Hanyu, in showbiz debut, reprises gold-medal act

Two-time Olympic gure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu, who retired from competitive skating this summer to launch a career of producing and performing in exhibitions, skated in his rst ice show since then on Nov. 4 in Yokohama. e 27-year-old Hanyu, winner of back-to-back men’s golds at the 2014 and 2018 Olympics, made the show, titled “Prologue,” a solo act before an appreciative crowd that came to see him start the next stage of his life.

Opening with “Seimei,” the free program he performed at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, Hanyu skated for about 1½ hours, interspersing personal commentary between acts.

“I am advancing one step at a time with everyone toward my goal and dreams with a new determination,” Hanyu said a er the show. “I want the show to lead to the next step.”

(Published in print on Nov. 6)