Yuzuru Hanyu

The retired Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu stands as one of the sport's most accomplished athletes. At the age of four he started skating and quickly moved up through the Japanese figure skating competition levels. At the age of 19 Hanyu became the first Asian male to win Olympic gold in figure skating at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. The 2018 PyeongChang Olympics saw Hanyu win his second consecutive gold medal which made him the first man since 1952 to achieve this feat.

Throughout his career Hanyu established 19 world records which included the initial scores above 100 points in the short program and 200 points in the free skate and 300 points in the combined total. The first skater to execute a quadruple loop in international competition was Hanyu. Throughout his career he won two World Championship titles and four Grand Prix Final victories and six Japanese national titles.

Hanyu ended his competitive figure skating career in 2022 to start his professional career. After competitive skating he started his own ice show productions by creating "Prologue" and the "Repay Tour" which became the first-ever solo ice show tour in figure skating history. The second production of "Gift" achieved an ice show attendance record when it drew 35,000 spectators at Tokyo Dome.

The public recognizes Hanyu for his philanthropic work as well as his athletic success. Through his donations he has given more than $3 million USD to support disaster relief in Japan particularly for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami recovery efforts. He leads the annual 3.11 commemoration ice show "Yuzuru Hanyu Notte Stellata" as its chairperson since 2023.

Through his performances and humanitarian work and his commitment to the sport Hanyu makes an impact that reaches beyond the ice rink.