Uno Shoma set to go for ISU World Figure Skating Championships despite injury scare
A night after tweaking his right ankle, the reigning world champion goes through the motions and looks set for the men's short program in Saitama, Japan.
Figure Skating
Men's world champion Uno Shoma shook off a right-ankle training injury and is ready to start the ISU World Figure Skating Championships on Thursday (23 March).
A day earlier, Uno fell on a quadruple Salchow at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, cutting his session short and needing medical attention after coming off the ice.
The Japan Skating Federation said Uno, who had to be helped up by Keegan Messing, aggravated an issue he already had in the ankle.
But Uno went through his full routine during Thursday's practise. He did not appear to be in pain or favouring his ankle, working out for the entire 30 minutes.
It remains to be seen how Uno will fare as he has not had the greatest of build-ups to these championships on home soil.
On Tuesday, the 25-year-old was brutally honest about his current form, saying his jumps were the worst they've been all season.
"I was fine until about two weeks ago but last week it became terrible," the three-time Olympic medallist said. "[This season] I’ve been competing like I’ve been practising which is good, but now since I’m not practising well I don’t feel great about my chances here.
"I usually know what’s wrong but from last week, I’m making the same mistakes over and over. I’ve been tinkering and experimenting but I don’t get the feeling things are going to change. I’m beginning to think I need to rely on sheer luck or do what I can with what I’ve got."
Uno did, however, skate better in his second practise on Tuesday evening, but had fallen once and doubled his troublesome quad flip during Wednesday's session before his injury-inducing crash.