14.02 Plushenko Quits, Hockey Powers Arrive on Day 6 at Sochi

SOCHI, February 13 (R-Sport) – Day six at the Sochi Winter Olympics marked the departure of one of the Games’ biggest stars Thursday as two-time figure skating gold medalist Evgeny Plushenko retired in subdued style, while the top powers of men’s hockey got their campaigns under way.

Elsewhere, there was a rare podium sweep for the United States, unrelenting German dominance of the luge and a farcical speedskating final.

Plushenko’s glittering career ended with a whimper rather than a bang as he withdrew from the men’s competition, having aggravated a back injury in the warm-up. He still leaves Sochi a champion, however, after helping Russia to gold in the new team event Sunday.

He promptly retired. "I'm ending my career," he said. Of further competition, he said: "My age allows it, but 12 operations are too much,” a reference to the frequent surgery he has endured on his knee and back since Vancouver 2010.

At 31, Turin 2006 Olympic champion Plushenko was far older than any other top men’s skaters, and the generation divide was put into stark contrast as 19-year-old Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu took the lead in the short program with a 101-point skate that smashed the world record to smithereens.