2017-2018 Special Consideration Request: Fill & Download for Free

Uh, this question. The struggle is real and will definitely keep your stress level up and steal your sleep.I’ve been known to be thorough, so before we dive into the “solutions”, let’s look at the “problems”. All of this information is the product of a year and a half of research (7 months while being a student, the rest while I was still in my country), so many closed doors that I’m surprised my nose is not broken, 21 meetings with so many members of my faculty that I lost count and hundreds of emails that lead to nowhere:Your country of origin: This was my first obstacle to getting my education. If you come from a country with a significantly smaller economy than the US (probably 95% of countries in the world), you will be unable to request loans in your own nation that could cover the sum of money that the US (Ivy leagues in particular) charge for tuition. Just to put things into perspective. The costs of my tuition for a year at Yale are 10 times higher than the costs of my yearly tuition for undergrad in Chile. To be able to finance my education that way, I would have had to request for a mortgage (that of course they denied. I didn’t have a cosigner, I had a job that paid 4 dollars an hour, was going to stop working soon, and I was leaving the country. I was the definition of a financial liability). The few scholarships that my country gave weren’t an option for me either since my 3-year program made me ineligible for all of them (You could only apply for masters that lasted a maximum of 2 years from beginning to end).Costs of paperwork: Applying to a university in the US requires a pile of paperwork and standardized tests that cost a lot (a looot) of money, especially since I was coming from a country with a different native language. Two months worth of salaries working as a midwife to be exact. So I had to kiss most of my savings goodbye just to be considered (I risk I decided to take. I’m fully aware that I brought this to myself. No one forced me)Limited support from your University: If you’re an undergrad at Yale, you have access to many more funds than if you’re a grad student. I’m a grad student at one of the professional schools, and all professional schools are self-sustained, meaning that they don’t have full access to donations made to Yale University. The school does receive some donations since it’s small, but never as much as Yale University. Just to put this into perspective: The last Annual Report of Giving to Yale 2017–2018 listed 592.5 million dollars received between July, 2017 and June 2018, just in gifts and pledge payments, and 1.3 billion dollars in endowments.Lack of awareness of the reality of students in your situation: I’m also studying at a school that is not very familiar with low-income students, especially international ones. Faculty and staff are unprepared to deal with you (I once had to explain to a member of my school why getting a car was financially impossible for me. She answered by telling me that 2K couldn’t be that big of a deal and that my financial problems couldn’t be that bad if I still had good grades). They will also make you buy things without giving much thought to how that could be incompatible with your finances (like buying books and programs that cost 120 dollars, that you cannot just borrow because they come with quizzes that are a part of your final grade, or demanding you get a car, or increasing your costs of tuition without really thinking that someone wouldn’t be able to afford it or ask for more loans to pay for it).Limited support from your family: My immediate family is in no way considered poor in Chile (where they still live. I came to the US by myself). My extended family is poor, my parents are working class making a great salary for Chilean standards, but not for US standards (we wouldn't even be working class in the US). He already helps our families in Chile, and he does his best to help me in any way he can, but any support that comes from him (when I’m choking and absolutely need to accept it. My family always needs it more) is very limited. In fact, once my costs of tuition increased, the only option we had for months was to sell our family home (Something I was never going to let them do, and something they fought me relentlessly to be able to do. Luckily, it never came to that). Mostly, I keep them in the dark about most of it unless I have found a way to solve my problems. The guilt they feel, and their desire to support me means that they wouldn’t think twice before cutting their own expenses to give me some money, and as I said, their needs come first. I got into this problem all by myself.Lack of access to other forms of financial assistance: An an international student on an F1 visa, I don’t have access to federal loans and other scholarships since those are only open to nationals and/or residents. You can’t really work much either. My program discourages their students to work during the first year since the hours are not flexible and we had classes and clinical rotations 6 days a week. But even if you do, you can only be employed by the University, and can only work a maximum of 18 hours per week (restrictions that come attached to your visa status). You also don’t have the resume to apply to several types of