TOKYO (AP) — Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu will sit out his first scheduled competition this season because of back pain.
Hanyu was to take part in the Finlandia Trophy from Oct. 10-12 in Espoo, Finland, but will skip it, tournament organizers said on Tuesday.
Hanyu withdrew on the advice of his doctor, tournament organizers said in a Facebook post.
The 19-year-old Hanyu plans to compete in two International Skating Union events this season — the Cup of China and the NHK Trophy in Osaka, Japan, both in November — but decided to sit out the Finlandia meet as a precaution. He hurt his back last week.
Hanyu won the Finlandia Trophy in 2012 and 2013.
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