Brian Orser reveals: Why Hanyu Yuzuru is cut from different cloth 

Hanyu Yuzuru wants to win the gold medal in Beijing.

And not only does Hanyu want to win, he wants to win by becoming the first skater in the history of the sport to land the quadruple Axel in competition.

As the two-time defending men's Olympic champion said himself after winning the Japanese nationals in December, there is the safe option of trying for a three-peat without the quadruple Axel.

But that's not who Hanyu is, according to his coach Brian Orser. He's not built that way.

"I think what's kept him going is he likes to win. Who doesn't?" said Orser, who has worked with Hanyu since 2012. "When you're that good - he likes to win.

"But I think the main thing is that he likes to contribute to the sport. He likes to show his fans that he's the best.

"That's what keeps him going: his loyalty to his fans and keeps moving the sport of men's figure skating forward".

With each passing day, anticipation mounts for Hanyu's touchdown in Beijing.

The nationals were Hanyu's first competition since last April - the World Team Trophy in Osaka - after he missed the entire Grand Prix season because of a sprained right ankle.

Some had been skeptical of his form due to a lack of ice time but the 27-year-old silenced such critics by cruising to his sixth national championship, looking as sharp as ever.

Afterward, Hanyu said even before he suffered the injury, his practices had been so intense - at competition-level intensity - that it allowed him to return without missing a beat.

"I marvel at him and his desire to keep training every day and to push hard", Orser said of Hanyu's work ethic.

"He works really, really hard and he pushes and he's by himself at his rink and he's pushing and pushing and he's two-time Olympic champion. I marvel at that and he loves to skate.

"He is so loyal to his fans. People, you know, they want to see him. And he loves it. He loves the training. He loves competing, and he's really, really good at it".