From home run to quad Axel: Hanyu Yuzuru takes inspiration from Ohtani Shohei
On his path to a third Olympic Winter Games at Beijing 2022, Hanyu received an emotional lift from his fellow 27-year-old Japanese who tore up Major League Baseball this year.
Figure Skating
Greatness meets greatness.
The day after winning his sixth national title and being named in Japan's team for Beijing 2022, Hanyu Yuzuru revealed he has been inspired by compatriot and baseball superstar Ohtani Shohei.
"To see an athlete who is exactly the same age do something no one has ever done in history is simply invigorating," the figure skating hero told reporters on Monday (27 December).
"It must have not been easy for him after he had surgery but now he is a pioneer, breaking new ground and accomplishing the unaccomplished. It inspires me."
Hanyu and Ohtani are both 27. They also come from the north-east of the country - Hanyu from Miyagi Prefecture, Ohtani neigbouring Iwate.
The two are sporting demigods in Japan, making front pages and pulling in huge crowds. They are also pushing the boundaries in their respective disciplines.
Hanyu is trying to become the first skater to land the quadruple Axel in competition, while Ohtani is coming off a historic season in which he excelled as both a hitter and pitcher, redefining the game as the Japanese Babe Ruth.
For now, Hanyu says Ohtani is a step ahead with the double Olympic champion yet to nail the quad Axel.
The two-way Los Angeles Angels baseball star has received awards galore in the offseason, including unanimously winning American League MVP honours and receiving the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award.
That Ohtani has achieved all this with his prime still ahead of him is what impresses Hanyu, and fuels him all the more as he seeks a historic third consecutive gold medal in Beijing.
"People say for figure skating, the peak is around 23, 24," he said. "But from what I understand in baseball, the best years are in the 30s - the early 30s.
"I'm not there yet but going for the quadruple Axel I find is, in a way, similar to the challenges he's taking on by himself. What he's doing is so inspiring."