I Will Miss Him

Having devoted his life to figure skating, Evan Lysacek knew, at 28, there was a chance that his attempt to come back from yet another injury in time for the Sochi Olympics would fall short. But he steeled his mind against the possibility, just as he numbed himself to the searing pain in his left hip, pouring all of his energy into regaining the technical skills and artistic form that landed him atop the medal podium at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

But late last week, doctors told Lysacek what his body had been screaming for weeks: The aggressive treatment on his torn labrum wasn’t working and, in fact, was exacerbating the injury. Informed he was risking severe and permanent damage by persisting, Lysacek made the heart-rending decision to abandon his effort to defend his gold medal at the Sochi Games.

Evan Lysacek, reigning Olympic figure skating champ, will miss Sochi Games because of injury

By Liz Clarke, Published: December 10 E-mail the writer

Having devoted his life to figure skating, Evan Lysacek knew, at 28, there was a chance that his attempt to come back from yet another injury in time for the Sochi Olympics would fall short. But he steeled his mind against the possibility, just as he numbed himself to the searing pain in his left hip, pouring all of his energy into regaining the technical skills and artistic form that landed him atop the medal podium at the 2010 Vancouver Games.