Double Olympic champion Hanyu to miss worlds

[March 07, 2018]    TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu, who last month became the first male in 66 years to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in men's figure skating, will not defend his world title later this month, the Japan Skating Federation said on Wednesday.

Pyeongchang Olympic Figure Skating Men's Single gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu attends a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo, Japan February 27, 2018. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

The 23-year-old cast doubt on his participation in Milan after his Olympic triumph in Pyeongchang, saying repeatedly that healing the right ankle he injured in a training fall late last year was his priority.

"According to the results of a medical examination, I will be unable to take part in the worlds," Hanyu said in a statement, thanking his fans for their support.

"I will make every effort to recover as soon as possible through treatment and rehabilitation."

Last week, the double world champion told a news conference that he hoped to eventually successfully land a quintuple jump and break the five-spin barrier.

(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by John O'Brien)

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.