in 66 years, told a news conference on Tuesday he hoped to be the first, or at least one of the first figure skaters to accomplish the 4 1/2 revolutions in competition.
Japanese figure skater and gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu speaks in Tokyo, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018, a day after returning home from Pyeongchang. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
"No one in competition has achieved successful quadruple axel jumps and there are very few people actually practicing even during training," Hanyu said. "I want to continue my challenge towards achieving my dream of successfully performing the quad axel, even if I may not be the first person to do so."
The usually articulate Hanyu struggled with questions at the Foreign Correspondent's Club of Japan, where he was asked to describe how difficult the jump is and to show something of it.
He dropped his head to the podium, and said a quadruple axel is like jumping rope four times while revolving twice with one's eyes closed.
Even though top skaters have achieved success in five of the six quadruple jump varieties, only a few are practicing the more difficult quadruple axel, which requires an additional half-turn, he said.
Japanese figure skater and gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu laughs while speaking in Tokyo, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018, a day after returning home from Pyeongchang. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
Asked if he would go beyond that, Hanyu said he was interested.
Scientists say humans can go as far as quintuple, Hanyu said, and his childhood coach is encouraging him to go for it.
"I would like to give it a try in the future, if possible," he said. "A quintuple and half could be beyond my reach though."
He says those difficult jumps add to the artistry of a performance only when performed with excellent basic technique.
Hanyu, who was off ice until January while recovering from a right ankle injury, said his gold medal in Pyeongchang was not easily won. The pain in the ankle was still only "20 to 30 percent" down from the worst.
"I bet my life for this gold medal," the 23-year-old Hanyu, who returned home on Monday, told the packed news conference. "I am alive and here," he joked, "I am not dying."
Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu shows off his gold medal he got in the Pyeongchang Olympics while speaking in Tokyo, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018, a day after returning home. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
Hanyu said he was proud to have repeated as champion in a sport traditionally dominated by Europeans.
"I believe it was a historic step forward that I was able to win the gold medal using Japanese music for my program," he said.
Conscious of his Japanese fans, Hanyu said he always eats rice to get energy for competition, instead of bread or pasta. But when he is not competing, he eats like most other youths and says he still stays in shape: "I go to McDonalds, I like carbonated soft drinks, and I even eat potato chips sometimes."
TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and his family waved to a crowd of flag-waving New Year’s well-wishers gathered at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Friday.
Standing with his wife Masako and the rest of the royal family, he wished a happy new year to people lined up below the palace balcony, some shouting, “banzai" — Japanese for "long live.”
The annual New Year’s appearance by the emperor and his family draws huge crowds to the palace’s usually cloistered grounds in central Tokyo.
People stand in long lines, weathering the cold, for each of the five appearances during the day, as the imperial family remains relatively popular.
The emperor does not have political power but holds symbolic significance for Japan. He and his family are longtime advocates for peace, although World War II was fought in the name of Naruhito’s grandfather Hirohito.
In a statement released in advance, Naruhito noted that last year marked 80 years since the end of that war. He stressed the importance of the message of peace, given that war and strife continued in parts of the world.
“I deeply feel it’s important to continue with efforts among people for dialogue, trying to deepen mutual understanding, so we can build a world of peace,” he said in the statement.
In both the statement and comments Friday, he spoke about recent natural disasters such as earthquakes, heavy rainfall and snow, and forest fires.
In 2024, the annual appearance was canceled because of a New Year’s Day quake in the Noto Peninsula, a coastal area in central Japan, which killed hundreds of people. In 2021 and 2022, it got canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Princess Aiko, the imperial couple's only child, appeared with her parents at this year’s greeting, as did other relatives. She is at the center of a national debate about rules allowing only men to inherit to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
The presence of Naruhito’s nephew, Hisahito, also drew attention, as he now takes part in adult imperial events and is a possible heir to the throne. He is second in line after his father, the emperor’s brother.
Akihito, Naruhito’s father and emperor emeritus who abdicated in 2019, was also there with his wife Michiko, the emperor’s mother.
Yuri Kageyama is on Threads https://www.threads.net/@yurikageyama
Japan's Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito, daughter and son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, greet well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year's celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko greet well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year's celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan's Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko greet well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year's celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako greet well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year's celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Japan's Emperor Naruhito greets well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year's celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
