Yevgeny Plushenko, a former Olympic champion figure skater, has quit A Just Russia and started training for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
He said Friday that he was leaving politics and his seat in the St. Petersburg legislature because "it is impossible to prepare for the competition while engaging in politics."
The 2006 Olympic champion lost his eligibility for 2010 after participating in exhibitions without the permission of the Russian Figure Skating Federation. The International Skating Union restored Plushenko's amateur status in April, clearing the way for him to compete at the 2014 games.
Plushenko joined A Just Russia in 2006 and was elected to the St. Petersburg legislature in 2007.
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