Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu, twice Olympic figure-skating champion whose rock-star like status has been as legendary as his accomplishments on the ice, said he would turn professional, ending more than a decade of competition at the highest level.
In an hour-long news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday where he seemed pensive and relieved, the 27-year-old shunned the word "retirement", saying he looked forward to pushing his skills to an even higher level on a different stage.