jobs. Research positions (that were somehow more flexible) asked for published work in english (That I didn’t have since my thesis was written in Spanish), or an example of academic writing that I didn’t have either (It was also written in Spanish).Limited access to anything that requires a Social Security number, or a credit score: If you had no idea what credit score was, welcome to the club. I still don’t really know what that means. I was told I needed to start building one soon, and that I could do that with a credit card, but as an international student, you can’t apply to credit cards. Anything from a regular phone plan, to leasing a car or renting an apartment will also ask for a credit score and an SS number. So your options are drastically reduced.Now that you understand where I’m coming from, let’s go to the solutions:Special loans: Yale has a special loan for international students that require no cosigner and no credit score. They come with a hefty interest rate and a limitation to the maximum amount of money you can request. In my case, my loans covered the full cost of my tuition for the first year and about 65% of my tuition for the second and third year. That’s the only reason why I was able to study here.Scholarships: I have two scholarships that cover a part of my living expenses. These scholarships didn’t come easy. I was offered very little financial assistance once I was accepted. I had to send several emails a day to several people at Yale for about two weeks after getting my acceptance letter to finally get them. That’s the money that keeps a roof over my head, food on my table at least once a day, and the bills paid.Affordable housing: International students don’t have an option to rent from anyone. A credit score is a requirement I didn’t have, and New Haven, in particular, takes full advantage of the fact that they have a steady number of rotating people coming in and out in desperate need of housing, increasing their costs almost to NYC prices (Something I took into consideration before applying to a school. Believe it or not, New Haven had the lowest living expenses of all my options). That’s when off-campus housing came in. My university (like many others) has an association with many real state companies that will rent to students and scholars. The rates are not generally as convenient, but I was lucky to find a very small apartment that was “relatively” affordable. I will have to move soon since my building was sold and the new company will charge 230 USD more once my lease ends. But once you have rented at least once before, renting from other companies becomes a little (a tiny bit) easier.Affordable (or free) food and groceries: Cutting costs wherever you can is a creative process that helps a little. A lot of universities (unlike Yale) provide some form of “food scholarships” if you ask for them. In my case, I was given some free meals after asking for financial support for 7 months and for leftovers from the office that manages all diners at Yale (they denied my request). But you can find free food. I go to as many events as I can that offer meals for free (I’ve eaten so much pizza, cocktail sandwiches, and cookies this year. I also carry a Ziploc bag with me and take as many leftovers as they allow me to take. I once made it home with a whole catering tray and ate for 6 days). My classmates have also helped. They have given me a little of everything, from over-the-counter meds they didn’t use, to rolls of toilet paper, to perishable food that they wouldn’t be able to eat before leaving for spring break. One classmate has also taken me out to dinner once or twice.Donations, coupons and fast sales: I moved to a city with a different climate. I was used to rain and some chilly days, but never to freezing temperatures and snow. So I had to be smart. Buying a warm jacket for snow took two months of research (but I found one for 39 dollars. It’s original price was 220 USD), buying snowboots took 3 months of research (60 dollars for two pairs of LL Beam duck boots). I also walk a lot to buy groceries because I know exactly what stores have sales on things I buy regularly like coffee and shampoo. I carry two travel mugs with me at all times so I don’t have to buy a cup of coffee on the go. Two coats currently hanging in my wardrobe were donated second-hand by people. My microwave and toaster oven was a lucky find a week ago that someone threw away. I also ask to accompany classmates to bigger grocery stores where I know things are cheaper.Limiting/cutting expenses: I spent 2 months eating one meal a day to save money to cover costs I could not have been able to afford otherwise. I found ways to use the utilities included in my rent (for example, cooking gas is covered, electricity isn’t, so I rarely use a microwave now that I have one. I have spent months living without one, and only use pots and a stovetop espresso maker to heat food, milk and make coffee) I’m transparent whenever a classmate asks me to go out because those costs are luxuries I cannot afford (a few times people just ask me to come and invite me). I don’t buy anything I don’t absolutely need, and I have only indulged in restaurant food once or twice a month and only whenever they lower their prices (I’m certain I know almost all restaurants that put some type of