Established 1961 15 Sports Sunday, February 18, 2018 ‘Ice Prince’ Hanyu defies injury to retain skate crown Shoma Uno takes silver, Javier Fernandez bronze GANGNEUNG: Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu disclosed he had After his not-quite-spotless free skate, which never “fully healed” from the serious injury that almost opened with a quickfire quad salchow and quad scuppered his Olympics after clinching the first back- toeloop, he bowed to his fans as they in turn tossed his to-back men’s figure skating title in more than six Winnie The Pooh stuffed toys, his mascot, onto the decades yesterday. Gangneung Arena ice. The 23-year-old cemented his status as the modern But this was no teddy bear’s picnic for the two-time day ‘ice prince’ when overcoming a three-month injury world champion, that was evident from his tears of hiatus to add Pyeongchang gold to his Sochi 2014 suc- relief after his score of 206.17 points came over the cess and emulate American Dick Button, Olympic tannoy. He then had to sit and suffer as first six-time champion in 1948 and 1952. European champion Fernandez, and then Uno, attempt- “I’m not fully healed, I ed valiantly but in vain to really pushed it hard and topple the rink king. there were some jumps and He took the Pyeongchang elements that I could not plaudits with a combined perform, but I forced myself score of 317.85 to give him a to do so,” revealed Hanyu, I’m not fully cushion of almost 11 points who damaged ankle liga- over 19-year-old Uno ments in a training accident healed, I really (306.90), with Fernandez in November. (305.24) just behind. “My injuries were more pushed it hard severe than I thought, but REMARKABLE I’ve been fortunate to make JOURNEY it to the Olympics, and that For Fernandez, it was the I’m able to smile now explains what I’m feeling. “I’ve perfect way to end his last Olympics, claiming Spain’s had a slew of injuries since Sochi, but I wanted to have first ever figure skating medal. “It was a good experi- GANGNEUNG: Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu competes in the men’s single skating free skating of the figure skating event dur- the courage to be bold enough to challenge myself.” ence, I know I didn’t do the perfect programme but I ing the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung yesterday. — AFP The charismatic skating icon had promised to was satisfied with what I did and it got me an Olympic reward his army of ardent supporters with “a dream medal, that’s all I’ve got to say. performance” and he didn’t let them down as he led a “I’ve been dreaming about it and it’s been a big goal As well as claiming only the third ever skating title he flopped in the short programme on Friday to leave Japanese one-two with Shoma Uno taking silver, ahead for me. I knew it was going to be my last one for Japan, his gold medal was also the 1,000th awarded him trailing in 17th. of Spain’s Javier Fernandez with bronze. (Olympics) so it’s true that I was a little bit more nerv- in Winter Games history. Aside from Hanyu’s heroics, Hanyu meanwhile, pushed by the likes of his training “I worried a lot of people as I could not practise ous than yesterday.” the free skate was marked by the first ever routine fea- partner Fernandez, Uno, Chen and company, has because of my injury. So, there was stronger support Hanyu was visibly moved by his latest triumph in a turing six quads from American teenager Nathan Chen, pushed figure skating to new limits. The number of than before.” Hanyu’s Sochi triumph had elevated him remarkable journey from the day in 2011 he had to who scored an Olympic record of 215.08. quads, skating’s most difficult jump, executed in the to cult status in Japan, and his exploits in South Korea flee a Sendai ice rink when a devastating earthquake It was enough for fifth place for the 18-year-old, free skate final topped the 50-mark - something that will only serve to propel his standing even further. hit Japan. whose bid to upstage Hanyu had come unstuck when would have astounded Button. — AFP Switzerland’s Hoefflin Nepryaeva and Yulia Belorukova, wins slopestyle gold Bjoergen Olympic Athletes of Russia made the early running but when the Nordic nations upped the tempo they gradu- PYEONGCHANG: Sarah Hoefflin claimed the Olympic gold medal in makes history ally fell away and had to be content women’s freestyle skiing slopestyle in a Swiss one-two at with a bronze medal. Pyeongchang’s Phoenix Park yesterday. Compatriot