Yan Han (; ; born March 6, 1996) is a Chinese competitive

figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...

. He is a three-time

Four Continents Europeans in the 16th century divided the world into four continents: Africa, America, Asia, and Europe. Each of the four continents was seen to represent its quadrant of the world—Africa in the south, America in the west, Asia in the east, a ...

bronze medalist (2013, 2015, 2016), the 2013

Cup of China The Cup of China was one of the series of six senior-level, international figure skating competitions held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The Cup of China joined the series in 2003, and was cancelled in 2022 as China enforces s ...

champion and a four-time Chinese national champion (2010-2011, 2018, 2020). On the junior level, he is the 2012 Youth Olympic champion, the 2012 Junior World champion, the winner of four

ISU Junior Grand Prix The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men ...

titles, and a two-time

Junior Grand Prix Final The ISU Junior Grand Prix Final or JGP Final (titled the ISU Junior Series Final in the 1997–98 season) is the culmination of a series of junior-level competitions – the ISU Junior Grand Prix organized by the International Skating Union. Medals ...

silver medalist (2010, 2011).

Career

The only athlete in his family, Yan started skating at the age of 5. He trained in

Harbin Harbin (; mnc, , v=Halbin; ) is a sub-provincial city and the provincial capital and the largest city of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China, as well as the second largest city by urban population after Shenyang and largest ...

until he relocated to Beijing in early 2012.

2009–2010 season: Junior Grand Prix debut

Yan made his

debut in the 2009–2010 season. He won gold at the event in Turkey, his only assignment that season. He did not compete at the 2010 World Junior Championships due to a fracture injury.

2010–2011 season

Yan was assigned to the

2010–11 ISU Junior Grand Prix The 2010–11 ISU Junior Grand Prix was the 14th season of the ISU Junior Grand Prix, a series of international junior level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. It was the junior-level complement to the 2010–11 ISU Grand ...

events in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

. After winning his two JGP events, he qualified to the

, which was held in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, China. Yan took the silver medal in his home country. He ended the season by placing 6th in his debut at the 2011 World Junior Championships in Korea.

2011–2012 season: Youth Olympic and World Junior titles

In the 2011–2012 season, Yan began attempting a

triple Axel Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * I ...

and a

quad Quad as a word or prefix usually means 'four'. It may refer to: Government * Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States * Quadrilateral group, an informal group which inc ...

toe loop The toe loop jump is the simplest jump in the sport of figure skating. It was invented in the 1920s by American professional figure skater Bruce Mapes. The toe loop is accomplished with a forward approach on the inside edge of the blade; the ska ...

in competition. After winning gold at his JGP events in Austria and Italy, Yan qualified for the 2011–12 Junior Grand Prix Final. At the event, held in

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

, Canada, he won the silver medal despite having a fever. He became the 2012 Youth Olympics champion in

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...

, Austria. At the 2012 World Junior Championships, Yan became the first skater representing China to win the men's junior world title.

2012–2013 season: First medal at Four Continents

Yan started his season at the 2012 JGP Slovenia, where he finished fifth after a shattering fall on the quadruple toe loop in the free program. He then won silver, behind

Maxim Kovtun Maxim Pavlovich Kovtun (russian: Максим Павлович Ковтун; born 18 June 1995) is a retired Russian figure skater. He is a three-time European medalist (silver in 2015 and 2017, bronze in 2016) and four-time (2014, 2015, 2016, 2 ...

at the 2012 JGP Croatia. He did not advance to the JGP Final. Yan took silver at the 2013 Chinese Championships. He made his senior international debut at the 2013 Four Continents Championships, where he took the bronze medal. Yan ended the season placing ninth in the men's discipline and fifth with Team China at the 2013 World Team Trophy. He then flew to Toronto to work with

Lori Nichol Lori Nichol is a Canadian figure skating choreographer and coach. She was a performer for the John Curry Company from 1983 to 1986 and won the silver medal at the World Professional Championships in 1983. She is a four-time recipient of the Profes ...

for two new programs for the upcoming season.

