Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko gestures during a warm-up of the Men’s Figure Skating Short Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the Sochi Winter Olympics. AFP PHOTO
SOCHI, Russia: Russia reeled from the shock retirement of figure skating superstar Yevgeny Plushenko on Friday as the grueling men’s super-combined ski event was set to take center stage at the Sochi Olympics.