Evgeni Plushenko, the superstar of Russian figure skating, has withrdawn from the men's individual event at the Sochi Winter Olympics to the disappointment of Russian fans. Plushenko attempted a quad jump in his warm-up, yet landed heavily on his toe and visibly winced. He skated over the ice holding his lower back. Following the warm-up, he spoke to his coach briefly before skating over to the judging panel to announce his withdrawal from competition.
Pluschenko is one of the most decorated and renowned figure skaters in the sport's history. Yet at 31, Plushenko is definitely at the older end of the skating world. He has been battling injury for the last year, undergoing surgery on both his knee and back in recent months. Despite this, he was still considered one of the top skaters in the event, particularly following his performance in the Team event, which showcased exactly why he was still a force to be reckoned with.
The Men's Figure Skating competition has now been blown wide open. Favorite Patrick Chan of Canada is now considered a shoe-in for the gold. However, he wil lhave to contend with Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, and Javier Fernandez of Spain. Plushenko has two gold and two silver medals, making him one of the most decorated figure skaters in history. He was given a spot on the Olympic team after Russian officials saw him skate during a closed-door session.
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