MOSCOW (AP) — Figure skating legend Evgeni Plushenko predicts that next month's Olympic figure skating competition in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will be the best ever.

Plushenko, who skates with the arrogant demeanor of a champion, seemed to be making a mockery of the controversy when he did an Elvis-like hip swivel after landing the quadruple-triple combination.

Both Plushenko and his coach, Alexei Mishin, have been on a soapbox about the quad, trying to sway opinion with the assertion that skaters who do not do one belong to a bygone age.

Once again, just as I predicted, Evgeni Plushenko is kicking up scandal at the Olympics. Just minutes before the men's figure skating competition was scheduled to start, Plushenko has pulled ...

Plushenko already did represent Russia here, though. The 2002, 2006 and 2010 Olympic medalist skated superbly in the short and free programs to help his country win gold in the inaugural Olympic ...

Evgeni Plushenko of Russia waves to spectators after he pulled out of the men's short program figure skating competition due to illness at the Iceberg Skating Palace, Feb. 13, 2014, in Sochi, Russia.

On Plushenko's website, he later reportedly displayed a mocked-up platinum medal next to the gold he won in Torino in 2006. Plushenko's website adds that he has only ever finished off the podium ...

Plushenko's technical marks, of course, were much higher, yet both he and Mishin seemed almost comically afraid of conceit. Perhaps they are driven by fear of a repeat of Salt Lake City.

Evgeni Plushenko, the decorated 31-year-old Russian has just withdrawn out of the Olympic men's figure skating competition. "This is the end of my career," Plushenko said. By Alexander Abad-Santos ...

Plushenko's competitors had already conceded the gold in these games after the short program, which he won by 10 points. But just in case anyone had any ideas, Plushenko quickly eliminated them ...

Plushenko competed sporadically after winning a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics. He won three national titles and a European championship, but did not go to worlds in any of those seasons.