Russian figure skating star Evgeni Plushenko has announced that he is retiring after withdrawing from the Sochi Olympics after an injury during Thursday's warm-up.
Plushenko was seen walking off the ice after attempting a jump during warm-ups on Thursday, just hours before the start of the men's short program.
"I'm ending my career," he told Russian media saying that too many operations had taken a toll on his body.
The jump where Plushenko injures himself:
The crowd erupted into chants supporting the former Olympic champ, reported USA Today but quickly grew silent when it was clear that he would not be returning to compete.
Here's Russian TV reacting to Plushenko's withdrawal. You might not be able to understand it but the reaction of the crowds says a lot about how beloved the skater is in his home country.
The skater, a gold medalist in 2006, was clearly disappointed.
Plushenko has a history of back problems and had a surgery in 2013. He helped Russia win the figure skating team event earlier in these Games.
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