Hanyu Yuzuru and mascot Bing Dwen Dwen let loose at Beijng 2022 Figure Skating Gala
Bing Dwen Dwen 'panda-monium' continued all the way to finale of the closing gala when the two-time Japanese Olympic figure skating champion interacted with the lovable mascot to the delight of fans across the world.
Figure Skating
When star Japanese figure skater Hanyu Yuzuru welcomed Beijing 2022 mascot Bing Dwen Dwen onto the ice at the Figure Skating Gala on Sunday (20 February) not even the coldest of hearts were safe from melting.
The closing gala is a tradition that offers skaters one last chance to flex their talent, creativity, and personalities on the ice before bidding their final farewells.
Skaters wear what they like and perform with complete freedom in a show that is all about celebrating the discipline and the athletes that practise it.
In a moment that will surely go down in Olympic folklore for its cuteness, Yuzuru and Bing Dwen Dwen - two icons of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics - hugged it out on the ice as the finale concluded.
The joyful scene was the latest instalment in the developing relationship between the Olympic ambassador and the figure skater in the Chinese Capital.
Bing Dwen Dwen had earlier been spotted trying to perform a quadruple Axel - the same complex figure skating move Yuzuru tried to successfully land during the men's competition.
Since the very first day of the games the mascot of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has had the world gripped in a kind of panda-monium.
The ice-suit wearing panda, whose name in Mandarin denotes purity and strength, has been an instant hit among athletes and spectators alike, so much so fans have been buying replicas on the toy panda cub in their droves.
Just three days into the Games sales of Bing Dwen Dwen had to be limited to one per person.
MORE: Hanyu Yuzuru closes chapter on Beijing - and maybe more
How many figure skaters does it take to get Bing Dwen Dwen back onto his feet?
Yuzuru’s big bear hug with Bing Dwen Dwen wasn’t the only interaction the two shared.
Shortly after the two-time Olympic champion set the mascot bumbling on his way, Bing Dwen Dwen slipped over his feet and fell on the ice.
Yuzuru rushed to his aid along with fellow skaters to try and prop the mascot back up to continue his farewells.
A total of eight Olympic ice skaters were needed to get the panda standing on his skates again. And shortly after Bing Dwen Dwen was back continuing his stream of high-fives and cuddles.
Although it wasn't long before the panda hit the deck again. Showing little remorse for the mascot, despite his adoring eyes, Chinese skater Sui Wenjing bumped Bing Dwen Dwen back to the ground again!