The god of figure skating

A brief look into the life of a Japanese idol

When thinking of Yuzuru Hanyu, the first image that comes to mind is Pooh Bear plushies raining down on an ice rink. The legendary young athlete is the only figure skater who won two Olympic gold medals back-to-back, since Richard Button, in 1952, and has gained a cult-like following that grows with every record he breaks.

Yuzuru has a childlike face, average height, and a lean but muscular body. Aside from his competition costumes and training attire, he can generally be seen wearing sportswear and casual clothes, or suits at formal events.

Despite his usually playful and charismatic behavior, he’s very passionate, meticulous and competitive, in the sport, which helped him to break many records. He’s also very reserved when it comes to his private life.

When he’s not training, Hanyu entertains himself like most Japanese teens and young adults do. Some of his hobbies include playing mobile games, reading manga, watching anime and listening to music, especially his favorite band, One Ok Rock.

The main reasons why people admire him are his resilience and passion for the sport. After surviving an earthquake and making donations to help the victims, he keeps on taking figure skating to a new level, all while inspiring lots of fans around the world.