Russia, China dropped from figure skating Grand Prix calendar
FILE–Russia’s Anastasia Skoptcova and Kirill Aleshin perform during the Exhibition Gala at the Rostelecom Cup 2021 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Sochi on November 28, 2021. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)
Russia has been dropped as a figure skating Grand Prix host and Russian and Belarusian skaters banned, the International Skating Union (ISU) said as it announced the 2022-3 program on Thursday.
The Chinese event was also scratched from the calendar for the second straight year.
“Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the deteriorating Covid-19 sanitary situation in China, the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Rostelecom Cup (RUS) and the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Cup of China cannot be held as planned,” said the ISU statement.
“Replacement solutions are to be found.”
The statement added that “following the IOC recommendation….no skaters belonging to the ISU Members in Russia and Belarus shall be invited or allowed to participate in International ice skating competitions.”
The Grand Prix events are the most important in figure skating outside the Olympics and the World and European Championships.
The Rostelecom Cup, formerly the Cup of Russia, had been held every year since 1996. It moved to Sochi for the first time last season.
The China Cup was added to the Grand Prix schedule in 2003 in Beijing. Both the men’s and women’s events moved to Chongqing in 2019 and 2020 and were due to be held in the city last year.
The calendar announcement on Thursday contains seven slots, although the ISU is still searching for a host for the fourth event.
Figure Skating, 2022-23 Grand Prix Calendar
21-23 October, Skate America, Norwood, Massachusetts
28-30 October, Skate Canada, Mississauga, Ontario
4-6 November, French International, Angers (FRA)
11-13 November, city to be determined
18-20 November, NHK Trophy, Sapporo, Japan
25-27 November, Finnish Grand Prix, Espoo
8-11 December, Final in Turin, Italy
