Russia's Olympic figure skating medallists to miss worlds

[CCRomeo]

Russia's Olympic figure skating medallists to miss worlds. None of Russia's Olympic medallists will compete at this month's world figure skating championships in the Canadian city of Calgary.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=sportsNews&storyid=2006-03-02T161324Z_01_L02295502_RTRUKOC_0_US-FIGURE-SKATING-RUSSIA.xml

[CCRomeo]

Worlds await RSVP from Russians

By ANGELA MACISAAC -- Calgary Sun


Organizers expect to hear today if Olympic gold-medallist Shizuka Arakawa and Russian superstars Evgeni Plushenko and Irina Slutskaya are coming to Calgary for this month's world figure skating championships.

Plushenko, men's gold medallist and three-time world champion, and Turin bronze medallist Slutskaya would be highlights of the event, scheduled for March 20-26 at the Saddledome.

Arakawa was the surprise winner in the women's program in Turin. She captured Japan's first Olympic figure skating title.

Among those already confirmed to participate: Canadians Jeff Buttle, who won bronze in Turin, and Joannie Rochette; as well as Americans Sasha Cohen, Olympic silver medallist, and the fabulously flamboyant Johnny Weir.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/FigureSkating/2006/03/01/1468039-sun.html

[sceptique]

This is as official as it gets - straight from Russian Figure Skating Federation web site:

http://www.goldskate.ru/news/fullnewseng.shtml?newsid=226

Revised Russian Delegation for the ISU World Figure Skating Championsips.

MEN
1. Ilia KLIMKIN
2. Alexander USPENSKIY

Substitute:
1. Andrey GRYAZEV
2. Evgeny PLUSHENKO

LADIES
1. Elena SOKOLOVA
2. Arina MARTYNOVA
3. Katarina GERBOLDT

Substitute:
1. Olga NAIDENOVA

PAIRS
1. Maria PETROVA - Alexey TIKHONOV
2. Julia OBERTAS - Sergey SLAVNOV
3. Maria MUKHORTOVA - Maxim TRANKOV

Substitute:
1. Natalia SHESTAKOVA - Pavel LEBEDEV

ICE DANCING:
1. Oxana DOMNINA - Maxim SHABALIN
2. Jana KHOKHLOVA - Sergei NOVITSKI
3. Elena ROMANOVSKAYA - Alexander GRACHEV

Substitute:
1. Ekaterina RUBLEVA - Ivan SHEFER

Top skaters, who have represented Russian at the Olympic Games in Torino, will not be able to participate in the World Figure Skating Championships as they require rest after the Games.

[CCRomeo]

thanks for the update :bow:

[shadymc]

According to TASS, Irina announced today she is going to worlds.

[sceptique]

Irina said that she would like to go to the worlds at the President's reception, but the participants lists have already been submitted but the Federation, so it's still not clear if she would be allowed to go.

Source: RosBusinessConsulting www.rbc.ru

[Aurora]

Isn't there some old rule that states "previous years winners are always welcome"??!!

I think if this is true, then Irina S. would be allowed, since she won last year

Senior ladies is always great, but it could be greater with the previous world champ there