Skating Updates

Shawn Sawyer & Myriane Samson will not be competing at Worlds; Myraine is injured & Shawn is choosing to skate in Canadian Stars on Ice instead. They will be replaced by Kevin Reynolds and Amelie Lacoste

Russia will expedite the visa process for Worlds.

Hungarian ice dancer Nora Hoffman is undergoing treatment for an illness.

Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov are holding a skating show.


Alexe Gilles has left Tom Z for Yuka Sato & Jason Dungjen

A recent article on Rachael Flatt.

A recent article on Alissa Czisny.

Sinead Kerr & John Kerr have withdrawn from Worlds - she is having shoulder surgery today.

Sarah & Drew's latest blog - it contains a little more info on the Kerrs' withdrawal and more about the Skaters Care show.

Alissa Czisny's coach Jason Dungjen will be going to Worlds.

UPDATED: Sinead Kerr & John Kerr have announced their retirement from competition. I wish them all the best in future endeavors and a swift recovery for Sinead.

Skating Updates

Marina Zoueva & Carol Lane talk about waiting for Worlds

A translation of the French Federation's offer to give Japan next year's Worlds

Yu-Na Kim gave a sneak peek of her new short program


& will make a pitch for Korea's bid for the 2018 Olympics

All That Skate Korea announcement

 Finally and most importantly, Worlds has been moved to Russia and will take place April 24th - May 1st!


The ISU announcement

Phil Hersh's take on it - includes snippets with Meryl Davis 

Universal Sports spoke to Ross Miner about Worlds' relocation . Apparently the rink in Sendai, Japan, is gone, which is where World Junior Champion and 2011 Four Continents Silver Medalist Yuzuru Hanyu trains if I'm not mistaken. :-/

They also spoke to Rachael Flatt, Mark Ladwig, Michal Brezina, & Meryl Davis 

Patrick Chan article

Skating Updates

Well, the ISU President has now stated the obvious -  Worlds will not be held in Japan (The Japan Skating Federation handed it back over, acknowledging they can't hold it at this time), which thankfully means no Worlds in October. World Team Trophy will now be moved to April of 2012, dates to be determined ( not that anyone really cares about that event at this point). The ISU is officially taking bids for new locations for Worlds on Tuesday, deciding Wednesday or Thursday, and announcing their decision on Friday.

Here's more of the latest on Worlds & skaters.

Worlds trying to find new site

More info from Phil Hersh

Hersh Spoke to the ISU President again

Universal sports theorizes on whether Yu-Na Kim will compete at a rescheduled Worlds

Denver Post article on U.S. Worlds Bids

Another Hersh article

If more articles come today, I'll likely edit them in, so be sure to check back for the latest!

Worlds Situation Update

Three options for the world championship the first is to cancel them.

Cinquanta, the ISU president, has announced that the figure skating tournament that should have taken place in Tokyo next week, will either be cancelled or postponed to next October: “At the moment respect for the Japanese people prevails”

MILAN, 15 March 2011 – “The respect for the Japanese people ahead of everything.” This will be the main focus of the ISU as it decides what will be of the 2011 figure skating World Championships that were scheduled to take place in Tokyo next week, but that were officially cancelled by the federation on Monday given the situation. What now appears to be certain, and that dismisses the suggestions emerged in the latest hours, is that the competition will not take place in the coming weeks at a different venue – said the Milan-born Ottavio Cinquanta, president of the international federation – it wouldn’t be correct towards a country that has been struck by such a tragedy and towards the Japanese federation, which was awarded the right to stage the competition. Furthermore, as far as the logistics are concerned, it would be very difficult given the time constraints. Staging a World Championship is no easy task.

THREE OPTIONS — There are three possibilities, as Cinquanta explained: “Our council will consider the situation very carefully. Presumably though, we will opt for the complete cancellation, or a postponement to October. In Tokyo, if the authorities give us the go ahead, or in a city in a different country, and in that eventuality there would be the promise to award Japan with an edition in the future. As soon as possible we will make a statement to make our decision official.”

the future — At the moment, the 2012 edition of the competition has been awarded to France (Nice) and the 2013 one to Canada (London, Ontario). It should also be kept in consideration that the first stage of the next Senior Grand Prix (Skate Canada) is scheduled to take place from 21 to 23 October; and that the only edition of a World Championship to be cancelled was in 1961, when the plane that carried the American team crashed during its landing in Brussels: 72 people died, of which 34 were part of the US team.

Andrea Buongiovanni
Source

World Championships Postponed

or eventually possibly canceled. Here is the ISU's statement.

ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2011 Tokyo

Lausanne, March 14, 2011

Taking into account the continued critical developments in Japan, the ISU’s primary concern for the safety of all participants, spectators and members of concerned entities as well as the travel advisories from many governments to avoid travel to Japan until the situation is settled, the ISU in consultation and agreement with the Japan Skating Federation (JSF) and in line with the advise of the Japanese authorities, has concluded that the staging of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2011 scheduled to be held on March 21-27, 2011 is not possible and the Championships will not be held during that time.

The postponement of the Event or alternatively the final cancellation is under evaluation.

The same applies to the ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating scheduled to be held in Yokohama on April 14-17, 2011.

It is understood that a postponement of the above-mentioned World Championships as well as the holding of the ISU World Team Trophy is subject to the confirmation by the competent Japanese authorities that the situation is back to normal conditions allowing the safe conduct of major ISU sports Events in the Tokyo area.

As soon as the situation in this respect has been finalized, the ISU will inform all parties concerned of the decision taken.

Ottavio Cinquanta               Fredi Schmid

President                             Director General

Source 

UPDATED: Ottavio Cinquanta spoke to Phil Hersh; final decision about Worlds apparently must  be made in the next few days. 

Skating Updates

I'll do a more thorough post covering some of the recent happenings sometime soon (sorry, I've been wrapped up in the news about Japan & have been out.)

The biggest story skating wise is concerning whether or not Worlds will be canceled. The ISU says that an announcement will be made no later than tomorrow. Here is the full statement.