Men’s: Yuzuru Hanyu, Japan
Yuzuru Hanyu obtained gold in Sochi in history-making styles, getting one men’s skater to score over 100 information inside the quick program, 1st Japanese man to victory Olympic silver in men’s room skating, and (at 19 yrs . old) the youngest men’s room Olympic champion in nearly 60 many years. Hanyu came back the place to find a parade of reportedly near 100,000 folk, but was not material to stay as well as enjoy the spoils of their Olympic victory. Only 30 days later, he competed from the 2014 community Championships and claimed silver.
Hanyu’s post-Olympic season had gotten to a rough begin at his first fantastic Prix show, the 2014 Cup of Asia. Into the heat before the complimentary system, Hanyu around collided with another skater. Determined to vie anyway, Hanyu decrease 5 times through the system. He had been capable recover for any fantastic Prix last to earn a personal-best rating into the free skate and claim gold by over 34 details behind the silver medalist, Spain’s Javier Fernandez. Fernandez finished the summer season ahead, but bringing the silver medal at 2015 business titles while Hanyu obtained silver.
Hanyu and Fernandez, whom prepare along in Toronto, Canada under two-time Olympic gold medalist Brian Orser, both continued their particular titles another season. Hanyu obtained gold over Fernandez during the 2015 large Prix Final with world record ratings for his quick system, cost-free skate and complete rating. But Hanyu was actually not even close to his most readily useful in the 2016 community titles, producing numerous failure inside the free skate while Fernandez got near-perfect. Fernandez obtained the next community championships concept, leaving Hanyu in next place.
Hanyu confronted another competitor during 2016-17 season: American teenager Nathan Chen, just who stunned the world with his arsenal of high-scoring quadruple leaps. At her very first showdown, the 2016 fantastic Prix last, Chen had the greater get inside the free skate but Hanyu’s contribute following the small regimen guaranteed your a fourth straight victory at this prestigious occasion. They faced off once again within 2017 Four Continents titles, and Chen’s seven total quad jumps-two within the short plan and five inside free of charge skate-earned him the silver medal, while Hanyu obtained gold.
Everything found a head from the 2017 business titles, with Chen, Hanyu and Fernandez all dueling when it comes down to concept. Hanyu won his next World title, while high priced errors relegated Chen to a sixth destination complete within his Worlds introduction. Fernandez complete next, behind Japan’s Shoma Uno (gold) and Asia’s Boyang Jin (bronze).
Hanyu possesses several community reports: the quick program get (set during the fantastic Prix last), the complimentary skate score (arranged at 2017 globes) and also the record for greatest ever total get, points, set in the big Prix Final.
Girls: Adelina Sotnikova, Russia
17-year-old Sotnikova upset the ladies’ field when she outscored 2010 Olympic winner Yuna Kim, the favourite to duplicate, for all the silver medal in Sochi. She is 1st Russian lady to winnings an Olympic subject in singles figure skating.
Controversy around Sotnikova’s victory nonetheless remains, nonetheless. At that time, lots of pondered perhaps the judges have scored her fairly-one girl on Olympic judging section ended up being the partner of movie director with the Figure Skating Federation of Russia, and another had been taking part in a score-fixing scandal during the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Lovers of Kim launched an on-line petition calling for a study, plus it easily earned above two million signatures. However the worldwide Skating Union declined to capture any motion.
Nearly 36 months following competitors, Sotnikova’s victory got called into matter once again by McLaren document. This investigation by the industry Anti-Doping department outlined extensive doping among Russian sports athletes and a complicated cover-up operation to make sure these people weren’t caught. It actually was reported that the package of just one of Sotnikova’s urine examples got tampered with, and she actually is being examined consequently.