Jeremy Abbott Has Nasty Fall During Short Program, Finishes Like a Champ

Despite the absence of Russian star Evgeni Plushenko, the men's figure skating short program was not lacking for drama.

American Jeremy Abbott, took a nasty fall while attempting a quadruple toe loop during his skate.

[H/T to The Big Lead for the GIFs]

Abbott stayed on the ground for several seconds before getting up, in obvious pain, and finishing his routine as the crowd cheered on.

Getting back up has been a constant theme throughout the Winter Olympics, whether it be on the halfpipe or the ski trail. Such is the nature of sports that involve ice. But its how the athletes rebound that can determine whether they go home in disappointment or secure a place on the medal stand. Last week Abbott also fell during the team competition, but the U.S. still rallied to win a bronze. And once again he managed to recover from this mistake today to record a solid score of 72.58 going into the free skate on Friday night.

If Abbott can record a flawless run there to earn a medal, he'll have achieved one of the more resilient Olympic showings in recent memory.