special pricing, like lunch specials, and always get two, or ever three meals out of a single dish)Meetings, meetings and more meetings: Yale prides on their support to diversity and inclusion. Unfortunately, they do not put their money where their mouth is when it comes to grad students. I have had 21 meetings with members of my faculty to talk about my situation and look for help, mostly because everyone was sorry for me, but no one had a solution. So I was sent to one person that sent me to another, and another, and so on. I wonder if they were waiting for me to give up, but whenever need calls, giving up is not really an option. You do what you have to, and that’s exactly what I did. Nothing came out of it (yet), but making faculty aware of my situation helped to make them somehow aware (and gave me some questionable reputation I’m hoping won’t be used against me). Today, the most pressing financial issues are relatively solved (due to point 8), but I have not stopped. My 22nd meeting is just around the corner, since I stopped advocating for myself a long time ago, and began advocating for students in my position, just to see how far I could go. Giving meaning to this struggle is the one thing I have left to make this worth it, and if anything I do can somehow prevent another student from going through something similar, then all this will be worth it, even if it’s too late for me.Crowdfunding and building community: This was my life-saver. The first crowdfunding campaign I ever organized happened before I came here, when I was trying to show proof of finance to get my visa (a requirement. You need to match the sum of money given in your award letter once you’re accepted to get an F1 visa to the US). I got 10% of my goal (Thanks to so many Quorans, including Jonathan Brill, Tatiana Estévez, Stephanie V, Andrew Weill, Eivind and David S. Rose who gave made the biggest donations, matching the exact amount I was unable to cover in my award letter, and the money to pay for my visa application. Quorans who donated to my campaign were basically the reason I made it to the US). My second campaign was not organized by me. It was organized by Kim Scheinberg (I now call my fairy godmother) after reading one of my last answers about the Varsity bribe scandal (Camila S. Espinoza's answer to How do students at Ivy League schools feel about the Varsity Blues bribe scandal?). Many Quorans offered to donate to a campaign if I organized one in the comments. I didn’t make one, so she solved that problem for me, and helped me get 15,201 USD in donations (Also from Quorans) that covered all the extra costs of my tuition. Even GoFundMe, the company, donated 500 dollars to that campaign. Since I still have an 36K gap to cover for the next two years (18K per year), GoFundMe themselves and some Quorans have suggested I keep the campaign going and increase the goal (I’m open to opinions about it, since it feels like a massive abuse of people’s incredible generosity). They have become my very magical community of supporters after having no support, and I post regular updates on there to keep them informed of my whereabouts.This answer is long enough, so I’ll end it here. I hope it was informative. If you read through it without falling asleep, you have my eternal gratitude.

Last year, in 2017, Indian automotive market became the 4th largest in the world in terms of sales[1] and is pushing for the 3rd position, at a faster pace (9.5% y-o-y growth). The sector has seen considerable growth with domestic consumption on the rise over the last 15 years or so, which has contributed to India’s economic upmove and will continue to do so in the future.The Auto Index has been among the top performers over the last decade.The automobile sector is divided among 4 segments - 2 wheeler segment, 3 wheeler segment, passenger vehicles (PV) segment, Commercial Vehicles (CV) segment, which in-turn are subdivided as follows:The two wheeler segment dominates the share of sales with more than 80%, followed by PV segment, lagging by a far distance.The sector is catered well, by many companies, some of which are are also global market leaders in their respective segments. India’s largest 2 wheeler manufacturer (by sales) is Hero Motocorp[2] , largest 3 wheeler manufacturer is Bajaj Auto, largest PV manufacturer is Maruti and in the CV segment a tough fight for leadership between Ashok Leyland & Tata Motors ensues every quarter.Many of these companies started small and have become large companies, with excellent product portfolio on offer, at various price points, catering to the wide income strata, domestic as well as through exports[3]to other parts of the world.In terms of returns to the investors, while the 2 wheeler companies (except TVS Motor) have given returns in line with the auto index, companies which have seen a huge growth over the last 5 years have given excellent returns, beating the benchmark by miles.This has been the past of the auto sector, which has been on the fair side. But, there are issues plaguing the sector - one of them being the downtrend in rural consumption.Growth in passenger vehicle sales, tractor sales and domestic air passengers are all below five-year trends. And while, two-wheeler sales outperformed trend growth, this is partly a reflection of under performance in the base