Hanyu Yuzuru: Quad Axel is the goal at the 2021 NHK Trophy
The quad Axel has never been landed in competition, but the two-time Olympic champion is hoping to update the history books again.
Figure Skating
Figure skating superstar Hanyu Yuzuru is aiming to land the quad Axel at the 2021 NHK Trophy next week in Tokyo.
"My biggest hope is to land a quad Axel properly at NHK Trophy," the double Olympic champion said to Japanese broadcaster NHK.
"I hope to deliver a performance that would move the audience by pushing beyond my limits in techniques."
The quad Axel is the hardest jump in figure skating because it contains an extra half rotation compared to other quad jumps.
Hanyu has not yet confirmed if he will compete at Winter Olympics Beijing 2022. The two-time OIympic champion defied the odds to retain his title in 2018.
The 26-year-old will compete in the NHK Trophy and the last leg of the Grand Prix Series, the Rostelecom Cup in Sochi (26-28 November).
Hanyu to launch Olympic season on home ice
Hanyu has not competed since the World Team Trophy in April, where he was beaten by triple world-champion Nathan Chen in both the short program and the free skate.
With the clock ticking down to the Winter Games in Bejing he decided to move his training base back to Japan, as the pandemic caused a lot of travel restrictions.