[2025.12.28] JBPRESS - Yuzuru Hanyu's presence is still huge! The Japanese skaters set their sights on Milan–Cortina, inspired by the figure they admire

[yuzurujenn]

*machine translation, inaccuracies exist*

 

2025.12.28

 

Source: https://jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/92517

Archived:https://web.archive.org/web/20251228131154/https://jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/92517

 

Yuzuru Hanyu's presence is still huge! The Japanese skaters set their sights on Milan–Cortina, inspired by the figure they admire

 

The Japanese figure skating team for the Milan–Cortina Olympics, which opens in February 2026, has been finalized.

 

Many of the team members are young skaters who have long admired Yuzuru Hanyu, known as the “absolute champion.” Hanyu achieved back-to-back Olympic golds at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018, and competed in three consecutive Games, including Beijing 2022, making him a major inspiration and goal for these athletes.

 

The three male skaters include Yuma Kagiyama (Oriental Bio / Chukyo University), who carries on the legacy of Japan’s top male skater; Shun Sato (Aim Services / Meiji University), who is from the same hometown as Hanyu; and Kao Miura (Oriental Bio / Meiji University), who openly cites Hanyu as his inspiration.

 

Although Hanyu retired from competitive skating after the Beijing Olympics in 2022 to turn professional, his determination to win on the world stage and the captivating performances he delivered have left a lasting mark on their hearts.

 

Spoiler

Olympic skaters inspired by Yuzuru Hanyu

 

During the men’s short program (SP) at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, a historic moment in figure skating unfolded. Yuzuru Hanyu, then 19 years old, became the first skater ever to break the 100-point mark, scoring 101.45.

 

Watching Hanyu’s flawless performance, which brought Japan its first-ever men’s Olympic gold, Shun Sato, who is from the same hometown, was glued to the television.

 

“That was the first time I truly became aware of the Olympics. I wanted to stand on that same stage someday. It became the reason I started aiming for the Olympics myself.”

 

The pendant he received as a gift in kindergarten remains a treasured keepsake even today. He even brought it with him to the hotel during the All-Japan Championships in December 2025, where Olympic selection was on the line.

 

Sato says it has become part of his pre-competition routine to watch Yuzuru Hanyu’s performances before stepping onto the ice.

 

“Of course I pay attention to the jumps, but I also watch the entire program and try to imagine myself skating it.”

 

Before the free skate at the All-Japan Championships, he carefully watched the footage of his favorite of Hanyu’s performances—the free skate “Origin” from the 2019 Grand Prix Series Skate Canada—to lock it in his mind.

 

“I love all of Hanyu’s performances, but this one moves me the most. Watching it makes me feel like my own performance will go well too.”

 

True to his words, he delivered an outstanding free skate, placing first in that segment and finishing second overall, his first podium at the All-Japan Championships, securing his long-sought place on the Olympic team.

 

As a child, he trained at Ice Rink Sendai, the same base where Hanyu practiced.

 

“He was very kind to me,” Sato recalled.

 

When they met at a competition in 2019, Hanyu encouraged him with a simple “Do your best.”

 

“That moment made me believe I could compete on the world stage too.”

 

Sato’s biggest weapon is the quadruple Lutz, which he executed brilliantly in the All-Japan free skate. It’s a highly difficult jump that Hanyu first landed successfully at the 2017 Grand Prix Russia Cup. Heading into the Olympics with this ace in his arsenal, Sato smiled and said:

 

“Standing on the same stage as Hanyu feels like a dream.”

 

On December 22, the day after the Olympic team was announced, Sato spoke to reporters in Tokyo. What stood out was his reflective expression as he described feeling that he had finally drawn a little closer to the back of the man who once reigned as the absolute champion.

 

Hanyu’s message of encouragement to his juniors

 

“I grew up by watching the backs of my seniors. Now it’s my turn to show my back. I want to carry the Japanese team on my shoulders with pride, in a way that reflects my own style as the team’s ace.”

 

Kagiyama, in the same press conference as Sato, spoke about what it means to be the ace of Japan’s men’s team. Four years have passed since the All-Japan Championships that doubled as the final Olympic qualifier for the Beijing Games, where Hanyu stood at the top. Now, after winning back-to-back All-Japan titles and inheriting the ace mantle, the 22-year-old Kagiyama heads to Milan as Japan’s representative.

