Japanese figure skating superstar Yuzuru Hanyu on Tuesday announced that he will retire from competitive skating, though suggested will continue to perform at ice shows.

"I will continue to be a professional athlete and will no longer be compared to other skaters as a competitor," the charismatic 27-year-old said at a news conference in Tokyo. "I don't intend to enter competitions in the future."

News of his decision was reported by local media in the morning, after his management company said on Monday that he would hold a news conference.

Hanyu won back-to-back gold medals at the Olympics in Sochi in 2014 and Pyeongchang in 2018. In 2020, he won the Four Continents Championships, becoming the first man to win all major international competitions, including the Olympics and World Figure Skating Championships, at junior and senior levels.

At the Beijing Olympics earlier this year, Hanyu was aiming to become the first male figure skater to win three straight Olympic golds in 94 years, even though he was hampered for most of the season by an ankle injury that had largely prevented him from competing. ...continue reading