18.02 Figure Skater Plushenko Eyes Comeback at 2018 Olympics

SOCHI, February 18 (R-Sport) - Five days after announcing his retirement from figure skating, Russia’s two-time Olympic champion Evgeny Plushenko said Tuesday he may return for the next Winter Games in Pyeongchang.

Plushenko, who would be 35 in 2018, made the statement after dramatically pulling out of the men's singles event in Sochi because of a back injury.

The injury, he said, occurred despite multiple back operations in recent years and was exacerbated by his involvement in the team event, where Plushenko helped Russia to win the gold medal, his fourth medal in four Olympics.

"Here's what I want to do," Plushenko told a chat show on Channel One, Russia's biggest TV network. "Recover completely, and if necessary do another 10 operations.”

"I'll skip a couple of seasons, I'll learn another couple quads and come back to competition," he said, in reference to the four-spin element that is required to compete with the top skaters.