year.A large part of auto consumption is driven from the rural segment and that has not been doing well in recent times. We are familiar with the farmers distress, requesting various state govt’s for loan waivers, support for MSP etc, basically to boost their income, which was assured by the PM to double by 2022. But, not much has happened over the last 5 years.Also, the new Electric Vehicle (EV) policy - moving completely to EVs by 2030 - was supposed to be a game changer for many companies but unfortunately, in Feb 2018, the govt scrapped[4] the requirement of such a policy, which would have aided in cleaner fuel usage, reduced pollution, improved sales demand etc.NITI Aayog, along with Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Institute, in their 2017 report said that adoption of electric and shared vehicles could help India save $60 bn in diesel and petrol, along with cutting down as much as 1 gigatonne of carbon emissions by 2030.Now, this expectation would probably remain relegated to the confines of the report.Irrespective of the EV policy, introduction of BSVI, scrappage policy of older vehicles, regulatory support from time to time should keep this sector chugging at a decent pace over the near term.While it is difficult to estimate what can happen 10 years from now - the govt might introduce a new policy, change regulation, introduce a new tax - any change can have a negative or a positive impact on the sector. While the supply side is prepared for a decent growth, the demand side needs to improve.India is a country where basic to premium models get sold, luxury / premiumization has taken precedence as consumers are willing to spend more and more, to have the right kind of bike, right kind of car etc. Even the demand for used vehicles in the luxury segment is pretty decent.The Indian automotive aftermarket is estimated to grow at around 10-15% to reach $16.5 bn by 2021, from around $7 bn in 2016. The sector has attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth close to $19.5 bn over the last 18 years. Strong growth in demand due to rising disposal incomes, large middle class, and a young population will continue to drive this sector for years to come.It all depends on the regulatory environment & govt’s willingness to make India into a global hub of auto manufacturing, catering to various segments across countries. The auto ancillary segment driven by majors like Motherson Sumi, Bosch, Minda Ind including battery manufacturers like Exide, Amara Raja along with specialized component manufacturers will continue to do well over a long term, growing along with the major companies. But, the domestic consumption faring over time will make the difference between average growth or an excellent growth (in terms of returns).Financial data and source credits: Indian Brand Equity Foundation, ET Auto, LiveMint, Car & Bike - NDTV, Moneycontrol, trading view chart.Footnotes[1] Automobile Industry in India[2] Two-Wheeler Sales November 2018: Manufacturers Register Positive Growth - NDTV CarAndBike[3] Complete automobile exports analysis in Q1 FY 19 - ET Auto[4] Govt drops the idea of an India EV policy

Japan's hero Yuzuru Hanyu has two Olympic golds - and eight bodyguardsBishōnen is a popular term in Japanese anime, meaning a beautiful young man whose appeal is universal. In PyeongChang, a bishōnen returned to the ice rink with grace and made history by sweeping the gold in men’s figure skating in back-to-back Olympics, reenacting a feat achieved 66 years ago.The beautiful young man from a “different dimensional world,” also a term from Japanese anime, was Yuzuru Hanyu. At the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Hanyu, considered the prince of figure skating, rose to the stature of king. And in the PyeongChang Winter Games, Hanyu, despite the obstacles placed in his path and is close to becoming a legend.This is a Tencent Sports exclusive on the behind-the-scenes life of the “figure skating prince” who resurrected a 66-year history in PyeongChang. The charismatic Hanyu, who was instrumental in the upsurge in the popularity of figure skating in Japan, was undoubtedly one of the the saviors of the box office of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, as well as the ‘cash cow’ of Japan’s sports sector.Recreating a legendThe place was the Gangneung Ice Arena, the date February 17.The ice was like a silver plate, giving off a bedazzling shine. Yuzuru Hanyu gracefully slid to the center of the silver plate, making the thousands of spectators at the site, together with his fans watching him perform on TV, catch their breath.This was PyeongChang. The winner of the gold in men’s singles figure skating in the Sochi 2014 Winter Games was here to go for the second Olympic gold he had been long dreaming of. If he succeeded, he would reenact history after 66 years, becoming the sport’s first two-time men’s champion at the Winter Games since Richard Button of the United States in 1952.Hanyu’s PyeongChang tour had a smooth start. In the short program on February 16, he stunned the audience by perfectly gliding to Chopin’s Ballade No.1. The zero-error performance fetched him a high score of 111.68, approaching his season’s best, 112.72.After the event, Hanyu was deluged by Winnie-the-Pooh plush toys rained down on him by cheering fans. The number “111.68” instantly became the most searched word online in Japan. Figure skating fans across the world began to look forward to the birth of a legend. On February 17, when the free skating event would be held, would Hanyu make history?In the free skating event, Yuzuru Hanyu chose classic Japanese music Seimei, the soundtrack from the film Onmyoji. It was a decision that he had made two seasons ago. Skating to Seimei, in every move that he made, even in every breath, Hanyu no doubt identified himself with the protagonist of the story, 10th-century astronomer Abe no Seimei, a character who was wise, valiant and ready to protect others.