Yuzuru Hanyu skated at the 2020 Four Continents and broke his own world record for the highest-scoring short program in history. He is 25 years old and is coached by Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson. The performance took place in Seoul, and the gentleman skated to a piece he had already skated to in the past during his 2018 competitive season. This is a bold move to switch back to a piece already skated to, however he did so with passion for his music. With this sport, like any, it is important to be in the correct headspace before starting any run through. He starts his program with his eyes closed to take a moment for himself, thinking that it is just him and the ice out there. This helps with the nerves of any highly competitive figure skater.
He starts his program with elegant choreography up until his opening jump, being a quadruple salcow. It did not look difficult for him to do at all, as he took off easily and landed without hearing a scratch on the ice. His next jump being a quadruple toe, triple toe combo was executed beautifully. He transitions into stars for a level 4 flying camel spin. His final jump for his short program is a triple axel, which took lots of height and was landed with ease. His choreography into his level 4 sit spin was dramatic and captured the audiences’ attention. His step sequence down the arena filled every possible space, as his skating is big and fast. He is full of energy, and to make his skating even more lovely, he moves his head in every direction that his body moves to make his skating all look put together and effortless. His final combination spin also received a level 4.
All in all, his performance was excellent, receiving a round of applause from the speechless audience. He received a standing ovation not only from his own fans and team from his country, but from the entire ice arena. Everyone was amazed by how beautiful his performance was, as he skated a clean program and did not hesitate or slow down for any element. During his performance, he was in his own world by zoning out, and blocking everyone out around him, this includes the judges and the audience. The judges took their time to review all jumps and spins recorded, taking longer than 5 minutes to tally his scores. His new highest record for his short program is 111.82 points, breaking his old world record and leaving everyone in the arena astounded.
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