Yuzuru Hanyu: Japan skater receives support from Chinese fans after Winter Olympics heartbreak

The figure skating star fell on his attempt to win a third consecutive gold medal

(AFP via Getty Images)

Japanese figure skating star Yuzuru Hanyu has received an outpouring of support on Chinese social media after he failed in his attempt to win a third consecutive Olympic gold medal in Beijing.

Hanyu fell as he attempted an ambitious world-first quadruple axel in the men’s individual figure skating event, as the USA’s Nathan Chen took the gold medal.

The 27-year-old Hanyu came into the Olympics as the two-time defending champion and is a popular figure in China despite the country’s political tensions with his home country Japan.

Hanyu was trending on the Chinese social media platform Weibo following Thursday’s final, with many online commenting with admiration for what he was trying to achieve.

There was also support for Chen, the 22-year-old American who missed out on a medal at the PyeongChang Games four years ago.

The outpouring of support for Hanyu comes just days after Chinese social media users criticised one of their own athletes following a similar fall.

The US-born figure skater Zhu Yi fell twice in her routine in the women’s individual figure skating and came under attack online.

The 19-year-old gave up her US citizenship to represent China and was criticised after she had been picked for the Chinese team over skaters who were born in the country.

However, the US-born Eileen Gu has become a star, with the freestyle skier winning gold for China on Tuesday.