Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu collided with another skater in the Cup of China free skate warm-up, bled, competed with his head wrapped, fell five times in his performance and finished in second place Saturday.
Hanyu, in his first top-level competition since winning the World Championships in March, and China’s Han Yan collided near center ice at the Shanghai venue while preparing for their free skate.
Hanyu lay on the ice for several seconds, blood streaming down his chin, before two officials with medical uniforms on reached him.
Once off the ice, China’s Han lay motionless while being tended to just behind the boards. Han performed his free skate 45 minutes later and finished sixth.
Hanyu was taken farther off the ice and checked out while sitting down. He returned to warm up and appeared disoriented, pointing to his head multiple times.
Hanyu skated about 50 minutes later, fell five times in his “Phantom of the Opera” performance and finished in second place, just as he was after the short program Friday.
Hanyu had to be held up by coach Brian Orser after he stepped off the ice following his free skate.
“You’ve got to keep breathing, OK?” Orser, a two-time Olympic silver medalist, told him. “Hang onto the boards.”
Russian Maksim Kovtun won with 243.34 points. Hanyu scored 237.55. American Richard Dornbush took third with 226.73.
Hanyu bawled in the kiss and cry area after his score came up, appearing overjoyed.
“You’re going to feel it tomorrow,” Orser told him.
Hanyu was attempting be the third different Japanese man to win in the first three Grand Prix events of the season, a feat never done by any nation.
I hope the thread does not clutter further. Users should be able to find information on their health as quickly & easily as possible. I'm very worried about Han's chest (since he was clutching it so much) & Yuzuru looked like he was about to collapse at any time.
hwell: I removed your quote from my post.