 

Kagiyama first made a big leap on the senior world stage at the 2021 World Championships, where he won a silver medal in his debut.

 

At the time, he had just debuted at the senior level at 17 years old. At the press conference announcing the national team following the previous year’s All-Japan Championships, where he stood alongside Yuzuru Hanyu and Shoma Uno, Kagiyama couldn’t completely hide his nerves.

 

Hanyu noticed how the young skater, usually confident and bold, spoke modestly about his ambitions. When asked to offer advice to his juniors, Hanyu chose his words carefully and shared this message:

 

“He was trying to lie to himself about his feelings, so I told him, ‘You don’t need to do that.’ I think his strength comes from his competitiveness, his drive to improve, and his momentum. Of course, that alone might not be enough to win, but right now, that’s his greatest asset. I hope he cherishes it.”

 

Kagiyama later reflected: “Ever since he said that to me, all my negative feelings disappeared.”

 

The interviews conducted the day after the previous Olympic team announcement for Beijing were held online due to COVID-19. Even through a screen, however, Hanyu’s presence as an ace was unmistakable.

 

“For me, the Olympics isn’t just a showcase. I have to win. I want to go in with strong determination and come out victorious.”

 

Kagiyama admitted that he sees Hanyu as the ideal athlete.

 

“He always sought victory and showed what it means to win perfectly, through his performances, interviews, and actions. To me, Hanyu-kun represents the ideal image of 'The Athlete.’”

 

"Yuzuru-nii-chan’s performance gave me a push"

 

For Kao Miura, who is two school years younger than Kagiyama and earned the third men’s spot, Hanyu was also a huge presence. While Kagiyama describes Hanyu as “The Athlete,” Miura once looked up to him as “The textbook, the model athlete,” with deep respect in his eyes.

 

On December 29, 2020, Miura posted on Instagram about a moment he described as “the happiest moment ever!!!”, recalling Hanyu’s words to him: “Your quad was beautiful. Keep it up!”

 

He added a comment expressing his determination: “I want to keep working hard to get even a little closer to the person I admire!”

 

Hanyu’s influence isn’t limited to the men’s side.

 

For Mone Chiba (20, Kinoshita Group), who was selected as an Olympic representative for the first time in women’s skating, Hanyu is also a very special presence.

 

Born in the same city of Sendai and having trained at Ice Rink Sendai as a child, Mone Chiba used to call Hanyu “Yuzuru-nii-chan” and play tag with him on the ice. She still vividly remembers his performance at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, saying, “Watching it moved me deeply.”

 

She graduated from Tohoku High School in Miyagi, the same school as Hanyu, and went on to study at Waseda University's School of Human Sciences through a correspondence course. Her free program for the Olympic season is "Romeo and Juliet," the same as Hanyu's performance at the Sochi Olympics.  At a press gathering the morning after she was named to the Olympic team, media attention focused heavily on questions about Hanyu.

 

“He is a great person, both as an athlete and as a person. The higher I go, the more I realize just how amazing Hanyu-san is. I want to do my best to make this an Olympics where I can feel like I've given it my all.”

 

For me, who has been covering figure skating since 2011, this was my fourth time reporting on the All-Japan Championships during an Olympic season.

 

In 2013, Hanyu won the All-Japan Championships and secured his place on the Sochi Olympic team. In 2017, he had to withdraw due to a right ankle injury, but his outstanding track record still earned him a spot for the PyeongChang Olympics. In 2021, he claimed the top spot at the All-Japan Championships for the sixth time, securing a third consecutive Olympic appearance even amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

For the “Milan generation” of skaters, Hanyu is an enormous figure who has elevated the popularity of figure skating beyond the sport itself. Yet he never rested on that fame; instead, he pushed himself to the limit, showing through example his resolve to compete on the world stage and an unyielding will to win.

 

Hanyu was not present at the All-Japan venue in Yoyogi, Tokyo, but the skaters carrying on his legacy were vibrant on the ice. Even now, Hanyu’s presence, expressed through his professional performances that reinvent the appeal of figure skating, continues to have a positive influence on competitive skaters aiming for the Olympics.