Defending gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu topped the short program portion of the men's singles figure skating competition with a sterling performance Friday in Pyeongchang, South Korea, (Thursday night in the United States) that laid to rest any doubts an ankle injury still hampered him.
The Japanese favorite assumed the No. 1 position with a score of 111.68 and is sitting more than four points clear of Spain's Javier Fernandez (107.58) entering the free skate.
American Nathan Chen, believed to be in the running for a medal, encountered a disastrous outing littered with falls and tumbled down to 17th overall.