Figure Skater Hanyu Yuzuru To Retire From Competition, Turn Pro
One of Japan's greatest figure skaters is turning pro. Hanyu Yuzuru will retire from competition, keeping his back-to-back Olympic golds from the Sochi and PyeongChang Games.
Hanyu said, "I have no intention of taking part in competitions from now on. With what I've done up to this point, I think I have accomplished what I needed to accomplish in competitions and seen results. I no longer feel like I want to be evaluated in that way."
Hanyu told reporters he made the final decision after faltering at the Beijing Olympics.
He attempted a jump no one has ever successfully landed in competition, the quadruple Axel. But the star skater stumbled and fell short of the podium.
Hanyu said, "For the rest of my career I won't be able compare myself with my competitors. From here on out, I'll be skating with my performance in mind and continuing to compete against myself and my own weaknesses."
He encouraged fans to keep watching, saying he'll continue trying to perfect that impressive four-and-a-half-turn jump.