Injured Olympic Champion Hanyu out of Worlds

TOKYO: Figure skating Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu will not compete in this month’s World Championships in Italy due to injury, Japan’s Skating Federation said on Wednesday.Hanyu requires “two weeks of rest and three months of rehabilitation” for damaged ligaments in his right ankle, as well as other injuries, the federation said in a statement.

“As the result of medical diagnosis, I am not able to compete in the World Championships, but I will focus on treatment and rehabilitation so that I can return to full health as soon as possible,” Hanyu said in the same statement. “I will continue to do what I can little-by-little.”

The 23-year-old, who originally suffered the injury in November, grabbed gold in Pyeongchang, becoming the first man to capture back-to-back Olympic figure skating gold medals in 66 years.