2013–2014 season: Grand Prix debut

Yan's senior Grand Prix debut came at the 2013 Cup of China. He placed first in the short setting a personal best score of 90.14 points and placed second in the free winning the gold medal overall, ahead of

. Yan set a personal best overall score of 245.62 points. Yan finished fourth at the 2013 Trophée Éric Bompard, competing with a fever that he developed the day before his short program. His results qualified him for the

Grand Prix Final The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final), often shortened to ''Grand Prix Final'' and abbreviated as ''GPF'', is a senior-level international figure skating competition. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies ...

, in which he placed sixth overall. He was selected to compete at the

2014 Winter Olympics , ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'') , nations = 88 , events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , athletes = 2,873 , opening = 7 February 2014 , closing = 23 February 2014 , opened_by = President Vladimir Putin , cauldron = , stadium = Fisht Olympic ...

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...

, where he finished seventh. He then finished seventh at the

2014 World Figure Skating Championships The 2014 World Figure Skating Championships was an international figure skating competition held in Saitama, Japan, at the Saitama Super Arena from March 24 to 30. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair s ...

in Saitama, Japan.

2014–2015 season: Second bronze at Four Continents

Yan's first assignment of the 2014 Grand Prix season was

. On November 8, during the free skate warm-up, he collided with Japan's

Yuzuru Hanyu is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. He is a two-time Olympic champion (2014, 2018), a two-time World champion (2014, 2017), a four-time Grand Prix Final champion (2013–2016), the 2020 Four Continents champion, the 2010 World J ...

. Yan was visibly injured, but decided to compete. He placed seventh in the free program and sixth overall. Later in the same month, he placed eighth at another Grand Prix event, the 2014 Trophee Eric Bompard. At the 2015 Four Continents Championships, Yan took the bronze medal with a combined score of 259.47, a personal best. He placed tenth at the 2015 World Championships.

2015–2016 season: Third bronze at Four Continents

Competing in the 2015 Grand Prix season, Yan placed fourth at

Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is hosted by U.S. Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: m ...

and took bronze at

. He went on to win his third bronze medal at the 2016 Four Continents Championships, setting personal bests in the free program (181.98) and combined score (271.55). Yan placed twenty-sixth at the 2016 World Championships.

2016–2017 season

During the 2016 Grand Prix season, Yan placed tenth at

Skate Canada Skate Canada ( Canadian French: ''Patinage Canada'', lit. "Skating Canada") is the national governing body for figure skating in Canada, recognized by the International Skating Union and the Canadian Olympic Committee. It organizes the annual ...

and fifth at

. He ranked 10th at the 2017 Four Continents Championships. He won a bronze medal at the 2017 Asian Winter Games. Yan's shoulder dislocated repeatedly after he sustained a fracture. As a result, he withdrew from the 2017 World Championships.

2017–2018 season

Yan's first international competition during this season was the

International Cup of Nice The International Cup of Nice (french: Coupe Internationale de Nice) is an annual international figure skating competition usually held in October or November in Nice, France. It was continuously held from 1995 to 2017 (except 2005) for 22 years. Th ...

, where he won the gold medal. For his Grand Prix assignments, Yan competed at

and the

, placing fifth at both competitions. He then became the Chinese national champion and went on to place tenth at the 2018 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. During this season, he competed in the

2018 Winter Olympics , nations = 93 , athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women) , events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = , closing = , opened_by = President Moon Jae-in , cauldron = Kim Yun-a , stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium , winte ...

, making it his second time at the Olympics. He ranked 23rd overall.

2018–2019 season

Yan did not compete internationally during the season, subsequently attributing this to both injury recovery and disappointment with his performances in recent seasons. Initially intending to travel and study, he ultimately opted to plan a return to competition.

