 Russia Stripped of Hosting Grand Prix Figure Skating Event Due to the Invasion in Ukraine
Russia and Belarus will no longer take part in the most prestigious international figure skating competition next season.
Russia will not be allowed to host international skating events and has been stripped of figure skating’s Rostelecom Cup because of the country’s war in Ukraine, the International Skating Union (ISU) said Monday. “Until further notice no international competitions shall be held in Russia and Belarus. Consequently, the Rostelecom Cup 2022 in figure skating will not be included in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series of the season 2022/23,” the ISU said in a statement. As a result, the ISU is looking for a replacement host for the Rostelecom Cup, scheduled to take place in late November. “The council reaffirms its solidarity with all those affected by the conflict and reiterates its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms,” the ISU said. The Rostelecom Cup has been one of the six Grand Prix Series events every season with Russia’s best skaters taking part. Competing in this cup is one of the qualifying events for the most exclusive annual figure skating competition, the Grand Prix Final. Russia and Belarus have also been barred from attending the 2022 ISU Congress and will not be allowed to stand for elections to any of the positions, the ISU said. The last Rostelecom Cup was held in Sochi where 15-year-old Kamila Valieva won the women’s event. She later faced a doping scandal at the Beijing Olympics. The International Olympics Committee has encouraged governing bodies to ban Russian and Belarussian athletes, officials, teams, and event hosts from world sports since the attack on Ukraine on February 24.