Renowned Soviet and Russian figure skating coach Tatyana Tarasova questions whether Russian athletes will take part in the Grand Prix stages during the 2023/24 season. This update comes through DEA News.
Tarasova remarked that a shift in fortune could influence the motivation of skaters, suggesting the outlook ahead may dampen their drive.
On June 28, the International Skating Union (ISU) posted on its official site the lineup for the upcoming Grand Prix events, and notably, no Russian skaters are listed among the participants.
Following the Beijing 2022 Olympics, Russian skaters were barred from international competition due to sanctions, a move that prevented them from contending on the world stage where they previously collected several medals and podium finishes.
In February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged sports federations to exclude domestic and Belarusian athletes from global events. As a result, the ISU removed Russian and Belarusian competitors for that season, channeling their efforts toward national-level events such as the Russian Grand Prix and the country’s national championships during the 2022/23 period.
Earlier, the Russian federation had suggested that Russians could still compete in the Grand Prix under certain conditions, a stance that reflected ongoing negotiations about how sanctions would be applied in practice. Tarasova’s observations come amid ongoing debates about the pathway for Russian athletes in major international circuits and how teams adapt to a rapidly shifting competitive landscape.