“I am the onmyoji,” went the music, onmyoji literally meaning an embalmer. “If not me, who would be Seimei protecting the dead from evil spirits?”When the music played, Hanyu’s delicate performance at the center of the silver plate was sheer magic, casting a spell on his audience.He started with a quad Salchow, steadily landing on the ice on his right blade. It triggered a volley of applause. Most spectators did not realize that it was only one month ago that he had resumed training on ice and just three months since injuring his right ankle while preparing for the NHK Trophy.A faultless quad toe loop followed. Then he made a triple Axel jump, which was also a success. After that, he reeled slightly while landing a quad toe loop but immediately steadied himself with competence, smiling.After his final spin, Hanyu landed at the center of the silver plate and stood still. This was it! Then he clutched his fists, bent his head toward the ground and bowed to the stand. The judges showed their appreciation of his performance by awarding him a high score of 317.85.Once the score of the last skater Shoma Uno was given, Hanyu clinched his championship with the highest tally. The brave but quiet young man burst into tears, murmuring “Thank you” in Japanese at the cameras.‘A big heart under a lissome figure’“In the past, I went through a lot, becoming almost like an amine book character that gets injured again and again. Even three month before the Olympics, I had a serious foot injury. I am a human being, not god. It was incredible how so much misfortune happened to me.”At the press conference after the award ceremony, Yuzuru Hanyu said he had turned his own life into a passionate anime.Born in Sendai in Japan, he still remembered the painful impact of the horrifying tsunami and earthquake that hit northeast Japan. Even on that joyful night when he successfully defended his championship in PyeongChang, he remembered the trauma.“There was no water, electricity or gas,” he recalled.What devastated him was the loss of the ice rink in Sendai. To a figure skater, losing his training ground means losing everything.He had no choice but to turn to his primary school teacher in Yokohama. When he left Sendai, he cried and told his teacher: “I am tired. Is it possible for me to continue my career as a figure skater?” Since then, his teacher began taking him to compete in every game across the country to provide him with training opportunities. It was the support of the audience and ice rink operators that made him succeed in Sochi.In Sochi, Hanyu realized his dream of winning an Olympic gold in figure skating. After that, he claimed two silvers in the World Championships in 2015 and 2016. In the 2017 World Championships, he stunned the world once again.“A lonely king.” That was how Hanyu was seen among the global figure skating community before the 2017-2018 Olympic season.However, fate never allows superheroes an easy and straight path to success.During a practice session for the NHK Trophy on November 9, 2017, Yuzuru Hanyu injured his right ankle while attempting a quad Lutz.On November 10, 2017, Hanyu missed the NHK Trophy. December 14 was the day he was supposed to return to practice on the ice. However, it was announced that the skater was suffering from inflammation of his Achilles tendon and ankle bone.On December 24, the Japanese Olympic Committee released the list of figure skaters for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games. Yuzuru Hanyu had made it to the list with his impeccable performance. The others chosen along with him were Shoma Uno and Keiji Tanaka.When Hanyu became injured, his fans across Japan went to the Go’o Shrine in Kyoto, a poplar shrine in Japan for those seeking good health or to ward off bad luck, to pray for his recovery.Finally on January 16, 2018, the good news that Hanyu had resumed practice on ice came from Toronto, Canada, where Hanyu lives and practices. It was less than a month before the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games on February 9.On January 13, Hanyu did his first practice on the official ice rink after arriving in Gangneung. During the 40-minute session, he made 21 jumps, eight of which were quads including the toe loop and Salchow. But he could execute only five of them successfully. On January 15, he did his free skating item to the accompaniment of the Seimei soundtrack. This was the first time he did a quad in front of the world media after the NHK Trophy accident.Until 8:30 a.m. on February 17 when the free skating competition was held, he had not decided on the final composition and whether he should perform his best but the most difficult move, the quad loop. In five hours, he performed his full set of free skating moves, which included three kinds of quads for safety reasons, changing the quad loop planned in the beginning to a quad Salchow.Even though he won, his right foot had not fully recovered. When jumping on the podium, he carefully avoided landing on his right foot. At the press conference, he expressed his appreciation of the people who had extended a helping hand to him over the past years. However, he didn’t say whether he would try to be the figure skating champion three times in a row by taking part in the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.