Photo/Illutration Yuzuru Hanyu attempts a quadruple axel during the free skating program in the men’s singles at the Japan Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama on Dec. 26, 2021. (Takayuki Kakuno)

While the crowd at Saitama Super Arena watched in hushed anticipation, Yuzuru Hanyu jumped high in the air on Dec. 26, seeking to conquer his personal Mount Everest.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist spun four times, but as he went for the extra half-turn, his right foot landed on the ice.

Hanyu's jump was short of half a turn to complete a quadruple axel, which is such a difficult jump that no skater has ever landed one in an official competition.

Still, Hanyu, 27, won the Japan Figure Skating Championships going away.

He scored 211.05 points in the men’s free skating program, earning a total 322.36 points. That gave him back-to-back national championships.

The result also punched his ticket for the Beijing Olympics in February, which will be the third consecutive Olympics for Hanyu.

His failed attempt at the quadruple axel failed to diminish the Japanese superstar's confidence or command of the ice in the rest of his free skate program.

“I gave it my best effort, though,” he said at a news conference afterward.

Hanyu said he had practiced the quadruple axle more than 1,000 times, which he has long set as a goal to land in competition. 

“I banged my body over and over again against the ice, making the attempt as if I was going to die,” he said.

He finally felt good about his prospects before his first competition of the season, the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, NHK Trophy, in November.

His attempt at landing the jump prior to the competition “was way worse than (today’s attempt), but I could finally stand up,” Hanyu said.

But immediately after that, he sprained his right ankle. Furthermore, he suffered from esophagitis due to stress.

“I couldn’t do anything at all for a month,” he said.

He did not have an opportunity to attempt the jump in actual competition.

“I should quit,” he said he sometimes thought.

But during the final practice session before the national championships, he almost made the jump, failing just a quarter-turn short.

He then decided to continue the challenge because, “I’ve come all the way here.”

Hanyu won back-to-back gold medals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

He became a global superstar in the sport.

But how can he continue to push himself to continue competing with a younger generation led by American superstar Nathan Chen aiming to knock him from the top?

Hanyu said, “Because it is a dream that everybody is laying their hopes on me. I am doing it for myself, but I want to make everyone's dream come true.”

A record-tying third consecutive gold medal in figure skating is at stake for Hanyu at the Beijing Olympics.

“I haven’t thought about the Olympics much. But now that I am competing in it, I want to work hard to land a quadruple axel as a weapon so that I can solidly grab the victory,” he said.

In the men's competition at the national championships, Shoma Uno came in second and Yuma Kagiyama finished third.

In the women’s singles program, which were held on Dec. 25, Kaori Sakamoto won the championship, followed by Wakaba Higuchi and Mana Kawabe.

After the championships, the Japan Skating Federation announced that these six have earned spots on the national team for the Beijing Olympics.

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