Plushenko allowed in skating championships

A Russian skating official said Evgeny Plushenko has been cleared to participate in next month's European figure skating championships in Sheffield, England. Alexander Gorshkov, the head of the Russian Figure Skating Federation, said Plushenko, 29, was initially denied entry in the competition due to International Skating Union rules requiring competitors to have at least one reasonable performance in preceding international events, RIA Novosti reported Friday. However, Gorshkov said Plushenko, who won the European figure skating championships six times and won the silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games, was granted a place at the Jan. 23-29 event after filing an appeal with the ISU. Plushenko, who won the Russian national championships Monday, said he will undergo surgery for a knee injury after the European championships.