Gold medallist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan celebrates savors the moment following his victory in the men's single free skating competition. | REUTERS

Olympics / Winter Olympics

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics Day 9: Japan strikes gold on the ice

Staff Report

Japan acquired its first gold of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics as skating superstar Yuzuru Hanyu turned in a virtually flawless performance for the free skate portion of the men’s figure skating event. With the victory, Hanyu became one of just four men in Olympic history to win consecutive golds.

Teammate Shoma Uno tooks the silver medal with a combine score of 306.90, while Hanyu’s training partner Javier Fernandez claimed the bronze on 305.24. The 1-2 finish by Hanyu and Uno brought Japan its first ever multiple skating medals in a single figure skating discipline at the Olympics, while Fernandez collected a historic first Olympic medal in the sport for Spain.

Majestic Yuzuru Hanyu defends Olympic figure skating title

Yuzuru Hanyu etches his name into the pantheon of skating legends with a second straight Olympic gold medal in the free skate at the Pyeongchang Games on Saturday.

Yuzuru Hanyu (right) and Shoma Uno hold Japanese flags after finishing the competition first and second, respectively. | AFP-JIJI

Japanese women beat OAR to stay on track for curling semis

The Japanese women’s curling team beats the Olympic Athletes from Russia 10-5 on Saturday, bouncing back after a 7-6 loss to China, their first defeat of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, earlier in the day.

Japan skip Satsuki Fujisawa (center) watches the shot as Yurika Yoshida (left) and Yumi Suzuki sweep during their match against the Olympic Athletes from Russia on Saturday night in Gangneung, South Korea. | KYODO

No medals for Japan in large hill jump; Noriaki Kasai eliminated in first round

Japan’s Ryoyu Kobayashi, Taku Takeuchi and Junshiro Kobayashi fail to medal in the men’s large hill jump on Saturday night.

Ryoyu Kobayashi, of Japan, finishes his run during the men’s large hill Individual ski jumping competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Saturday. | AP

Skeleton racer Lizzy Yarnold grabs Britain’s first gold

Lizzy Yarnold retains her Olympic skeleton title and secured Britain’s first gold medal of the Pyeongchang Games on Saturday, as teammate Laura Deas took bronze.

Norwegian Marit Bjoergen equals Winter Olympics medals record

Marit Bjoergen skies a triumphant final leg to write her name in the Olympic record books, delivering gold for Norway in the women’s 4×5-km relay on Saturday and joining countryman Ole Einar Bjoerndalen as the most successful winter Olympian of all time with 13 medals.

Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics: The day in pictures

A time-elapse composite photo of Yuzuru Hanyu during this medal-winning free skate. | KYODO

Czech Republic’s Martin Ruzicka (left) and Canada’s Brandon Kozun fight for the puck during the final period of the men’s preliminary round ice hockey match between Canada and Czech Republic. | AFP-JIJI

Fans cheer at the start off the women’s 4 x 5km relay cross-country skiing competition on Saturday. | AP

Belarus’ Darya Domracheva competes at the shooting range during the women’s 12.5-km mass start biathlon event. | AFP-JIJI

Gold medal winner Ester Ledecka, of the Czech Republic, reacts during the flower ceremony after the women’s super-G. | AP

John-Henry Krueger, Canada’s Charles Hamelin, Canada’s Samuel Girard and South Korea’s Seo Yira compete in the men’s 1,000m short track speedskating semifinals. | AFP-JIJI

Switzerland’s Sarah Hoefflin competes in a run of the women’s ski slopestyle final event. | AFP-JIJI

A multiple exposure shows Switzerland’s Dimitri Isler attending a training session before the men’s aerials qualification event. | AFP-JIJI

Left to right: Switzerland’s silver medallist Mathilde Gremaud, Switzerland’s gold medallist Sarah Hoefflin and Britain’s bronze medallist Isabel Atkin pose on the podium during the medal ceremony for the freestyle skiing women’s ski slopestyle at the Pyeongchang Medals Plaza. | AFP-JIJI

Teammates Shoma Uno (left) and Yuzuru Hanyu share a moment after winning the silver and gold medals of the men’s figure skating event. | KYODO

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