Hanyu Yuzuru withdraws from 2022 Worlds due to injury

Hanyu Yuzuru will not take part in the forthcoming ISU World Figure Skating Championships in France, it has been announced.

The two-time Olympic champion, who won gold at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 before finishing fourth at the recent Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, has not recovered from an ankle injury sustained in Beijing 2022 practice.

The Japan Skating Federation today confirmed in a statement that "(Hanyu's) sprain of the right ankle joint injured at the Beijing Olympics has not been completely healed," adding that Miura Kao would replace Hanyu in Montpellier.

The 2022 World Figure Skating Championships will take place from 21 to 27 March.

Hanyu previously told media the injury would sideline him.

"I've been told to rest (the ankle). First I will rest and then take it from there," he had said after the Beijing 2022 exhibition gala – at which he had a memorable moment with Games mascot Bing Dwen Dwen.

Hanyu sustained the ankle injury in practice, trying the historic quadruple Axel – which he fell on in the free program in Beijing.

"The sprain was worse than I initially thought. Any other competition and I would have definitely pulled out," he explained in a press conference called a few days after his free skate.

His right ankle had already been the source of constant injury concerns in the months leading up to Beijing.

"The doctor told me I need to rest it for 10 days. It's that bad. It hurt so badly during morning practice the day of competition that I even thought about pulling out," he admitted.

However, the 27-year-old went ahead with his free routine, in which he under-rotated the quad Axel and fell, though it was the closest he'd come to completion in either competition or practice.

So what comes next for