PYEONGCHANG -- Figure skating star Yuzuru Hanyu said he took painkillers while competing to win the men's singles title at the Pyeongchang Olympics, revealing that he has not yet recovered from his right ankle injury.
"Without painkillers, I can't land or take off for a jump," the two-time Olympic champion said at a press conference Sunday at the Japan House.
Hanyu injured ligament in his right ankle after falling during a practice session for the NHK Trophy in November. After that he skipped every competition, including the team event at the Games, until the men's singles.
"I've had a lot of aches and pains," Hanyu said. He explained that a medical examination found his injury was very complex, and said he could not find the optimal treatment in the time leading up to the Pyeongchang Games.
The 23-year-old spent a long time off the ice. Hanyu said he sometimes became very negative because of "external factors," adding he had once feared "being forced to quit skating because of this [injury]."
Hanyu expressed his willingness to continue his figure skating career at the conference, but said he needs time to treat his injury. "I'm not sure how long it will take," he said.
Hanyu said the four years after the Sochi Olympics -- when he won his first gold at 19 -- have unfolded in a very different way from what he imagined. However, he added that the painful journey was not for nothing.
"I think if nothing had gone wrong, I wouldn't have won the gold [at Pyeongchang]. Because I went through so much, I learned many things," he said.
Hanyu stressed he is filled with satisfaction and joy. "I'm really happy to be able to skate like this under the Olympic logo and be supported by many people," Hanyu said, smiling.
Back to the forest
"Ice Prince" Hanyu has revealed where all those Winnie the Pooh dolls thrown onto the ice for him will go: back to the forest.
Hanyu was showered with stuffed Winnie the Poohs after both his free skate and the short program.
Asked by a foreign journalist at a press conference on Sunday where the bears would go, Hanyu replied in English, "Back to the forest."
That was a joke, of course -- Hanyu then said that some would be kept as momentos and the rest would be donated to skating federations and clubs as gifts for children.
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