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Monument to Olympic Figure Skating Champion Hanyu Unveiled in Japan

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Monument to Olympic Figure Skating Champion Hanyu Unveiled in Japan
Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu performs his long program at 2015 Skate Canada. Photo: GoldenSkate.com

By Duncan Mackay |

A new monument celebrating the achievements of double Olympic gold medallist Yuzuru Hanyu has been unveiled in his hometown of Sendai.

A group of 600 lottery winners were picked from 20, 000 applicants to be allowed entry to the venue and to see Hanyu unveil the monument. 

The 2.3-metre tall, 1.6m wide monument depicting his trademark “Seimei” pose performed when he won his second Olympic gold medal at Pyeongchang last year will be located near the south exit of Kokusai Centre station on the Sendai municipal subway Tozai Line next to another commemorating his victory at Sochi 2014. 

The official unveiling ceremony is due to take place on April 29. 

“It’s big deal that [my achievements] will remain as a part of history in physical form,” Hanyu told Japanese press agency Kyodo News. 

Hanyu added: “I take pride in my back-to-back Olympic titles.

“It would bring me joy to see more children start figure skating.”

Goshikinuma Pond, acknowledged as the birthplace of figure skating in Japan, is a five-minute walk from the station.

In April 2017, a pair of monuments celebrating the achievements of two Olympic figure skating champions from Sendai – Hanyu and Shizuka Arakawa, winner of the women’s singles title at Turin 2006 – was installed at the same station. 

The new panel will be added alongside the existing ones.

Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.

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