Skating technique and signature moves

He’s the most complete athlete in figure skating, probably ever.

— Two-time world champion and skating coach Stepháne Lambiel,
cited by Jeré Longman, New York Times, published on January 4, 2018

He does have everything. He has exceptional skating skills, he interprets well, his spins are one of the best in the competition and when he’s on, his jump quality is the best, too.

— Figure skating commentator and former ice dancer Mark Hanretty
after Hanyu’s free skate, aired on British Eurosport on November 8, 2014

Hanyu is widely regarded the most complete and well-rounded figure skater in history. He stands out for his unique athletic ability to combine advanced skating and efficient stroking with powerful jumps of large trajectories, and also have the required flexibility in back and shoulders to perform spins in difficult positions. In addition, his improved physical capacity and endurance allow him to produce solo shows of a net skating time exceeding 40 minutes—a milestone that was long considered near impossible in figure skating. The following articles show a more detailed breakdown of Hanyu’s technical skills, signature elements and moves, and how they are utilized in his programs.

Global technical
assessment

Signature moves

Historic markers
in “Notte Stellata”

Skating technique

Jumping technique
and the triple Axel

Spinning technique

All images used in this article are embedded from the Wikimedia Commons library and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 or 4.0 license. For the copyright and licensing details, see licensing.