Gold medallist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan celebrates after becoming the first man since 1952 to repeat as an Olympic figure skating champion. (Reuters Photo)GANGNEUNG, South Korea: Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan took gold in the men's figure skating competition on Saturday despite several mistakes in an otherwise mesmerising programme, becoming the first man in 66 years to defend his Olympic title and giving Japan its first Pyeongchang gold. Skating in front of a crowd of euphoric supporters at the Gangneung Ice Arena, the 23-year-old took steps out of his quad toeloop and triple Lutz. Quadruple jump specialist Nathan Chen rebounded from an error-laden short programme with a historic free skate that put him in the lead before Hanyu, Uno and Fernandez had skated. Canada's Patrick Chan, who was sixth going into the free skate after falling on his triple Axel, stepped out of a triple toeloop and put his hand down on a triple Axel in the free skate.

Source: Bangkok Post February 17, 2018 06:00 UTC