Canadian figure skating icon Elvis Stojko is recovering after suffering a head injury during a Stars on Ice performance in Hamilton, Ontario, on Sunday.
According to The Hamilton Spectactor, the show was being filmed for an upcoming television special, and while recreating one of his routines for a TV “retake,” the 45-year-old Olympian caught one of his skate blades on the ice. This caused him to fall and strike his head on the ice.
“It was a section when I do a slide,” Stojko told The Spectator from Toronto, where he is currently recovering. “The ice was pretty chewed up from the skating. I caught the edge, it turned me the other way and shot my feet right over my head.”
WATCH BELOW: World Champion figure skater Elvis Stojko returns to the ice
After the accident occurred, Stojko said he tried to downplay his injury so as not to alarm fans in attendance at the show, which took place at Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre.
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“I didn’t want people freaked out,” he said. “People were there to enjoy themselves, not see that kind of thing. I scraped my head along the ice when it happened, so I had blood on my hands. I don’t want people to worry. Tell them I’m fine, I’m recovering.”
Meanwhile, Stojko wants to let everyone know that the injury wasn’t serious, and he’ll be back on the ice soon.
“I’m a bit dizzy, but I’m fine,” he said, adding that he has “a protocol I have to follow. But I’ve got three days to get back. The big thing is to let people know that I’m OK.”
Organizers of the show released a statement on Sunday addressing the incident.
“…Mr. Stojko was assisted off the ice, but under his own power,” notes the statement, as reported by CBC News. “An ambulance took him to Juravinski Hospital for evaluation. He was accompanied by his wife Gladys and the tour physiotherapist. Doctors at Juravinski Hospital diagnosed Mr. Stojko as concussion-free, at which point he was released.”
WATCH BELOW: Canadian Figure Skater Elvis Stojko
Fellow figure skater Kurt Browning, who also performed at the show, told CBC News that Stojko should make a full recovery.
“Elvis and the tour decided to just give him another day to recover from the fall,” said Browning. “The doctor gave him the all clear, but safety first. He should be fine and we look forward to his return.”
A number of fans reached out on social media to wish Stojko a rapid recovery:
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