Sharing a little bit from his autobiography ‘Aoi Hono II’:

 Chapter 1, Worlds 2012. (from interviews in April 2012):

1) During official practice the day before SP, he sprained his right ankle and his foot swelled up.
Short programme, he obtained a score of 77.07 and was in 7th place. After the SP, Hanyu did not say anything about the injury. But there was a subtle change in his feelings.

“Because I was injured the day before the short, I felt that even in that kind of situation 'I landed my quad, I did well’. I felt that I had worked really hard by myself. However, my mother told me, "That is wrong.” Getting injured was my own fault, but there were many people who gave me help, and also many people who support me. That is the reason why I could come to this point. Until about 9 o'clock that night, we were talking about this while having dinner, and in the end, I knew that my thinking was wrong.“

He could see that his own ego had sprouted unknowingly after the SP.
17 year-old Hanyu faced the free skate with a different spirit.

2) About the free skate and the stumble.
"Later, when I watched the videos, I saw that the fall did not take up much time. I was standing up again quickly.
But to me, it felt like a long time. When I fell, the feeling was like flying mid-air. Like this (he re-enacts the fall in slow motion), 'ahh, I am stumbling~~’ (laughs)
After the fall, 'what should I do from here’, many thoughts circled around. Thinking that I won’t make it in time for the next axel jump, I shortened the path by going straight instead of curved. I can jump even a 3A+3A (in practice), so I thought I will be alright. (laughs)”

(Just before the choreographic sequence) “I gave a shout. I did not shout at other times. Only at nationals and this. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, so I thought, for now just let the breath out. (laughs)”
[He also talked about the audience cheers giving him strength. And when he finished the performance, his tears just flowed out.]

3) In the end, his free skate score was 173.99, his season’s best. At the kiss n cry, Hanyu looked very surprised at the high score. He was in 2nd place for the free skate. With a total score of 251.06, he was 3rd overall. At the age of 17 years 3 months, he won bronze at his 1st World Championships. In 1st place was Patrick Chan, 2nd was Daisuke Takahashi. That day, for the 1st time in the history of Japanese men’s figure skating, two 'Hinomaru’ (Japan national flag) were raised up at Worlds medal ceremony.

[video of free skate]  [video of medal ceremony]

4) “The winner Patrick Chan said, 'In this competition, the one shining the most is Yuzuru.’ His words resounded a lot within me. But I am not alone, I did it with the power from everyone. […..]  I can think in this way because of the injury. I think that, in this world, nothing happens by chance, and so I feel it was something necessary that God taught me.

5) "Am I a disaster victim, or am I a skater? There was a period that I was lost between the two. Now, there is still no clear answer, but I feel that as a skater, I am really being supported by many, various people.”

One year after the earthquake, looking back, his feelings have settled. Having read the warm letters from fans, he wants to be someone who can give back.
The people who are supporting him in Sendai and in Japan, he wants to repay their affection. And at the same time, he wants to be a stronger skater…..
(next chapter is titled: 2012 off season, to Canada the new world)

–my sharing of bits that struck me; not a proper translation.
–the part on reading fan letters is in the prologue, translation here
–pics#3,4 are taken from my book; rest of pics from internet (thanks to original owners)

translated by Angelic Yuzuru