Yesterday at 17:00 local time:
"The head of the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKR), Alexander Gorshkov, said that the Russian team plans to participate in the World Championships in Montpellier, France.
Earlier it became known that France closes its airspace to Russian aircraft and airlines in connection with the situation in Ukraine.
“I think this is not the last news for us. Closer to the World Cup, we will think about how to get to the venue, we will look for all the alternatives.
We do not plan to withdraw, there are no such thoughts, ”Gorshkov said.""
"The head of the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKR), Alexander Gorshkov, said that the Russian team plans to participate in the World Championships in Montpellier, France.
Earlier it became known that France closes its airspace to Russian aircraft and airlines in connection with the situation in Ukraine.
“I think this is not the last news for us. Closer to the World Cup, we will think about how to get to the venue, we will look for all the alternatives.
We do not plan to withdraw, there are no such thoughts, ”Gorshkov said.""
The wording basically gives the ISU and other feds an out....i.e. "organizational reasons." So Russian skaters and officials will be at Worlds as "Russian Skating Federation" (or whatever) instead of Russia (does the ISU have its own anthem?). Toothless as usual.
On a very prosaic level, a Worlds without Russian women would be so much more interesting to watch. But talking about skating just seems so trivial right now
.
which is why Russia has so much politik power in the organization, and the reason I guess, that people think the ISU will cancel or postpone worlds. Will Lakernik ban his own country ???????