“I will have surgery and get my injured foot treated,” he said.A perfectionist’s regrets“I love that powerful heart under his enchanting appearance,” Japan’s Sankei Shimbun’s figure skating correspondent told Tencent Sports in PyeongChang. Yuzuru Hanyu is “a real different figure from a different dimensional world,” the journalist said.“NO MISS!” “111.68 points!” “Perfect!” On February 16, after the men’s singles short program, these entries made their way in quick succession to the list of Japanese hot words on Yahoo. After the free skating, Hanyu had been saying repeatedly that he had failed to come up with a zero-error performance. “I still have too many shortcomings,” he said with regret.But within 24 hours of February 16, his performance was described by the Japanese media as being “zero error,” “perfect,” and even “top-ranking,” which must have been the perfectionist’s revenge for his lapses in Sochi four years ago.“I know the taste of the Olympics.” “I’m going to avenge myself for the Sochi Winter Olympics tomorrow,” Hanyu said animatedly many times during interviews after the men’s short program.The 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games saw the 19-year-old crowned in his Olympic debut. He performed gracefully and calmly, garnering the highest score in the men’s singles short program at the Winter Games (101.45). However, in free skating, he was slightly nervous and made some mistakes. So his performance could not be described as perfect. Though he finally defeated Canadian Patrick Chan, who had bagged three consecutive world championships, Hanyu said after the Games that he was not satisfied about his performance, even “very depressed.”The night at Sochi revealed Hanyu’s perfection complex. He admitted that he wanted to know “the taste of being a real champion.” “No matter when and where in the future, I will have a perfect interpretation with zero error like Evgeni Plushenko did.”After the Sochi Olympics, Hanyu published his autobiography Blue Flames II, in which he further explained his “ideal.” The reason why he held Plushenko as his idol and hero was that the Russian never lost in any contingency or won on the basis of a miraculous one-time victory. Hanyu was obsessed with being supreme and invincible.In this book, Hanyu shared a rarely shown old photograph. It was of him standing before a Christmas tree, a personable young boy with a touch of melancholy in his eyes.That was the winter of 2004. The nine-year-old was obsessed with Plushenko, showing his admiration by even having a retro mushroom haircut like the Russian’s.The young boy was fascinated by the idol’s performance in the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games though at that time, Hanyu was only seven years old. Five years later, when he took part in the Japan Junior Figure Skating Championships, he looked to carry himself in the graceful style of Plushenko.Hanyu moved up to the seniors at the age of 17. Whenever he met the Russian emperor of figure skating, Hanyu would quietly consult Plushenko on the secrets of the quad jump or the Biellmann spin. Plushenko always encouraged Hanyu, saying, “Beat me!” “Overtake me!” In Sochi, Plushenko was injured in an accident before the short program, but he accidentally witnessed the rise of the Japanese figure skater.“Perhaps I used to be his idol, but now, Hanyu is my idol. He is a genius!” Plushenko remarked.On hearing that Hanyu was injured before the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, Plushenko, by then a loyal Hanyu fan, rooted for him, firmly believing Hanyu could retain his title.After Hanyu succeeded in defending his title, Plushenko, who won the Olympic gold medals twice but could not defend his championship, sent his best wishes, saying, “I am proud of Hanyu! He is amazing.” When Hanyu was asked at the press conference whether he had finally overtaken his idol, he replied modestly, “I am still far behind.”Winnie-the-PoohTo what extent can a sports star’s popularity impact certain events and the development of the related economy? Hanyu is a sterling example.In PyeongChang, Hanyu was undoubtedly the hottest and most sought-after name.Figure skating has a tradition of the audience throwing plush toys at the end of a skate. After his performance on February 16, his favorite cartoon character Winnie the Pooh began to rain down on him.