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ISU rules to relocate 2022/2023 Figure Skating Grand Prix stage from Russia to Finland

The new schedule stipulates that Finland’s Espoo would host the championship’s stage between November 25 and 27, while England’s Sheffield will organize the international figure skating Grand Prix stage event between November 11 and 13

MOSCOW, July 11. /TASS/. The International Skating Union (ISU) decided to relocate its initially planned stages of the 2022/2023 ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix tournament from Russia and China to Finland and UK correspondingly, the press office of the organization announced on Monday.

The new schedule stipulates that Finland’s Espoo would host the championship’s stage between November 25 and 27, while England’s Sheffield will organize the international figure skating Grand Prix stage event between November 11 and 13.

Besides Finland and UK, the six stages of the 2022/2023 ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix tournament will be hosted by the United States, Canada, France and Japan. The final of the tournament is set to be hosted by Italy’s Turin between December 8 and 11.

In early June, the International Skating Union (ISU) decided at its Congress to extend the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions until further notice.

On March 1, the International Skating Union announced a decision to provisionally suspend all athletes from Russia and Belarus. The suspension was enforced in regard to figure skating, speed skating and short-track speed skating competitions. Russia was scheduled to host 2022 ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix on November 25-27.

In late April, the Council of the International Skating Union (ISU) canceled Russia’s stage of the 2022/2023 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series.

The ISU also confirmed in its statement at the time that "Until further notice no Skaters belonging to the ISU Members in Russia (Russian Skating Union and the Figure Skating Federation of Russia) and Belarus (Skating Union of Belarus) shall be invited or allowed to participate in International Competitions, including ISU Championships and other ISU Events."

On February 28, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments referring to a special military operation in Ukraine.

Following the IOC recommendations in late February, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.