"I'm not going to compete against other skaters in competitions anymore," the 'Prince of Ice' told a press conference in Tokyo, adding that he now wants to focus on skating shows to keep delighting his many fans.

"I'm not sad, (...) I want to continue to do my best," he said, adding that he did not like to use the term "retirement".

"Competitively, results-wise, I think I've been able to win everything I wanted. I think I've grown to the point where I don't need to go after those kinds of reviews anymore," he asserted.

The slender skater had won Olympic gold at the Sochi Olympics in 2014, at just 19 years old, then retained his title in 2018 in Pyeongchang.

A major feat that had not been achieved for 66 years.

Quest for the quadruple axel

But his career has been plagued by recurring ankle injuries from 2018, and the summit duel promised by his opposition to his great American rival Nathan Chen at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February this year came to an end. .

Japanese Yuzuru Hanyu at the press conference during which he announced his retirement from sport on July 19, 2022 in Tokyo.

Philip FONG AFP

Hanyu crashed several times in Beijing and failed to land the quadruple axel, an incredibly difficult four-and-a-half-turn jump never before performed in competition and which was to be his miracle weapon.

He finished in a disappointing fourth place, while Chen was crowned.

"I will still work harder on the quadruple axel and I strongly hope that I can successfully receive it in front of everyone" during galas, the Japanese said on Tuesday.

Also a two-time world champion (2014, 2017), Hanyu is a national hero in Japan, where in 2018 he became the youngest recipient of the nation's Honor Award, one of the country's highest honors.

While rare in the media and absent from social networks, Hanyu has legions of worshipers in Japan and elsewhere in the world, nicknamed the "fanyus", scrutinizing his every move and capable of spending fortunes for see him skate.

Yuzuru Hanyu during the Beijing Olympics, February 10, 2022. Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP / Archives

One of their traditions is to pour a shower of Winnie the Pooh soft toys on the ice after each performance by their idol, who always carries with him a box of tissues stamped with an image of this character for children.

© 2022 AFP