2019–2020 season

Yan won his fourth national title at the 2020 Chinese Championships in September. Despite rumors of his retirement, he was initially assigned to 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, but withdrew before the event. Yan was assigned to the 2019 Cup of China, where, despite performing only triple jumps, he placed first in the short program, narrowly ahead of

Jin Boyang Jin Boyang (; ; born 3 October 1997) is a Chinese figure skater. He is a two-time World bronze medalist (2016–2017), the 2018 Four Continents champion, a two-time Four Continents silver medalist (2016, 2019), the 2017 Asian Winter Games ...

. After placing second in the free skate behind Jin, he won the silver medal. Speaking afterward, he thanked the

Chinese Skating Association The Chinese Skating Association (CSA) was founded in 1956. It hosts the annual Chinese Figure Skating Championships and the Cup of China. Notable people in Chinese figure skating *Yao Bin & Luan Bo Pairs team now coaches - first Chinese pair ska ...

for giving him the chance to return to competition, and said that he was somewhat surprised to be competitive for a medal without quads. Yan did not receive a second

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

assignment, and thus could not contend for a 2019–20 Grand Prix Final berth. Making his return to the

Four Continents Championships The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships (4CC) is an annual figure skating competition. The International Skating Union established it in 1999 to provide skaters representing non-African and non-European countries with a similar competit ...

in February 2020, Yan placed tenth. Yan was required to self-quarantine for two weeks after returning to China, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. As a result, he was not named to the team for the 2020 World Championships, despite China having two men's spots.

2020–2021 season

With the

2020–21 figure skating season The 2020–21 figure skating season began on July 1, 2020, and ended on June 30, 2021. During this season, elite skaters competed on the ISU Championship level at the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships, 2021 World Championships. They also co ...

having to deal with the

, senior skaters were invited to a maximum of one

event, based largely on geographic location. Yan was invited to the 2020 Cup of China, where he won the silver medal for the second consecutive year. Yan competed at the

2021 World Championships 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, placing thirteenth, while

placed twenty-second. As a result, China qualified only one men's berth at the

2022 Winter Olympics The 2022 Winter Olympics (2022年冬季奥林匹克运动会), officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), was an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beij ...

2021–2022 season

For the 2021-22 Grand Prix Season, Yan was assigned to the

2021 Cup of China The 2021 Cup of China was scheduled to be the third event in the 2021–22 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was to be held at the Chongqing Huaxi Culture and Sports Center in Chong ...

, which was later cancelled and replaced by the

2021 Gran Premio d'Italia The 2021 Gran Premio d'Italia was the third event in the 2021–22 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Torino Palavela in Turin on November 5–7. It was the replacem ...

. Yan's name was initially in this entry list as well, but he later withdrew.

Age controversy

In February 2011, a group of Chinese skaters' ages became the subject of controversy as their birth dates published on the Chinese Skating Association's website did not match the ones listed on their bio pages in the ISU website. The controversy prompted a search for more discrepancies among Chinese figure skaters' dates of births. According to news articles published in February 2011, although Yan's birthday was listed as March 6, 1996 on ISU's website, the Chinese website suggested that he was born on that day in 1994. Officials from the

State General Administration of Sports The General Administration of Sport () is the government agency responsible for sports in mainland China. It is subordinate to the State Council of the People's Republic of China. It also administers the All-China Sports Federation and Chinese Oly ...

held a press conference where they attributed the discrepancies to erroneous information provided by the Chinese website.

Programs

Competitive highlights

''GP:

; CS: Challenger Series; JGP:

Junior Grand Prix The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men ...

Detailed results

Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only at ISU Championships. Personal bests highlighted in bold.

2013–14 to present

2009–10 to 2012–13

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yan, Han 1996 births Living people Figure skaters from Harbin Chinese male single skaters World Junior Figure Skating Championships medalists Figure skaters at the 2014 Winter Olympics Figure skaters at the 2018 Winter Olympics Olympic figure skaters of China Figure skaters at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics Youth Olympic gold medalists for China Figure skaters at the 2017 Asian Winter Games Medalists at the 2017 Asian Winter Games Asian Games bronze medalists for China Asian Games medalists in figure skating Four Continents Figure Skating Championships medalists