06.02 Figure Skating: Japan Takes Lead, But Night Belongs to Plushenko
SOCHI, February 6 (R-Sport, David Nowak) – Yuzuru Hanyu may have given Japan the lead in the Sochi Olympic figure skating team event on Thursday, but this was Evgeny Plushenko's night.
The 31-year-old Turin Olympic champion rolled back the years to put in a routine of icy charisma and technical brilliance in front of a rapturous home crowd and keep Russia in contention for gold, in second place.
And yet, by rights, he had no right to. Pick any reason you like.
Hobbled by back and knee problems that have required surgical intervention no less than 12 times over the last few years; not having competed at a major global event since the Vancouver 2010 Olympics; coming into the Olympics on a wave of controversy after having been picked for the Russian squad over Maxim Kovtun despite losing to the 18-year-old in the Russian nationals in December.
It made Thursday's spine-tingling routine in the Iceberg Skating Palace all the more to behold. To deafening roars of "Rossiya! Rossiya!" from a crowd witnessing the slow departure of their sporting legend, Plushenko polished off his routine with his signature understated grace and took a second to soak it all up.
This was a night of self-affirmation for Plushenko, destroying with delight the pre-Games buzz of whether he was aging or ageless.
What happens from hereon in, whether he can deliver with similar style in the free skate on Sunday, or if Plushenko's teammates can push Russia to a cherished gold on home ice, all seem unimportant right now, an issue for another day.
"Whatever the result for me, I've already won, if only for myself. After 12 operations," said Plushenko, in reference to back surgery he had last year after withdrawing midway through the European championships and numerous operations on his knee.
As if it mattered, in third place on Thursday was Plushenko's rival Patrick Chan (Canada), who suggested before the Games that he didn't view the Russian as such.
Chan, the reigning world champion, stumbled out of his opening quad and stepped out of a triple axel.
Stepping out of a triple toeloop was 17-year-old skater Han Yan's only sin in an energetic routine for fourth place for China.
Germany's five-time national champion Peter Liebers put in an original performance to the pop song "Clocks" by Coldplay for fifth, while the American challenge faltered early on as Jeremy Abbott crashed to the ice and needed a push off the boards to continue his routine after falling on his opening quad.
It is the first time the team event is being held in Olympic competition.
Countries send out skaters in all four categories: men's and women's individual, pairs and ice dance. They all perform a short program, the points are aggregated and the top five nations progress to the free program while the others are eliminated.
Adding tactical intrigue to the event, nations may switch skaters after the short program but only if the replacements are part of the country's team in the traditional event.
The introduction of the team event gives skaters a second shot at a medal that they have welcomed, but it also comes with the inherent risk of injury before the traditional individual disciplines.
