OSAKA, Japan — Yuzuru Hanyu’s name was called at practice on Friday morning, and his music, Chopin’s Ballade No. 1, began playing over the public address system. There was only one problem. Hanyu, of Japan, the reigning men’s Olympic figure skating champion and the sport’s biggest star, was nowhere to be seen.

On Thursday at training, Hanyu had sustained ligament damage to his right ankle during an awkward landing of a four-revolution jump. On Friday night, he was scheduled to compete in an important pre-Olympic competition, the NHK Trophy. But little seems to happen without drama and a sense of crisis in figure skating.

Word spread early Friday that Hanyu, 22, would try to practice in the morning. If his ankle felt stable, he would compete in the evening. His fans, who follow him obsessively, began to gather hours ahead of the short program. Ina Oprisi, the manager of a medical equipment company, had traveled all the way from Romania, even with a ticket only to an exhibition performance on Sunday.

“I’m checking my watch every five minutes” for updates on Hanyu’s condition, she said.

Japanese reporters and photographers staked out the entrances to Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium. The waiting was futile. Hanyu did not show up. He was receiving medical treatment, the Japanese Skating Federation said. He still hoped to compete in the evening. Anticipation reached a fever pitch.