MOSCOW - Olympic figure skating champion Yevgeny Plushenko will make a comeback next season after taking a year off from competition, his coach Alexei Mishin said on Saturday.

Evgeni Plushenko from Russia performs to win gold in men's figure skating at the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy February 16, 2006. [Reuters]

The 24-year-old Russian, widely regarded as most gifted skater of his generation, has not competed since winning the men's title at the Turin Olympics 12 months ago.

"Yevgeny has decided to resume his amateur skating career," Mishin told a news conference at the national cup event in Tver.

Many felt Plushenko would retire following his gold-medal performance in Turin where he outclassed the opposition to win the only title he was missing from his sporting resume.

"I think he was missing that competitive spirit, the drive," Mishin said. "I think he feels quite capable of regaining the top rankings he has held for so many years."

The coach did not say whether Plushenko, who has also won three world and five European titles, intended to carry on until the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.