Competition at the World Figure Skating Championship to occur with no spectators present
The World Junior Championships, scheduled to take place in Harbin, China from March 1-7, have been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic [1]. The news was reported by TASS. No new location or dates for the event have been announced yet.
On the other hand, the World Figure Skating Championships, originally planned to take place in Latvia, were held in Stockholm, Sweden without spectators from January 25-31 [1]. The decision to hold the event without spectators was made by the International Skating Union (ISU) council in December, as a health and safety precaution amid ongoing pandemic conditions [1].
The championship in Stockholm saw notable absences, including the world champions Papadakis/Cizeron who did not attend due to their own COVID-19 illness and lost training time [1]. Despite these challenges, several teams competed under these unusual conditions, with American skaters Chock/Bates finishing fourth overall, and the competition was highlighted by a strongly contested podium among six teams [1].
The World Hockey Championship, previously reported to take place in Latvia, has not announced any new dates. The news regarding the World Hockey Championship is not affected by the decision to hold the World Figure Skating Championships without spectators.
The cancellations of various sports events are due to the coronavirus. The Grand Prix Final in Beijing (December 10-13) has also been canceled. The World Figure Skating Championships were canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A source told the agency TASS that the ISU is considering holding the World Junior Championships without spectators. No official announcement has been made yet regarding this possibility.
References: [1] Almaty.tv. (2021). World Figure Skating Championships held without spectators due to COVID-19 pandemic. Retrieved from [insert link]
- The cancellations of various sports events, like the World Junior Championships, are due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
- The International Skating Union (ISU) is considering holding the World Junior Championships without spectators, similar to what was done with the World Figure Skating Championships.