“This is not rain, it is hail! A storm!” It almost turned the Gangneung Ice Arena into a sea of plush toys, making even veteran sports journalists from all over the world speechless.Hanyu, Asia’s first Winter Olympic champion in men’s singles figure skating as well as the youngest Olympic gold medalist in that category, won the title of “Japan’s most favorite male athlete” in 2017 by virtue of his formidable strength, winsome appearance and the support of his large number of fans worldwide.On February 11, Hanyu was mobbed by a large number of fans as soon as he arrived at Incheon International Airport. The next day, during his first official public training, Hanyu stayed at the ice rink for only 15 minutes, but attracted more than 100 reporters. Half an hour before the training, more than 50 cameras from 15 television stations from around the world were in place, and the latecomers didn’t even have a place to stand.On the third day, Hanyu held a press conference. The conference hall, which could accommodate 100 people, was crammed with more than 150 media outlets, and the crowd spilled over into the corridor. Such spectacular scenes have long been a commonplace for the Japanese media. In the summer of 2017, Hanyu’s new season programs disclosure conference held at his perennial training base in Toronto, Canada, attracted dozens of Japanese media outlets all the way from the other side of the globe.In the short program on February 16, Hanyu made his official appearance for the first time since disappearing from the public for 100 days due to his injury. His fans from Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam and Japan turned the stadium into his home court and showcased a magnificent cosplay.“Hanyu has fans all over Japan, and even the world, from all genders and ages. There are also spontaneously formed fan clubs in countries like Italy and Russia,” a loyal fan of Hanyu said.In PyeongChang, there was a feeling of family solidarity among his fans though they came from all over the world.On the day of the short program, a girl from Taiwan got up at 3 a.m., left her hotel at 4, and began to line up to see Hanyu’s official training from 5. During the break, she got a surprise gift - a Winnie the Pooh plush toy, given by Hanyu’s fans from the Chinese mainland.After the special press conference, journalists from the BBC, Japanese television stations and Chinese media outlets began to interview each another, turning the conference to a “global fans (journalists) meeting.” In order to interview Hanyu, media outlets worldwide, including the BBC and Reuters, sent Japanese-speaking journalists.EntourageOn February 17, when the press conference for the gold, silver and bronze winners was held, after the 30-minute question answer round, it was finally time for the photo session. As photographers flocked to the champions, Hanyu swiftly pushed aside the nameplates and water bottles in front of them, then put his arms around Shoma Uno and bronze winner Javier Fernandez of Spain, flashing his signature ingenuous smile.It was not just removing the nameplates and water bottles for photographers’ cameras; it was the manifestation of his natural character, unpretentious and spontaneous.He doesn’t regard himself as someone special, even though crowned double Olympic champion.How does Yuzuru Hanyu win so many fans across the world? One small gesture may hold the answer.While 1,000 readers may have 1,000 interpretations of Hamlet, Yuzuru Hanyu has one universal evaluation. The Hanyu reporters met in PyeongChang was an icon who regarded himself as an ordinary person, a heartthrob who was humble and polite.After the short program on February 16, a photograph taken by the Japanese media went viral among Chinese online users, who exclaimed, “Hanyu is so wonderful!” It was during the interview of Hanyu’s fellow skater Shoma Uno. Hanyu sought to avoid taking away the limelight from Uno and to avoid the cameras, the Sochi gold medalist, the most shining star on that day, bent down and literally crept away from the stage, smiling shyly when he stood up finally.And in another gesture, after the short program, Hanyu gently picked up a strawberry cake from the sea of Winnie the Pooh bears. “I will eat well, save energy and prepare for the free skating tomorrow,” he said. At the press conference, he considerately looked after Shoma Uno, who sat next to him, quietly telling him, “Don’t be nervous.” From time to time, he also helped Uno adjust his headphones which was relaying the simultaneous interpretation.Every time Hanyu attended a press conference after a competition, he would always show consideration for the reporters who had been waiting for a long time and rush to meet them. “Please give me a minute,” he would say, bending down to remove the blades still attached to his boots. Then he would look at the media with a smile, and begin to answer every question seriously and sincerely.“I cannot compare myself with Plushenko or Uno,” Hanyu said, calmly responding to the overwhelming applause he received after winning his second Olympic gold.