Figure skating superstar Yuzuru Hanyu will decide whether he will compete again this year based on the results of medical tests he is undergoing in Japan, his coach Brian Orser said Wednesday.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist twisted his right ankle in a practice fall Saturday at the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow. He was told by doctors at the time that he will require three weeks of rest to recover from a ligament injury sustained in the crash.
Despite going on to win his second Grand Prix Series title of the season in the Russian capital, concerns remain as the injured ligament is in the same ankle that caused him trouble last season.
The ankle forced him to miss the 2017 Grand Prix Final, and almost cost him his chance at winning a second Olympic gold at the Winter Games in South Korea in February.
Orser said the 23-year-old is still in doubt for the Dec. 6-8 Grand Prix Final in Vancouver and the Dec. 21-24 national championships in Osaka, which doubles as a qualifier for next year's world championships in Saitama.
The Canadian coach is awaiting news from his skater who has returned to Japan to undergo medical evaluation. Orser says no decision has been made on when Hanyu will return to his Toronto training base.
Hanyu was sidelined for nearly three months in the 2017-2018 season, but according to Orser, his current injury is not as serious.
Hanyu won men's Olympic gold in both Sochi and Pyeongchang, and is a two-time world champion.
