For the first time since Dick Button in 1952, the reigning Olympic gold medalist in men’s figure skating has defended his title as Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu scored a combined 317.85 to obliterate the competition.
Hanyu’s 206.17 in the free skate didn’t top Nathan Chen’s astounding, record-breaking performance, but Chen’s failures in the short program doomed him to an eventual fifth place finish, off the podium (which, all things considered, is astonishing).
American Vincent Zhou finished sixth. Japan’s Shoma Uno finished with silver and Spain’s Javier Fernández took bronze.