Montpellier 2022

[Elka]

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.""

 

[MarieM]

I sure hope they'll have no visas. In figure skating AND all other sports.

 

[TAHbKA]

The Worlds are 3 weeks away. By then our little human brains will no longer be focused in Ukraine and only @airgelaal and @reut will be in awe how do we go to the competition, how do we not mind cheering for the Russians and the rest of us will be saying `but it's not the skaters' fault!'
Just the way the human brain works - 3 weeks is too long to focus...

 

[Aussie Willy]

Agree. Also should ban their coaches, team officials, tech panel members, judges. Even Old Lakernik himself.

Yes totally agree. It has to everyone.

 

[reut]

IOC EB recommends no participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials​

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-e...russian-and-belarusian-athletes-and-officials

1. In order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants, the IOC EB recommends that International Sports Federations and sports event organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.
2. Wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB strongly urges International Sports Federations and organisers of sports events worldwide to do everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus be allowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus. Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it as individuals or teams, should be ccepted only as neutral athletes or neutral teams. No national symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be displayed.

P.S. Russian journalists AFAIK got their Worlds' accreditation requests approved.

 

[Debbie S]

IOC EB recommends no participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials​

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-e...russian-and-belarusian-athletes-and-officials


P.S. Russian journalists AFAIK got their Worlds' accreditation requests approved.

Of course. 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.

 

[TAHbKA]

IOC EB recommends no participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials​

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-e...russian-and-belarusian-athletes-and-officials


P.S. Russian journalists AFAIK got their Worlds' accreditation requests approved.

Just that they have no flights to reach France.
Assume the accreditations were approved before 25/2 anyway?

 

[reut]

Just that they have no flights to reach France.
Assume the accreditations were approved before 25/2 anyway?

Lesik got today.
https://t.me/kostyalesik/1794

 

[Mme Bovary]

Just that they have no flights to reach France.
Assume the accreditations were approved before 25/2 anyway?

Not a huge issue still. There are currently flights from Moscow to Minsk (I don’t think the EU has banned flight from Belarus yet, have they?), Dubai and Belgrade. Belgrade is basically en route to France.

 

[Karen-W]

There is more than enough time for the ISU to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from almost all upcoming World Championships in sports/disciplines under its umbrella, but especially FS and Synchro Worlds.

March 3-6 - World Speed Skating - Hamar NOR
March 4-6 - World Jr Short Track - Gdansk POL
March 17-19 - World Jr Synchro - Innsbruck AUT
March 18-20 - World Short Track - Montreal CAN
March 21-27 - World Figure - Montpellier FRA
April 4-7 - World Synchro - Hamilton CAN
TBD - World Jr Figure

The only ones that might be a problem are the ones this week, assuming the Russian and Belarusian athletes have already arrived in Hamar and Gdansk. The rest, there is ZERO excuse for the ISU to allow their participation under any circumstances and this is the point at which fans need to organize, speak up and shame the ISU into banning them.

 

[carriecmu0503]

Not a huge issue still. There are currently flights from Moscow to Minsk (I don’t think the EU has banned flight from Belarus yet, have they?), Dubai and Belgrade. Belgrade is basically en route to France.

It will be a huge issue if France does what they should do, and denies/ cancels visas to anyone from Russia or Belarus!

 

[Mme Bovary]

It will be a huge issue if France does what they should do, and denies/ cancels visas to anyone from Russia or Belarus!

It will be a very interesting few weeks 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

 

[hanca]

They can still fly to Istanbul as well as to Tblisi, Baku, Yerevan, and other points south/southeast. They might not be able to fly directly from Moscow or St Petersburg to France but there are still options.

Like hiring a mini bus and driving.

 

[Elka]

AFAIK Russians pulled out from Hamar due to travel restrictions.

 

[kwanfan1818]

AFAIK Russians pulled out from Hamas due to travel restrictions.

Now that's an interesting typo .

 

[Elka]

Now that's an interesting typo .

Spell check actually. It was even difficult to correct. It just changed back all the time. As someone who has worked in a Norwegian company for 10 years I would not make such a typo without help from the spell check.

I hope though that the Russians would pull out of the H----like behaviour.

 

[Debbie S]

Well, if the Russians pulled out of....wherever....due to travel problems, getting to France won't be any easier than getting to Norway. Or maybe short-track doesn't mean as much to them as figure skating.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Tweet from Jackie Wong

 

[Sylvia]

Jackie's tweet says:

There is an email circulating w/in the French skating world from Nathalie Pechalat: French government will announce "in the coming hours" that "until further notice, no Russian or Belarusian club or athlete will be able to participate in a competition in France"

I believe Roxana Maracineanu, France's Ministre déléguée chargée des Sports, was leading meetings with the heads of French sports bodies this weekend.

Skate Austria is the first figure skating federation that I know of to publish a public statement (this news was first posted in the thread in the Other Sports forum): https://www.instagram.com/p/CahuNSqqHCM/

The Austrian Figure Skating Federation – Skate Austria strongly condemns Russia's violation of international law through its attack on and invasion of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. This must be condemned and sanctions have to follow, also in sports.

It is Skate Austria’s opinion that Russian and Belarusian athletes should not participate in international sport events outside Russia and Belarus, and that Russian and Belarusian sports leaders should be suspended from their international positions.

Skate Austria will not send any athletes or officials to events scheduled in Belarus and Russia.

Skate Austria will try its utmost to support especially the skating family in Ukraine.

#ukraine #westandwithukraine #stopwar #SkateAustria #FigureSkating

 

[jiejie]

UEFA and FIFA have just banned Russian club and national teams from their competitions until further notice. That's heavy-hitting from the sports world. ISU, are you awake yet? Read the room...

 

[Winnipeg]

South Africa was banned for years due to Apartheid.

I would certainly hope Russian and Belarussian athletes et al be banned for an unprovoked war on an innocent neighboring country.

 

[firstflight]

UEFA and FIFA have just banned Russian club and national teams from their competitions until further notice. That's heavy-hitting from the sports world. ISU, are you awake yet? Read the room...

I was just about to post something similar. Now that FIFA has gone, the pressure on all the other sports to follow is huge. If the ISU holds out, it will just seem craven and beholden to Russia.

 

[clairecloutier]

Just the fact that many people instantly assume the ISU will cancel/move Worlds to please Russia says a lot about the state of the sport right now.

 

[Winnipeg]

Well, ISU, if the shoe fits.............

 

[MichaelK]

deleted, was already posted

 

[sk9tingfan]

I was just about to post something similar. Now that FIFA has gone, the pressure on all the other sports to follow is huge. If the ISU holds out, it will just seem craven and beholden to Russia.

Phil Hersh's tweet to the ISU:

https://twitter.com/olyphil/status/1498350888716484608

 

[Karen-W]

I'd say the chances of Russian and Belarusian athletes being allowed into either Austria or France for the upcoming World Jr Synchros or World Figure Skating Championships is about 1% right now and that might even be high. Same for Canada but we haven't seen or heard anything from the Canadian government yet or the feds.

 

[Alilou]

Just the fact that many people instantly assume the ISU will cancel/move Worlds to please Russia says a lot about the state of the sport right now.

It's because the ISU head of FS is Russian 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 ???????

 

[ostile17]

UEFA and FIFA have just banned Russian club and national teams from their competitions until further notice. That's heavy-hitting from the sports world. ISU, are you awake yet? Read the room...

And therefore together with Belarus they are out of the 2022 World Cup

 

[ilovesalchows]

If they don't attend worlds this year, does that mean no spots for next year, assuming they are allowed to send athletes?