Foot injury rules Medvedeva out of figure skating worlds

MOSCOW » Olympic figure skating silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva has withdrawn from the world championships, ending the prospect of another showdown against friend and rival Alina Zagitova.

The Russian Figure Skating Federation said that Medvedeva has a recurrence of the foot injury that kept her out of the Grand Prix Finals in December. The withdrawal makes Zagitova the clear favorite for gold at the March 21-25 championships in Milan.

During the Olympics in South Korea last month, Medvedeva said the injury didn’t bother her as she lost to Zagitova by 1.31 points for the gold medal, but the federation now says otherwise.

“She had to fight painful sensations while skating at the Olympics. After returning from Korea, pain in the foot increased,” the federation said in a statement.