Michigan skater Jeremy Abbott crashed hard in the opening rounds of the men’s figure skating in Sochi on Thursday, but what happened after his fall earned him a standing ovation.
Abbott, out to redeem himself after a spill in the team competition last week, tumbled again — hard. He crashed to the ice on his first jump and slid into the padded end boards, staying down for an extended period, clutching his right hip.
He looked like he wouldn't get up, and his coaches moved toward the entry door to the ice.
But Abbott, 28, struggled to his feet and, to the surprise of many and the applause of the crowd, resumed skating.
As the Iceberg Skating Palace crowd urged him on, Abbott somehow synced back up with his musical soundtrack and nailed the remainder of his jumps.
When his music stopped, the four-time champion drew a huge ovation from the fans.
Abbott ended with his face in a competitive snarl, then smiled, his head in his hands.
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He scored a 72.58, not nearly enough to come close to winning the short skate. But the score actually placed him in the early lead, with the field's top stars still to skate.
"The second I stood up and the crowd just started screaming, I had to finish," Abbott said afterward.
