It is no secret that during an Olympic year, the figure skating World Championships tend to take a backseat. However, this year’s figure skating world championships might underwhelm even the staunchest fans due to tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

With the Russian Federation’s war on Ukraine, several global sporting federations across the world banned Russian athletes. This came after the Internation Olympic Committee requested federations to do so after Russia broke the Olympic truce.

Consequently, the women and pairs division at the figure skating World Championships is going to feel bereft of a lot of talent.

2022 World Figure Skating Championships will have a changed landscape after exclusion of athletes from Russia

Earlier this year, the Russian Federation broke the Olympic truce and waged war on Ukraine. Consequently, the International Olympic Committee recommended the exclusion of Russian athletes from global sporting events.

Thus, there will certainly be a different landscape at the World Figure Skating Championships this year. Especially, in the women’s division, which will be affected the most owing to the ban on Russian athletes.

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Firstly, in the pairs division, the second, third, and fourth place winners in Beijing were all Russian pairs. On the other hand, in the men’s field, only the eighth, fifteenth, and nineteenth place finishers will be missing due to the ban.

However, it is the women’s division that will see the most missing stars. Defending world and Olympic champion Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova (Beijing silver medalist) will both be missing this year.

After Controversial Olympics, Russian Figure Skaters Face Huge Setback at World Championships Due to the Ongoing Global Crisis

In fact, even Kamila Valieva, the Olympic fourth-place finisher will not be competing. Valieva was at the center of controversy after testing positive for banned substances ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The long-lasting consequences of the ban on Russian athletes

It is not just the 2022 season that could see Russian athletes be absent from the skating field. In fact, the ban could have truly long-lasting effects for years to come.

Not only 2022, but the next four years of figure skating could see Russian athletes struggle to compete. Currently, there are, on average, three to four athletes from Russia per skating discipline.

Moreover, even if the IOC removes the ban on Russia this year, they will still only be able to compete with a single entrant per skating discipline. This is because the outcomes of the 2022 World Championships will determine the allotment of slots for the next championships.

Furthermore, skaters from across the world will enjoy increased opportunities as more slots open up for them. Thus, the future of Russian athletes truly hangs in the balance, not just in figure skating, but all major sports in the world.

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