European figure skating champion Evgeny Plushenko feels good after an operation on his knee in Germany, he said Thursday.
Plushenko skated through the pain of a knee injury to win his seventh European title last month, putting off much-needed surgery for his first international competition since winning silver at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
The 29-year-old can continue with his high-profile comeback to the sport after having surgery on his meniscus cartilage in Munich, but he will not recover in time for next week's world championships in Nice, France.
“They've done the operation, I feel good! I love you all,” Plushenko said on Twitter.
Plushenko returned to domestic competition in December, winning the Russian national championships in Saransk against largely unheralded opponents with an untidy performance.
He had been absent from the international circuit since Vancouver due to a disqualification over a breach of amateur competition rules and various injuries.
He received special dispensation from the International Skating Union to take part in the European championships in Sheffield, England, after failing to accrue enough points in competition this season to qualify.
Plushenko has said his recovery from surgery will take a month.
