Four days after being praised as a hero for helping Russia win its first gold at the Sochi Olympics, Evgeni Plushenko was taking criticism Friday for dropping out of the mens figure skating. Plushenkos strong performance in the team event brought wide accolades for his determination to overcome injury. But on Thursday he withdrew before the mens short program, complaining of severe spinal pain during the warmup. Plushenko was Russias only men singles skater in Sochi. He won the slot in a closed exhibition skate that cut out Maxim Kovtun, who beat him in the Russian nationals. Among his critics was longtime rival Alexei Yagudin, the 2002 Olympic gold medalist. He told the R-Sport news agency he supports "people who go to the end." "I think Zhenya will understand my words," he said, using the familiar version of Plushenkos name. "We always competed through the pain." The choice of Plushenko as the sole Russian man was debatable. Although he was the dominant skater the past 15 years, with an Olympic gold and two silvers before coming to Sochi, he is 31-years-old and underwent back surgery a year ago. When he was selected, advocates argued his long international experience made him a stronger choice than the 18-year-old Kovtun. Decision comes under fire But that came under sharp questioning Friday. "You should go when its time," Ruslan Nugmatullin, a former Russian national soccer goalkeeper said on Twitter. "Kovtun earned the right to participate in Sochi2014." Alexei Urmanov, the 1994 Olympic gold-medal winner, suggested that Plushenkos hubris backfired. "Its on the conscience of Zhenya, the team and the federation," he was quoted by R-Sport. To some politicians, Plushenkos withdrawal was a blow to Russias national pride. "Perform through the pain for the honor of the country," Igor Lebedev, a parliament member from the nationalist Liberal Democrats, said on Twitter. Elena Vaitsekhovskaya, the figure skating correspondent for Russias Sport-Express newspaper, seemed weary not only of the intrigue behind Plushenkos selection but also of the appearances of his flamboyant wife, Yana Rudkovskaya, in the mixed zone to support him. "All of this was reminiscent of an incompetently directed stage show," she wrote. "It became harder and harder to sympathize with the athlete." "The one-man show in Sochi has concluded. Real sport has begun," she said in the newspapers Friday edition. But more complaints may still come. "After Sochi, the federation will have to answer for its choice," nationalist lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky said. Orlando Cepeda Jersey . Klein went undrafted in the NFL last year following his senior season with the Wildcats. He was invited to the Houston Texans rookie camp, but was not offered a contract. Dale Murphy Jersey . 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A native of Trencin, Slovakia, Gaborik has represented his country at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics but was unable to play in Sochi because of his injury.St. Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Jared Spurgeon and Mikko Koivu scored 1:55 apart in the third period to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kyle Brodziak had a second-period goal and Darcy Kuemper made 34 saves for the Wild, who snapped a four-game losing streak at home and picked up just their second win in their last eight games overall. Jonathan Bernier stopped 26 shots for Toronto, which fell to 2-4-0 on its seven-game trip. The Maple Leafs entered the third down a goal, but Cody Franson scored on a 5- on-3 power play to tie it up. Franson beat Kuemper on a one-timer from the high slot at the 2:37 mark. Minnesota regained the lead when Spurgeon ripped a slap shot from the right circle past Bernier at 7:23. Koivu then scored a poower-play goal off a pass from Thomas Vanek at 9:18.dddddddddddd Bernier robbed Vanek with a sprawling save in a scoreless first period. Mike Santorelli appeared to score a power-play goal at 7:45 of the second period, but the tally was waved off because David Clarkson made contact with Kuemper in the crease. A short time later, the Wild grabbed the lead. Brodziak had a pass or shot from Charlie Coyle deflect in off his left skate at 10:14. Game Notes Coyle had two assists ... Minnesota defenseman Jonas Brodin rejoined the lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury ... Toronto forward Nazem Kadri missed Fridays game with a lower-body injury ... The Maple Leafs conclude their trek Saturday in Winnipeg. ' ' '