Japan's Olympic ice icons inspire new skating generationListen to this articleYuzuru Hanyu won Olympic men's singles gold twice and attracted a devoted following of fans. Japan's first Olympic figure skating medal came when Midori Ito won silver at the Albertville Games. Her coach, Machiko Yamada, said Ito proved to Japanese skaters that international success was possible. Ice PrinceIto was the first in what became a long line of Japanese skating stars, but two in particular transcended the sport. Sakamoto, a three-time world champion who will retire after this season, says such fierce competition keeps Japanese skaters on their toes.
