Sad Day - The Greatest Ice Skater of All Time Retires

[PeterRS]

A time without the slim, elegant, beautiful skating of Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu seems strange. He has been a part of our lives for virtually 10 years  ever since he won the first of his two Olympic Figure Skating Men's Gold Medals back in Sochi in 2014. For me Hanyu has the perfect body for a men's skater - medium height, slim, lithe but not muscular. His progress over the ice was always serene, almost magical, his immersion in the music better than almost any other skater I have seen. His short programme in PyeongChang skating to a Chopin Ballade was definitely the finest skating I have ever seen. He himself was the perfection of beauty - although others naturally have other favourites.

Now a series of injuries has forced him to retire at the age of 27. No more will we see that infectious smile, those long legs and pert little butt! Below a few memories including that mesmerising Chopin Ballade.

For years there have been rumours that he is gay. He trained with the openly gay former skater Brian Orser in Canada and many of his costumes were made by a gay designer. There was even talk of a romance with another of Orser's students. As arguably Japan's most popular athlete with more websites dedicated to him than any other, hopefully he will now have more time out of the limelight to live the life he wants to lead.