Olympics: Why does it rain Winnie the Pooh bears when Yuzuru Hanyu skates?

Japan’s figure skating darling Yuzuru Hanyu attracts huge crowds wherever he goes. He also attracts showers of Winnie the Pooh bears after he skates.

Athletes are known for being superstitious. Baseball players stop shaving in the postseason. One of the Olympics snowboarders from France sports a mustache for luck. But when it comes to men’s figure skating, Japan’s rockstar champion skater Yuzuru Hanyu has Winnie the Pooh with him for good luck, and that’s why you’ll see Winnie the Pooh bears following him wherever he goes.

In Hanyu’s case, his Winnie the Pooh is more than just a lucky charm. It has a practical application that is infinitely helpful when he finishes his skate and arrives at the Kiss and Cry: Hanyu’s Winnie the Pooh holds Kleenex for him.

Hanyu’s fans, of which there are many, sports Winnie the Pooh’s trademark red and yellow when they go to watch him skate. You can tell when Hanyu is on the ice (or within eyesight) because the arena is filled with more screams than the Beatles got at Shea Stadium. The decibel level is piercing because his fans love him so much. They demonstrate their love by tossing Winnie the Pooh stuffed toys and trinkets to the ice after he completes his programs. The floor usually ends up filled with the bears, which was the case after his performance at the Olympics.

Hanyu earned the highest score in the men’s figure skating short program at the 2018 Winter Olympics, finishing in first place with 111.68. Hanyu is expected to be a medalist in the competition, which concludes on Feb. 16 with the men’s free skate.

It’s not uncommon to see flowers and stuffed animals tossed onto the ice following skating programs. Young local skaters usually collect the items and remove them from the ice. The AHL has an actual Teddy Bear Toss Night where bears of all shapes and sizes are tossed onto the ice following the game’s first goal, and at the end of the night, the bears are donated to local children’s hospitals.

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While it’s not clear as of this writing where Hanyu’s Olympics Winnie the Pooh collection is going, you can bet that there will be more bears on the ice after his free skate program.