【写真特集】ロシアフィギュアスケート界の「皇帝」プルシェンコ

Members of Russia gold medalist Yevgeni Plushenko (C) and Julia Lipnitskaia (L) celebrate on the podium during the Figure Skating Team Medal Ceremony at the Sochi medals plaza during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 10, 2014.(c)AFP/LOIC VENANCE

Accompanied by second-placed Takeshi Honda (L) of Japan and third-placed Li Chengjiang (R) of China, Evgeni Plushenko (C) of Russia shows his gold medal during the awarding ceremony for men's singles event in the NHK Trophy International Figure Skating competition in Sapporo, northern Japan, 06 December 1998.(c)AFP/TORU YAMANAKA

Evgeny Plushenko of Russian performs his short program during the World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki 23 March 1999. Plushenko took the first place.(c)AFP/PASCAL PAVANI

Russian European champion Evgeni Plushenko performs his short program during the World Figure Skating Championships in Nice 28 March 2000.(c)AFP/THOMAS COEX

Russian Evgeni Plushenko salutes the crowd 23 January 2001after the Men's short program of the European Figure Skating Championships in Bratislava. Plushenko took the lead of the competition after the short program.(c)AFP/JACQUES DEMARTHON

Russian Evgeni Plushenko performs 28 January 2001 during the Exhibition gala of the European Figure Skating Championships in Bratislava.(c)AFP/OLIVIER MORIN

Gold medal winner Evgeni Plushenko of Russia is garbed in muscle-bound, flesh-toned tights during the wrap up exhibition performance of the World Figure Skating Championships 25 March 2001 in Vancouver, Canada.(c)AFP/Kim STALLKNECHT

current world champion, 19-year-old Evgeni Plushenko performs the men's short program at the Olympic Ice Center, 12 February 2002 during the XIXth Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Plushenko fell during his program.(c)AFP/TIMOTHY A. CLARY

Timothy Goebel of the US(C), Russian Alexei Yagudin (C)and Evgeny Plushenko jubilate on the podium at the end of the men's free program at the Olympic Ice Center, 14 February 2002 during the XIXth Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Yagudin won the gold ahead of Plushenko and Goebel.(c)AFP/JOHN MACDOUGALL

Russia's Evgeni Plushenko performs during the men short program, 24 January 2003 at the European Figure Skating Championships in Malmo, southern Sweden.(c)AFP/JACQUES DEMARTHON

Russia's Evgeni Plushenko performs during the men free skating program, 25 January 2003 at the European Figure Skating Championships in Malmo, southern Sweden.(c)AFP/JACQUES DEMARTHON

Evgeni Plushenko celebrates his winning score in the Men's Free Skate at the 2003 World Figure Skating Championships 27 March, 2003 in Washington, DC.(c)AFP/STEPHEN JAFFE

Russian skater Evgeni Plushenko blows a kiss after winning the men single contest of the 17th Trophee Lalique ahead of Belgian Kevin Van Der Perren and US Michael Weiss, 15 November 2003 at the Palais-Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris.(c)AFP/PIERRE ANDRIEU

Evgeni Plushenko of Russia skates with the head of his costume during the Exhibition Program at the 2003 World Figure Skating Championships 30 March, 2003 at the MCI Center in Washington, DC.(c)AFP/Timothy A. CLARY

Two-time world champion Evgeni Plushenko of Russia performs in the Men's Short Program at the 2004 World Figure Skating Championships in Dortmund, 23 March 2004.(c)AFP/JACQUES DEMARTHON

Russian Evgeny Plushenko performs his free skating at the Cup of Russia ISU Grand Prix figure skating event in St.Petersburg, 26 November 2005. He won the gold medal of the competition.(c)AFP/YURI KADOBNOV

Gold medallist Russia's Evgeni Plushenko applauds as he celebrates on the podium after the Men Free skating program during the European Figure Skating Championships, 21 January 2006 in Lyon.(c)AFP/MARTIN BUREAU

Russia's Evgeni Plushenko lays on the ice after his performance in the Men Free skating program during the European Figure Skating Championships, 21 January 2006 in Lyon. Plushenko won the competition. (c)AFP/MARTIN BUREAU

Russia's Evgeni Plushenko clenches his fist after his performance in the men's short program during the Figure skating competition at the 2006 Winter Olympics, 14 February 2006 at the Palavela in Turin.(c)AFP/GOH CHAI HIN

Russia's Evgeni Plushenko poses on the podium after the Men's Free Skating program of the Figure skating competition at the 2006 Winter Olympics, 16 February 2006 at the Palavela in Turin. Plushenko won the gold medal.(c)AFP/YURI KADOBNOV

Torino figure skating Olympic Champion Russian Evgeni Plushenko passes by the Russian House in Guatemala City, 03 July 2007, where he came to support the candidacy of the Russian city Sochi to host the 2014 Winter Olympics Games at an IOC meeting in Guatemala. The International Olympic Committee is meeting here this week to choose between Salzburg (Austria), Pyeongchang (South Korea) and Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi as the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics.(c)AFP/NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA

Evgeny Plushenko of Russia performs his free program at the ISU Grand Prix Rostelecom Cup in Moscow on October 24, 2009. He won the first place.(c)AFP/YURI KADOBNOV

Russia's Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko performs in the Men's Short Program at the 2010 European Figure Skating Championships on January 20, 2010 in Tallinn.(c)AFP/YURI KADOBNOV

Russia's Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko is pictured at the end of his performance in the Men's Free Skating program at the 2010 European Figure Skating Championships on January 21, 2010 in Tallinn.(c)AFP/YURI KADOBNOV

Russia's Evgeny Plushenko competes in the men's 2010 Winter Olympics figure skating short program at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver on February 16, 2010.(c)AFP/VINCENZO PINTO

Gold medallist, US Evan Lysacek (C), poses on the podium, flanked by silver medallist, Russia's Evgeny Plushenko (L) and bronze medallist, Japan's Daisuke Takahashi, after performing in the Men's Figure skating free program at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 18, 2010.(c)AFP/YURI KADOBNOV

Evgeni Plushenko of Russia performs in the Mens free skate preliminary round during the European figure skating championships at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, north-west England on January 23, 2012.(c)AFP/ANDREW YATES

Evgeni Plushenko of Russia kisses his gold medal after winning the Men's Free Skating on day six of the ISU European Figure Skating Championships at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, north England, on January 28, 2012.(c)AFP/LEON NEAL

Russia's Yevgeny Plushenko performs during the Men's Figure Skating Team Short Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 6, 2014.(c)AFP/DAMIEN MEYER

Russia's Yevgeny Plushenko (C) celebrates with his team and his coach in the "kiss and cry" zone after performing in the Men's Figure Skating Team Short Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 6, 2014.(c)AFP/DARRON CUMMINGS

Russia's Yevgeni Plushenko performs the Men's Figure Skating Team Free Program at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 9, 2014.(c)AFP/DAMIEN MEYER

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) hands over a medal to figure skating icon Yevgeny Plushenko during an awarding ceremony for Russian athletes, winners of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, in Sochi, on February 24, 2014. (c)AFP/RIA-NOVOSTI / MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV