Jeremy Abbott, U.S. figure skating champ, falls hard but finishes routine to huge ovation
SOCHI, Russia -- U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott fell hard on an attempted quadruple toe
loop Thursday in the men's short program at the Olympics, yet finished the
routine.
But Abbott, 28, struggled to his feet and, to the surprise of many and the applause of the crowd, resumed skating.
And he performed quite well, hitting the rest of his elements.
When his music stopped, the four-time champion drew a huge ovation from the fans. He hit himself lightly in the head while shaking it, as if to say he couldn't believe what had just happened.
"I'm not in the least bit ashamed," Abbott said. "I stood up and I finished that program and I'm proud of my effort and I'm proud of what I did under the circumstance."
Fellow U.S. skater Ashley Wagner was impressed with Abbott's resilience, tweeting:
@jeremyabbottpcf showed true grit and strength after that awful fall. Proud of you! So admirable #nevergiveup #Sochi2014
— Ashley Wagner (@AshWagner2010) February 13, 2014
Abbott scored a 72.58, and finished 15th out of 29 skaters. Fellow American Jason Brown was sixth.
Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu won the men's short program on a night four-time Olympic medalist Evgeni Plushenko retired from competitive skating.
About two hours after Plushenko withdrew with a back injury Thursday, Hanyu became the first figure skater to ever surpass the 100-point mark with a spectacular routine that earned him 101.45.