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  • A nation awaits

  • Here he is, comfortable winner of the short

  • A "nailed-in" (certain) favourite to win the free

  • but it's how he wins it that they're interested in, that we're interested in

  • The reigning Olympic champion

  • Still only 21 years of age

  • This is "Hope and Legacy" for this superstar from Sendai

  • Yuzuru Hanyu

  • Now Yuzuru has 4 quads scheduled, here's the first, the loop

  • Yup, got back on axis and landed it

  • First time a quad loop has been successfully landed at Grand Prix level

  • Amazing

  • Now for the salchow

  • Oh yes, no problem at all

  • Triple flip

  • Now he lines up for two more quads

  • Down on the quad sal' it should have been in combination

  • Straight down the other end of the rink for a quad toe loop

  • No problem at all

  • Oh yes, triple axel triple toe loop

  • Triple axel, just a double salchow

  • "But who's counting"? (nobody cares)

  • And a triple lutz "for good measure" (in addition)

  • Well it's not just the Japanese who adore him

  • And yes it did have a mistake or two

  • But he is so adorable that I think people by now have forgotten that he made the mistakes

  • And just concentrate on the magnificent skating that we've seen

  • There isn't a bigger star in Japan than this guy

  • Not should there be

  • He is...well... I mean you said it a couple of days ago Simon...

  • ...Probably the best male skater there has ever been

  • I'm sure some would argue with that, but it's difficult to

  • He is extraordinary

  • Justr look at the number of teddies and flowers being tossed onto the ice

  • It's going to take them a bit of time...

  • Yeah

  • ...to clear all that up, they're going to need all the young skaters out there

  • Look at them, all of their hands full

  • I'm glad to see him really lapping this up (enjoying it)

  • I do like that he occasionally shows us that he's human...

  • Just throws in the odd fall here and there...

  • ...because we need to be reminded occasionally...

  • Yeah, it's true

  • ...that he is a human being

  • I mean, the quad loop... I can't tell you how difficult that quad loop is

  • And it's a very brave thing for him to do, to spend time working on the quad loop

  • Because it's going to be so difficult to ever put that in combination

  • So it's actually not a very efficient jump for him to invest his time in

  • But it is so spectacular, and he is so good, why not?

  • I mean obviously there was the one big error on the quad salchow

  • when the fact that he was unable to get the combination on that, means that he performed the quad salchow on its own twice

  • so he will get actually very few marks for that second quad salchow

  • But it's not really about marks is it?

  • It's not about marks

  • Haha, you see Brian Orser there in the background, delighted

  • This... the quad loop, the first time ever landed at this level of competition

  • He's done it before, just not at Grand Prix level

  • Just OK on the rotation, does so well, such strength to get that free leg back and into the "check" position

  • There the first quad salchow

  • And the transitions in and out of them, there's no huge "wind up" (preparation)

  • He's doing these enormous elements and there's no huge "build-up" to them

  • And that's just amazing

  • His spins, always fantastic, he's got great flexibility

  • This the quad toe loop, I mean that's just so easy for him, isn't it?

  • It looks it

  • Wonderful landing position, deep in the knee

  • He doesn't look strong, but he is, he is so strong

  • Yes, he looks delicate

  • He does, and that.. it's just such a winning combination

  • To have the subtlety and the grace and the elegance through the choreography...

  • But the strength, the core strength...

  • Good in all positions in the spins

  • This very difficult

  • And just lovely touches like this

  • We had an Ina Bauer before the triple lutz, thrown in right at the end of the program

  • Fantastic distribution of elements

  • He'll get 10% uplift for a couple of the quads, because he threw them in near the end of the routine

  • Just amazing

  • So he's going to be in the Grand Prix final, and you can of course watch that exclusively on Eurosport

  • Only got 2nd place in Skate Canada, it seems incomprehensible, but that was the reality

  • Patrick Chan beat him

  • But he'll be the favourite going into the Grand Prix final

  • Trains alongside of course, Javier Fernandez who himself has won two Grand Prixs this year

  • Well his best ever 219, so he's "off" that

  • But that's what he'll be aiming for

  • Really good marks for presentation, of course there would be

  • And still Nathan Chen to go, but he (Hanyu) has won, that's for sure

  • And a celebration for the crowd here in Sapporo

  • He's adorable, isn't he?

  • He is

  • But he doesn't have to "work at it" (he is naturally adorable)

  • Orser: that's awesome

  • 53 points in front of the rest of the field

A nation awaits

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