Hanyu fancies audacious quintuple jump

TOKYO: Japanese Yuzuru Hanyu, the first man in 66 years to win back-to-back Olympic figure skating gold medals, said on Tuesday he would like to successfully land a quintuple jump and break the five-spin barrier.

Hanyu, who took gold in men’s singles competition in the just-ended Pyeongchang Olympics, said he still had significant pain in his injured ankle, suggesting any such achievement, with half a turn more than a quadruple axel, will come later than sooner.

“Scientific research has shown that humans will likely be capable of up to a quintuple jump.I would like to give it a shot if possible, although a quintuple axel could be out of reach,” Hanyu told a news conference in Tokyo.

An extra half-turn in the air is needed for a quintuple axel on top of the five already needed for any successful quintuple jump.“Since my childhood, I have been told to go for a quintuple jump. I feel like giving it a try.”

After hurting his right ankle in training last November, Hanyu was unable to practise properly before the Olympics and won his second gold - in his first competition since October - while on painkillers.Shortly after topping the podium in the Winter Olympics, the 23-year-old Hanyu said he aims to successfully land a quadruple axel, a half-turn more than other quadruple jumps.