He'll do so without having to fend off a challenge from another record-setter, Russia's Evgeni Plushenko.

Hanyu became the first figure skater to break the 100-point mark with a spectacular performance in the men's short program on Thursday night at the Sochi Games. He earned 101.45 points with a playful, almost seductive routine in which he seemed to flow above the ice.

"I was so surprised with my score," Hanyu said. "I didn't know I got over 100."

He shouldn't have been, considering the speed, sharpness, entertainment value and total conviction of his skating. He nailed his two biggest jumps, including a huge a quadruple toe loop to open the program, and his triple lutz-triple toe combination was exquisite.

And then the fun began.

He charmed the judges with his facial expressions, staring directly at them with an inviting smile during his intricate steps and turns to "Parisian Walkaways."

"For Yuzuru, that was perfection," said his coach, Brian Orser. "That's as good as it gets."

Hanyu, 19, also won the men's short program in the team event and is on quite a run with wins in the Grand Prix Final, Japanese championships and his Sochi achievements.

"I always had pressure. I think I can have confidence after those competitions," he said.

While Hanyu was soaring to a nearly 4-point lead over three-time world champion Patrick Chan of Canada, Plushenko finished his stellar career with another injury.

The only figure skater in the modern era to win medals in four games, including gold in the new team event last weekend, Plushenko hurt his back in training Wednesday. He gave it a go in warmups before Thursday's short program, but after falling on a triple axel, he knew he was done.

"I said to myself, 'Evgeni, you must skate. It's two more days, short and long program,'" the 31-year-old and 2006 Olympic gold medalist said.

But he could not.

"I think it's God saying, 'Evgeni, enough, enough with skating,'" added Plushenko, who said he's had 12 surgeries.


U.S. SWEEP


In the first final of the day, the U.S. freestyle skiers swept the podium in slopestyle, with Joss Christensen leading the way in his Olympic debut.

For only the third time in Winter Games history, a U.S. team swept the podium. Christensen led the way with a dominating performance that featured four near-perfect runs over the rails and jumps at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park. Gus Kenworthy and Nick Goepper captured the silver and bronze, as the U.S. skiers matched the country's previous sweeps in men's figure skating in 1956 and men's halfpipe snowboarding in 2002.

"I am stoked to be up here with my friends," Christensen said. "America, we did it."


NO SLOWING DOWN


Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland, skiing with a fractured foot, won gold in the women's cross-country 10-kilometer classical race. She led virtually all the way, finishing in 28 minutes, 17.8 seconds and beating silver medalist Charlotte Kalla of Sweden by 18.4 seconds. Therese Johaug of Norway took bronze, 28.3 seconds behind.


EASY VICTORY


Li Jianrou of China won gold in 500-meter short track speedskating after all three of her opponents in the final fell.Li's win in the 500 keeps the Olympic title with China. Injured teammate Wang Meng couldn't defend the title she has won at every Winter Games since 2002. Arianna Fontana of Italy took the silver and Park Seung-hi of South Korea earned the bronze. Elise Christie of Britain caused the first crash of the wild final and was disqualified.


FIRST FOR CHINA


In the women's 1000-meter race, Zhang Hong pulled off a stunning victory to give China its first gold ever in Olympic speedskating. Her time of 1 minute, 14.02 seconds, broke the track record and just missed the Olympic mark set by Chris Witty at the 2002 Games. Ireen Wust took the silver and Margo Boer the bronze, giving the Dutch a dozen speedskating medals.


SECOND GOLD


Martin Fourcade of France earned his second gold of the Sochi Games with a victory in the men's 20-kilometer individual race. Fourcade, who won the 12.5K pursuit on Monday, finished 12.2 seconds ahead of silver medalist Erik Lesser of Germany. Yevgeny Garanichev of Russia won the bronze.


GERMANY DOMINATES


Germany scored a golden sweep of all four luge events by winning the inaugural team relay. Felix Loch, Natalie Geisenberger and the doubles team of Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt finished their runs in 2 minutes, 45.649 seconds, beating Russia for the title by 1.030 seconds. Latvia won the bronze.


CURLING UPDATE


Gold medal favorites Canada, Sweden and Britain posted wins in the men's curling tournament, keeping the pressure on undefeated China, which had a bye Thursday. In the women's competition, Canada swept away its fifth straight opponent, while Sweden knocked Switzerland from the ranks of the undefeated. Britain revived its chances of making the semifinals with a win over China.

Contributors: The Associated Press, Jason O. Boyd

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