(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Today in your figure skating showdown news – the next step has been taken in the upcoming MEN’S FS SMASHDOWN™ between Russian megastar skater Evgeni Plushenko and American gold medalist Evan Lysacek. The three-time Olympic medal winning Plushenko has just been given special exemption to compete at the 2012 European Championships (Jan 23-29) despite not having a qualifying score during international competition last year.
After winning 6 European titles, three world titles, two silver and one gold Olympic medals, Evgeni Plushenko was stripped of competition eligibility by the ISU for not getting Russian approval to skate in exhibitions. Which sounds a lot like a testy ISU trying to assert itself (Nameless ISU drone: ‘No Plushenko – bad Plushenko! You’ll do what we say or ELSE!!) but let’s be honest, perhaps more than any other sport in the Olympics, figure skating is personality driven. There is no way that you could have a proper European Championships if the best European skater in 15 years isn’t allowed to compete.
Plushenko’s return to international competition marks the two year countdown to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and the potential showdown between the Russian star and Evan Lysacek. In Vancouver in 2010, Lysacek took a gold medal that the Russian clearly thought belonged to him and Plushenko be looking to finish his career by retaking the Olympic title in front of his home crowd. Now THAT is a matchup that we can’t wait to see.
BREAKING: DailyHouse just got this super-top secret video of Lysacek and Plushenko training for the upcoming games. It’s easy to see the intensity and fierce drive that have made each of these men champions.
If you think Evan Lysacek is going to let Plushenko push him around check THIS out:
Evan Lysacek Tries Fencing For The First Time – DailyHouse Exclusive!
