Sounds like Hanyu came into Worlds with so much self-imposed pressure, and also the added pressure of being such a huge star in his home country and around the world among skating fans. Hanyu spoke during the sp press conference of feeling "different" at this competition. He spoke about a strange feeling he was experiencing, and he also talked about his practices being "crazy," and he said, "As I was practicing I wanted to become a World champion again ... But as I was skating my sp, I was able to kind of release those feelings.... The reason I was so emotional after my sp is because I felt kind of different today. It's hard to explain ... Today it just felt very different and with that circumstance I was still able to pull out a good performance and that's why I showed my emotions so strongly."
The "difference" Hanyu kept referring to might have been an underlying nagging sense that something wasn't exactly right for him physically, and so maybe he wasn't feeling his usual full strength and confidence, which went against him in the fp. At the same time, he probably wanted to live up to the quality of his spectacular performances earlier in the season, which likely intensified the pressure he felt.
All three guys, Hanyu, Javi and Patrick were very articulate, gracious and honest in their responses and self-assessments during the sp press conference. And all three referenced their respect for each other and particularly Javi mentioned his respect for skaters who are also good and not even there competing. All three guys spoke in different ways about the importance of not focusing on thinking about winning or defending. Most athletes understand the necessity to access a particular zone of being in the performance rather than thinking too much, which is not easy as everything changes from competition to competition.
Therefore, a skater and coaching team can strategize for a season all they want, but in the end they have to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Having done the hard work of training and preparation, on the ice a skater has to try and relax, go with the flow and try to release the pressures. At that point, if something isn't right physically, they have little control over it.
Does the article say how the injury happened?
