Following the conclusion of the 2021 Russian national championships, the executive committee of the Russian Figure Skating Federation met to discuss and approve the entries for the 2021 World Championships and to consider options for new competitions in the first part of the New Year.
Russia can field two men, three ladies, three pairs and three ice dance teams to the 2021 World Championships, but only the winners of the 2021 national championships were automatically named to the World team. The remaining places will be determined at a later date. Confirmed skaters on the World team are:
Mikhail Kolyada, Anna Shcherbakova, Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov, Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin
With the European and World Junior Championships cancelled and the uncertainty of whether the 2021 World Championships will actually take place — the International Skating Union (ISU) will meet on Jan. 28 to make a final decision — the Russian federation has announced it will look into other options to keep its skaters engaged and competitive.
Federation president Alexander Gorshkov said the organization is considering an alternate plan for three additional senior and junior competitions that would take place in February and March. “In the interests of our coaches and athletes, the federation is doing everything so that athletes have the opportunity to compete.”
Renowned pairs coach Tamara Moskvina attended the meeting and said she believes the executive committee has made the right decision in this regard. “In the current situation, which is dictated by the difficult epidemiological situation as well as the cancellation of the European Championships, there is a very long break between the Russian Championships and Worlds. Athletes will be given the opportunity to show their increased or vice versa skills. The fact that the federation is additionally looking for an opportunity and plans to hold additional competitions is very cool.”
A team event, the Channel One Figure Skating Cup, has now been confirmed and is scheduled to take place Feb. 5-7 in Moscow.
The Russian federation is also planning to host an international junior competition in early March. The 2021 Russian Junior Championships take place Feb. 3 – 5 in Krasnoyarsk.
