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TAKAHASHI NOT DONE YET
By Alexa Ainsworth, Universal Sports
Daisuke Takahashi of Japan has confirmed he intends to compete next season.
The 25-year-old was the defending champion entering Worlds in Moscow, but after a third-place short program, disaster struck in the free skate.
Takahashi lost screws in his skate on the first jump of his program, a quad toe attempt (he singled), and was forced to stop his performance to have the boot fixed. Knowing the performance would not be perfect as he took the ice to continue, Takahashi missed a few jumps and dropped to fifth.
Here's the irony. He does in fact need a screw removed, but from his knee, not his skate during the middle of the world championships.
This season Takahashi postponed surgery to remove a screw from his October 2008 knee surgery in order to compete - Worlds were supposed to be at home in Tokyo and he was the reigning champion.
Then Japan was hit by the devastating earthquake and tsunami and Worlds were postponed and moved to Russia.
Apparently the screw was not meant to hold up another month, not even just four-and-a-half minutes longer.
The skating world certainly did not want to see one of its biggest talents end his career like that, so when Takahashi said Saturday that he would compete next season, the question turned to Sochi.
Takahashi will take it year by year, but first, he must finally have the surgery to remove the screw from his knee (likely in May). Depending on his recovery, Takahashi cannot say for which events he will be back - but he will be back.
Knowing Takahashi, he not only plans to compete, but also intends to take back the world title.
Japan's Daisuke Takahashi smiles during a news conference at the ISU Figure skating World championships in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
www.universalsports.com/news-blogs/blogs/blog=gofigure/postid=531667.html
By Alexa Ainsworth, Universal Sports
Daisuke Takahashi of Japan has confirmed he intends to compete next season.
The 25-year-old was the defending champion entering Worlds in Moscow, but after a third-place short program, disaster struck in the free skate.
Takahashi lost screws in his skate on the first jump of his program, a quad toe attempt (he singled), and was forced to stop his performance to have the boot fixed. Knowing the performance would not be perfect as he took the ice to continue, Takahashi missed a few jumps and dropped to fifth.
Here's the irony. He does in fact need a screw removed, but from his knee, not his skate during the middle of the world championships.
This season Takahashi postponed surgery to remove a screw from his October 2008 knee surgery in order to compete - Worlds were supposed to be at home in Tokyo and he was the reigning champion.
Then Japan was hit by the devastating earthquake and tsunami and Worlds were postponed and moved to Russia.
Apparently the screw was not meant to hold up another month, not even just four-and-a-half minutes longer.
The skating world certainly did not want to see one of its biggest talents end his career like that, so when Takahashi said Saturday that he would compete next season, the question turned to Sochi.
Takahashi will take it year by year, but first, he must finally have the surgery to remove the screw from his knee (likely in May). Depending on his recovery, Takahashi cannot say for which events he will be back - but he will be back.
Knowing Takahashi, he not only plans to compete, but also intends to take back the world title.
Japan's Daisuke Takahashi smiles during a news conference at the ISU Figure skating World championships in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
www.universalsports.com/news-blogs/blogs/blog=gofigure/postid=531667.html