Han YAN (CHN)

INNSBRUCK, Jan 16 - He was just recovering from a fever. He did not perform the Triple Axel he is famous for. And he even fell on the ice after a jump.
Nevertheless, Han YAN (CHN) skated so well in the Free Programme he still clinched the Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games Men's Figure Skating Gold medal at the Olympic Ice Stadium on Monday.
YAN scored a total of 192.45 points, beating Japanese Silver medallist, Shoma UNO, who amassed 167.15, by some distance.
Feodosi EFREMENKOV (RUS) claimed the Bronze medal, scoring 163.46, after coming second in the Short Programme.
The Gold medallist did not perform the most difficult jumps he usually displays in competitions.
“After the Short Programme [on Saturday] I had fever, so I lowered the level of complexity in my Free Programme,” he said.
YAN blamed his fall on the fever and “energy consumption”, as he arrived at Innsbruck 2012 after demanding competitions such as the China Nationals.
He started in the sport at the age of six after being taken to an ice rink as a birthday present, and now he dreams of grabbing Gold at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
“Every athlete dreams to win a medal at the traditional Olympics," he said. "I hope I can make it.”
But before then, he wants to experience as much as possible at Innsbruck 2012, with the Cultural and Education Programme one of his top priorities.