YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) Daisuke Takahashi made his first public performance in almost one year on Saturday, shaking off the rust after returning from a right-knee injury.
Appearing in an ice show at the Shin-Yokohama Skate Center, the former world silver medalist drew a standing ovation from an enthusiastic crowd of about 2,000 fans.
He landed a triple flip as well as a Lutz, suggesting that he has fully recovered from an injury sustained in October last year in which he tore ligaments in his right knee.
"I received a lot of applause and I was moved that the fans had been waiting for me. I really enjoy skating in front of people," said Takahashi, who appeared to get an extra boost of confidence from his performance along side reigning world champion Evan Lysacek.
He added: "Once I return to competition, I'm sure there'll be an entirely different atmosphere but this was a good step toward my goal of winning the gold medal at next year's Vancouver Olympics."