GANGNEUNG -- Fans who had been waiting for Yuzuru Hanyu's comeback to the rink cheered and applauded as the defending Olympic champion pulled off his jumps one by one. Their excitement reached its peak when he successfully finished his program, with some fans even shedding tears.
The figure skating star finished first in the men's short program on Friday at the Pyeongchang Olympics, his first competition after suffering a right ankle ligament injury in November. Hanyu nailed all of his jumps -- a quadruple salchow, triple axel and quad-triple toeloop combination -- to score 111.68 points, 4.1 points ahead of Javier Fernandez of Spain, at the Gangneung Ice Arena. Shoma Uno finished third with 104.17, while Keiji Tanaka trailed behind in 20th with 80.05.
After finishing his program, Hanyu took his time acknowledging the crowd, bowing gracefully to the fans in all four directions as stuffed toys and flowers were hurled into the rink. The 23-year-old pumped his fist in the air as he left the rink, and tightly embraced coach Brian Orser.
"There was nothing bad in particular. I didn't find any concerns in my elements. I'm pretty pleased," Hanyu said after his performance.
Hanyu showed his pride as a gold medalist, saying: "I've experienced the Olympics before. People might say I'm bragging, but I'm an Olympic champion."
Hanyu injured his right ankle after falling during a practice session for the NHK Trophy in November. Since then, he has skipped all competitions, including the team event here at the Games.
Fans voiced their joy and relief after Hanyu's short program on Friday. "I was worried before his program, but I didn't sense any influence of the injury," said Hiroko Ueda from Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture.
"I was amazed that he perfectly landed his jumps after a break performing on the big stage," Ueda, 30, added.
"I'm moved. I knew he is a man who makes things happen whenever they're needed. I can hardly breathe," said Sumiko Mori from Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture.
Hanyu will seek to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in today's free skate.
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