Japanese "Ice Prince" Yuzuru Hanyu kisses the ice rink at the Capital Indoor Stadium as he bids farewell to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics during his performance at the Figure Skating Gala on February 21, 2022. Photo: CFP

 


 Japanese figure skating icon Yuzuru Hanyu announced his retirement on Tuesday afternoon, bringing an end to a 12-year senior career that saw him create a series of legends in competitive skating. 

The related topics immediately trended on Twitter-like Chinese social media Sina Weibo, with floods of Chinese fans expressing their firm and continuous support and respect for Hanyu's decision. Topics "Yuzuru Hanyu officially announced his retirement" and "Yuzuru Hanyu turns to professional figure skating" surged to the top of the trending list on Weibo with about 250 million views as of press time.

The two-time Olympic champion said he would turn to professional skating. In figure skating, "professional skaters" include those who have lost their eligibility at International Skating Union (ISU) and those who perform only in shows.

"I'll no longer be compared with other skaters as a competitor," the "Ice Prince" told a packed press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon, saying he will concentrate on skating in exhibition shows for his adoring fan base, according to media reports.

"I have no sadness. I want to continue to do my best," Hanyu said.

Glory and regrets, sweat and tears have composed the legend's competitive career.

After failing in his bid to win a third straight Olympic gold at the Beijing Games in February, the 27-year-old two-time world champion left it unclear whether he would ever again compete on the ice, Kyodo News reported on Tuesday.

Hanyu sprained his right ankle and finished fourth at the Beijing Winter Olympics after falling short in his attempt at a historic quad axel, a four-and-a-half rotation jump that no skater has ever landed cleanly in competition. 

Hanyu, also a four-time Grand Prix Final winner and six-time national champion, withdrew from the world championships in March as he had not recovered from the injury.

With programs that paired gravity-defying jumps with graceful athleticism, intricate costuming and emotional interpretations of Japanese culture, Hanyu was a driving force behind the sport's boom in popularity as he inspired his peers and juniors to push the envelope in their own performances, the Japan Times precisely summarized the reasons behind the Hanyu mania worldwide.

After Hanyu announced his retirement, the Global Times reached several his loyal fans. Some Chinese fans expressed their gratitude to the skater who brought countless incredible performances to the ice, and some said they are looking forward to Hanyu's professional skating afterwards, while some felt sorry to hear of his retirement. All of the fans noted they respected his decision and would support Hanyu as always.

"His resonance with the ice and the music were sympathetic to us... What touched me most was his awe of the ice and ... skating as if he could give the ice spirit… Yuzuru Hanyu, thank you for your figure skating!" Li Lin, a student of the Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"We often say there is no politics in sports. Hanyu's personal charm completely goes beyond his nationality. His warm and tolerant characteristics, professional and rigorous spirit in the arena also provided a good opportunity for people exchanges between China and Japan. The moment we got together as Hanyu's fans, we had only one identity, that of being his followers," Li said.

"With little political tendency in his words and deeds, he always treated Chinese fans politely and warmly… He is not only Japan's but also Asia's pride," said Xia Tingyu, a master's degree candidate at the Communication University of China, who started following Hanyu from 2011.

The Chinese Embassy in Japan also responded to Hanyu's retirement on Twitter. "We support Yuzuru Hanyu, known as the 'prince on the ice,' who made the Beijing Winter Olympics shine and is very popular in both China and Japan, as he turns professional and takes on the challenge of new dreams." 

"We applaud all those who don't compromise on themselves and pursue their path," the embassy cheered Hanyu on as saying.

As China and Japan welcome the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations this year, observers believe that Hanyu mania is a great opportunity to see an easing of China-Japan ties, which were strained in recent years, mainly due to Japan's frequent provocations on China's hot-button issues including the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue.

The high attention that the Chinese public has paid to Hanyu, one of the few symbols of friendship for people exchanges between China and Japan, reflected that "friendly soil" between China and Japan does exist, Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Hanyu has always shown an affinity and appeal to Chinese fans, with few politically biased remarks in public, presenting borderless communication and the real sports spirit, the analyst noted.

If the governments and people from the two countries can make joint efforts in promoting such envoys of friendship to strengthen mutual public understanding, warming bilateral ties are within expectations, Da believes.

When referring to the "temperature difference" presented by the Chinese public toward Shinzo Abe's assassination on July 8 and Hanyu's retirement, the analyst said exchanges such as those in sports, culture and education are far apart from practical conflicts and historical grievances between China and Japan, which have an impact that transcends national boundaries. 

Huang Ziting contributed to this story