“Uno is three years younger. It seems I am in a slightly awkward position. Rather than competing, I would like to enjoy skating for as long as possible and hope other top skaters come up with more perfect performances,” he added.His clear vision and crystal-transparent soul has won him numerous fans.Unlike other athletes, Yuzuru Hanyu came to PyeongChang flanked by eight bodyguards. To ensure Hanyu’s safety, the Japanese Skating Federation had specifically requested the Japanese Olympic Committee to accord him “the highest Olympic privileges.”Yuzuru Hanyu was the only athlete who came to PyeongChang with bodyguards. When his flight landed, he himself was taken aback by the treatment. As some foreign media commented, it was like escorting some invaluable gem.Besides bodyguards, the Japanese Olympic Committee also arranged a press officer and a professional nutritionist team exclusively for Hanyu. The nutritionist team was formed in 2012 with professionals from the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences to ensure Hanyu took sufficient nutrients to be able to undertake the high-energy practice sessions. To the best of this writer’s knowledge, Yuzuru Hanyu is the only winter sports athlete who enjoys the privilege of having a press officer exclusively for him. Previously, only Kosuke Hagino, Japan’s competitive swimmer, had such a press officer. Even the famous Japanese footballers Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa did not have such a privilege.His popularity is also reflected in The New York Times. After the short program, a New York Times reporter grabbed the opportunity to interview Hanyu at the media section. In an unprecedented move, the media officer of the Japanese delegation permitted the reporter to ask two questions.It was not the first time that Yuzuru Hanyu made headlines in The New York Times. The first time was in the Sochi 2014 Winter Games when the 19-year-old won the gold in men’s figure skating, creating a sensation among his fans worldwide. Later, the magazine hailed him as “Michael Jackson on the Ice.”Box office hitAfter Yuzuru Hanyu won his second Olympic gold, Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) immediately put up an advertisement featuring him on Japan’s largest website Yahoo, saying there must be some reason for his power, like the reason ANA was the ideal airline for everyone.When Yuzuru Hanyu claimed the gold in the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, he signed up with ANA as his sponsor, and endorsed Procter & Gamble products and Sendai Tourism. His fee for shooting a single advertisement rose to 50 million yen ($470,000) and recently, to 80 million yen ($752,000), equaling the fee of famous Japanese female figure skater Mao Asada.On 2017 New Year’s Eve, Yuzuru Hanyu debuted on television as the judge of the 66th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, or Japan’s New Year singing contest. This further increased Hanyu’s popularity in Japan, giving him the potential to overtake Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori in popularity in the future.The charismatic Hanyu is not only the cash cow of Japan’s sports sector, but also the savior of the box office of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.As a result of his overwhelming popularity, anything he does not only affects the mood of his fans around the world, but also impacts the organizers, sponsors and suppliers of every major figure skating event. Hanyu’s withdrawal from the NHK Trophy, the ISU Grand Prix and Japanese national championships because of his ankle injury caused direct losses for these events.Within 48 hours of his withdrawal, the rating of NHK Trophy’s prime time broadcast dropped sharply. The average rating declined to 6.7 percent from the 16 percent in the previous year, when Hanyu was the champion. In December that year, the ISU Grand Prix held without Hanyu also witnessed a decline in rating from 17.6 percent in the previous year to 14 percent. The sales of the sport’s derivatives also suffered.Under such circumstances, Hanyu’s fans, eager to watch the brilliance of the figure skating maestro again, could only pin their hopes on the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.Since the beginning of 2018, the South Korean media had been reporting that Yuzuru Hanyu may not compete in the group games or the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Games revenues may face a bleak prospect as a result. However, the International Olympic Committee answered this by presenting a clip, titled Yuzuru Hanyu, who is your opponent? on its official television station, which was well-received. Obviously, the purpose was to increase the revenue of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.According to previous reports by Lanxiong Sports, a Chinese online sports industry services provider, only 61 percent of Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Games tickets -- or 655,000 -- had been sold by the end of December 2017. However, the organizing committee said tickets for figure skating sold out as early as March 2017, bringing in revenue of 680 million South Korean won ($637,800).During the Pyeongchang Games, over 10,000 Hanyu fans came to Gangneung, where the figure skating events were held. The 2,000 tickets sold out within hours of being up for sale.“Hanyu’s remuneration is expected to rise by 1.5 times at least, if not be doubled, after he won the gold in PyeongChang,” a journalist from Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan’s largest daily newspapers, told Tencent Sports.Although new figure skaters will come to the fore one after another, the emergence of the next Yuzuru Hanyu is still a distant possibility. Will Yuzuru Hanyu take part in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games? It depends on whether his injured right ankle fully recovers in the coming years