“The Olympics are not a recital,” Hanyu said. “It's a place you must win. For that reason, I'll be strongly determined.”
Despite two-footing the landing on the opening quad axel, Hanyu powered through the rest of his program en route to yet another resounding triumph.
Sakamoto landed six clean triple jumps in her skate to “No More Fight Left in Me” and earned level fours on her spins and step sequence.
The two-time Olympic champion skated to “Rondo Capriccioso” and put on a scintillating show in the men’s short program to earn a whopping 111.31 points.
The 2018 Olympian skated to “Now We Are Free” and showed her veteran poise as she calmly and smoothly moved through her program.
The top-tier skaters are well known, but exciting quests are right behind as young athletes aim to earn their own spots on the national team.