Illinois' Jason Brown Advances To Figure Skating Final

Highland Park native Jason Brown isn't done skating yet.

Brown scored an 86.00 Thursday on a technically proficient routine that placed him sixth in the men's short program and among a handful of contenders in a tight race for bronze.

Skating to Prince's “The Question of U,” Brown wore a costume with a bedazzled Love Symbol on his back, and his routine was as passionate as fans have come to expect.

The 19-year-old is attempting to become the youngest Olympic men's figure skating medalist since Viktor Petrenko in 1988 and will skate in the last group on Friday.

His performance came after a dramatic start to the competition with Russian Evgeni Plushenko withdrawing seconds before he was to begin his short-skate routine, clutching his surgically repaired back. He later announced he would retire from competitive figure skating.

Michigan skater Jeremy Abbott fell hard on an attempted quadruple toe loop, yet finished the routine.

Abbott 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.

He performed quite well, hitting the rest of his elements and scoring 72.58.