Mathilde with Norway Andersson managed to take the Gremaud won silver, while Britain’s Isabel Atkin took the bronze in a lead for the Swedes as the race final that had confounded many pre-competition predictions. reached its final leg but Haga’s power, Sochi gold medallist Dara Howell was eliminated in qualifying, while relay gold consistently applied over her two none of the top-10 of the World Cup standings got on the podium. In laps, left Bjoergen in a position to seal glorious sunshine at Phoenix Snow Park, fans were treated to an the victory. The 37-year-old acceler- entertaining final and it was Swiss pair Gremaud and Hoefflin who PYEONGCHANG: Marit Bjoergen ated up the first hill with Nilsson made the early running to lay down the two highest scores of the first skied a triumphant final leg to write snapping at her heels at the front of round. Norway duo of Johanne Killi and Tiril Sjaastad Christiansen her name in the Olympic record the field but Olympic sprint champion both fell on the rails in first run. Sweden’s Emma Dahlstom, who quali- books, delivering gold for Norway Nilsson had no answer when fied in first place with a 91.40 - the highest score of the day - also fell in the women’s 4x5km relay yester- Bjoergen rounded the final corner and on the first kicker. Further falls for Sjaastad Christiansen and day and joining countryman Ole sped over the line for victory. Dahlstrom and a disappointing run for Killi in the second round meant PYEONGCHANG: Switzerland’s Sarah Hoefflin falls during a run of the Einar Bjoerndalen as the most suc- “I have been nervous, I haven’t the top three in the world were all struggling going into the final runs. women’s ski slopestyle final event during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter cessful winter Olympian of all time been able to train for this,” Hoefflin, currently 12 in the FIS World Cup, then raised the bar fur- Olympic Games at the Phoenix Park in Pyeongchang yesterday. — AFP on 13 medals. Bjoergen told Norwegian television. ther as she improved her score to 91.20, taking the lead off her com- Sweden took silver, two seconds “But I just had to grind and wear patriot. Gremaud, who admitted afterwards she had been suffering “I wasn’t aware that was the case until someone told me earlier in behind, after powerful performances out her (Nilsson’s) legs, and I did from a head injury in the build-up to qualification, went for the switch an interview,” said the 19-year-old. “I was just stoked I got to ski with by Charlotte Kalla, Ebba Andersson that. She didn’t manage the last turn double 1080 on the final kicker of her last run to take back the gold, my team-mate Katie (Summerhayes) today.” “I wasn’t too concerned and Stina Nilsson, while the Olympic and I’m surprised I managed it. She but fell going for glory. about the result (coming in the final) but I am so pleased to come Athletes from Russia came third to was on my heels in the last uphill,” Britain’s Atkins produced a clean third run to score 84.60 and move away with the bronze.” take the bronze, 43.3 seconds behind Bjoergen added. into third place. She then faced a nervous wait as the final three ath- It was a disappointing afternoon for many of the world’s top skiers. the winners. Bjoergen received plenty of plau- letes took their final runs. After neither of the highly-touted Fifteen-year-old Jennie-Lee Burmansson, first in the world cup rank- Bjoergen got the glory but dits from her competitors following Norwegians could break into the top three with their final attempts, it ings, was aiming to become Sweden’s youngest ever winter Olympic Norway’s win was firmly rooted in a her historic achievement. “She is an was down to world championship silver medallist Dahlstrom in the medallist but could only manage an eighth place finish. stunning third leg by Olympic 10km absolute legend, it’s really, really cool final run of the afternoon.However, the Swede couldn’t deliver and Birthday girl and Sochi silver medallist Devin Logan couldn’t repeat freestyle champion Ragnhild Haga, to see her race every single time, she Switzerland got their first freestyle skiing gold since Evelyne Leu won her feat from four years ago and finished in 10th. — Reuters who erased a gap of almost half a just skis with absolute control,” the aerials in 2006. “I think there were a lot of girls who could have minute to tee up Bjoergen for victory. American racer Jessica Diggins told won,” Hoefflin told reporters afterwards.