Adelina Sotnikova, the Olympic figure-skating champion, will not be able to defend her title at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, because of an injury, her coach says.
Russia’s R-Sport agency quoted Yevgeny Plushenko on August 27 as saying Sotnikova “will not compete in the upcoming season because of an ankle injury."
"We were hoping she would overcome this injury quickly, but everything went the wrong way,” he added. “It would be completely wrong to turn up for competitions in such a situation."
The 21-year-old Sotnikova won the Olympic gold at the 2014 Sochi Games, but she hasn't competed in major championships since then because of injuries and an intense schedule of professional performances and television appearances.