PYEONGCHANG, South Korea: Japan’s figure skating king Yuzuru Hanyu will be ready to defend his Olympic title in Pyeongchang, his coach said Tuesday, after an ankle injury threatened to scuttle his double dream.
The 23-year-old, widely considered the greatest skater ever, damaged ankle ligaments attempting a quadruple lutz in training in November and has been training in secrecy since.But coach Brian Orser promised Hanyu would be fit in time for the men’s short programme on February 16 at Gangneung Ice Arena.
“He is training quite well,” the Canadian told reporters.“In the last few weeks everything has been coming together and all of us have been very optimistic.“We need every minute between now and the competition, but I am really impressed with the way he has been able to manage all of this,” added Orser.
“Every day he keeps getting better, but we have goals. We know exactly what has got to be worked on and what we have to achieve, and we do it.”A fit Hanyu would arguably be a strong favourite to become the first man to win back-to-back Olympic figure skating titles since American Dick Button in 1948 and 1952.
But tetchy Japanese skate officials have refused to discuss Hanyu’s progress since his injury scare, adding to the sense of drama before one of the most watched sports of the Games, which open on Friday.
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.Doubts linger over how competitive Hanyu will be after his ill-timed training accident and the absence of the Japanese star, one of the most recognisable athletes of the Games, would be a major blow to organisers.
However, Orser gave the Japanese superstar’s legions of devoted fans a boost by dismissing fears he would not be ready to compete.“He will be 100 percent,” Japan’s Kyodo news quoted him as saying. “I remember in the summer we got back to training in July and saying then he’s ready for the Olympics. He was ready in August.“So we have all that work behind us and it is sort of in the bank. Thank goodness for that because now it is all coming to fruition.”
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