GANGNEUNG -- The moment Yuzuru Hanyu achieved his goal of winning back-to-back golds, the smile melted away from his face and his pent-up emotions burst forth in an endless stream of tears.
Hanyu's performance brought Japan its first Pyeongchang gold on Saturday.
Hanyu put everything he had into his free skate performance. He captivated the entire arena right at the beginning of his program with a successful quad Salchow -- executed at the perfect height and width.
Hanyu likely would have wanted to attempt the more difficult quad loop, but decided to avoid over-taxing his recovering right ankle and risking a fall. His decision turned out to be the right one.
Hanyu almost ran out of stamina due to the strain of his first real competition in four months. His jumps in the latter half of the program were a little shaky, but the cheering audience undoubtedly helped him complete his performance.
Hanyu was 19 when he won the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics. Despite falling twice in the free skate portion at Sochi, he was able to take home the gold after his competitors made mistakes. Hanyu's first gold symbolized both his greatest pleasure and utmost disappointment. He wanted to be a skater truly deserving of a gold medal and wanted to turn in the performances to match.
Hanyu has been pushing himself to meet that challenge. He has repeatedly shattered the points records in the short program, free skate and total points sections.
Through feats such as his jaw-dropping 330.43-point performance in 2015, Hanyu has earned the moniker of "absolute champion."
A succession of young skaters from around the world have set their sights on Hanyu, seeking to knock him from his perch through performing difficult quadruple jumps.
Hanyu has felt the heat of being in the crosshairs of those skaters. This winter, the pressure nearly got the best of him, when he was heard muttering, "I don't want to go" while in a vehicle heading to a competition venue.
This season, Hanyu began practicing the quad Lutz, but he was beset by worries that he was incapable of mastering it, and skipped training for three days.
Hanyu then injured his right ankle and was forced to stay away from the ice rink for two whole months.
Yet, he returned to competition. On Saturday, Hanyu seemed like a true champion, confidently pulling off his performance and overcoming the pressure.
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