Russian figure skating icon Yevgeny Plushenko said Wednesday that he has firm intentions to compete at his fifth Olympic Games at Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018, local media reported.
"Everythig that has been broken (in my body) is now fixed," ITAR-TASS news agency quoted the two-time Olympic champion as saying.
"I'll try to compete at fifth Olympics and to do that with dignity."
Earlier this year the 31-year-old pulled out of the men's individual competition at his home Olympics Games in Sochi because of a back problem after winning gold in the team event.
Plushenko, who has won also Olympic silver medals in 2002 and 2010, announced his retirement after the 2014 Winter Olympics.
In April, the three-time world and seven-time European champion Plushenko underwent successful back surgery in an Israeli clinic.
After that the Russian figure skating federation included Plushenko into the provisional line-up for the national squad next season.
"In case Yevgeny wants to continue in amateur sport he, without a doubt, has the right to do so," figure skating chief Alexander Gorshkov commented.
"His performance at the Sochi Games team competitions proved he's capable of doing it at a very high level."
Plushenko took a break of two years after winning the Turin gold in 2006 and again after taking silver in Vancouver four years later.
Source: AFP