What’s trending?
Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu ended his third Winter Olympic Games without a medal, but the two-time past Olympic figure skating champion’s courage in pushing his limits won the praise of Chinese fans.
The hashtag #Yuzuru Hanyu says he received 20,000 letters from Chinese fans #羽生结弦回应收到中国粉丝两万封信 had been viewed 180 million times by Tuesday on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform, garnering around 8,000 comments.
What’s the story?
Hanyu spoke at a press conference in Beijing on Monday after finishing fourth in the men’s single event.
The skater expressed his congratulations to U.S. gold medalist Nathan Chen, calling him “a great athlete.”
He also thanked his supporters, adding that he received more than 20,000 letters in the mail from local fans. “I sincerely feel the love and welcome from Chinese fans. As a skater, I feel so fortunate,” he said.
At this year's Winter Olympics, the 27-year-old attempted to become the first man to execute the quadruple axel (4A) in competition, but fell unfortunately.
The move requires skaters to turn four and a half revolutions in the air and land on one foot.
“I have jumped the best 4A that I can do at that moment,” Hanyu said at the conference. He said he injured his ankle when practicing the move before the Games.
Hanyu didn’t rule out competing in the next games, saying “Of course, I hope to be on the stage of the Winter Olympics again.”
What are people saying online?
Millions of Weibo users showed their support and respect for Hanyu, with many saying they were touched by his acknowledgment of his fans. A commentator said that “this is why he is so popular in China.”
“I love Yuzuru Hanyu because of his spirit of not abandoning and not giving up! He is always challenging what’s possible,” one Weibo user wrote.
“He deserves to be loved by so many people. He is so strong and so gentle,” another Weibo user wrote.
However some netizens took umbrage at the outpouring of affection, saying that some people were treating him more like a showbiz idol than an athlete.
Chinese skater Jin Boyang, who finished ninth at the men’s single event, said in an interview on Thursday that Hanyu “not only insisted on participating in his third Olympic Games, but also challenged himself with the difficulty of four and a half rotations at the age of 27. This spirit is worth learning from.”
The state-run Beijing Daily said in an article on Friday that Hanyu’s unremitting pursuit of excellence has “not only won viewers’ hearts but also earned the respect of his rivals.”
Contact reporter Li Hang (hangli@caixin.com) and Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com)
Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
