Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, the Russian figure skater, spoke about her connections with fellow competitors Kaori Sakamoto and Maya Mihara from Japan. She expressed goodwill toward Mihara and wished her success as Mihara prepared to compete at the World Championships in Saitama, and she also offered encouragement to Sakamoto, praising her as a superb skater and saying she supports both athletes. The World Figure Skating Championships were scheduled to take place in Saitama from March 22 to 25, marking a significant global event in the sport.
In recent seasons, Tuktamysheva had earned silver at the World Championships in single skating and contributed to Russia’s victory at the World Team Trophy. She faced a setback in Olympic qualification, as she was named to the Olympic team only as a substitute and did not secure a spot to compete in the Olympic Games themselves.
Since spring 2022, Russian skaters have been barred from ISU events under the umbrella of the International Skating Union. This suspension meant that Russian delegates did not participate in the 2022 World Championships held in Montpellier, the ISU’s Grand Prix series, or the 2023 European Championships.
The decision by the International Olympic Committee in late February 2022 to advise sports federations to limit participation by domestic and Belarusian athletes led to these suspensions. As a result, the ISU and other bodies implemented restrictions that affected Russian and Belarusian teams across major competitions.
Reports from the era note a controversial moment involving Elena Berezhnaya, the Olympic champion in pair skating, who publicly discussed the issue of sports citizenship and the implications for Russian athletes. The discourse highlighted tensions within the sport as it navigated political realities and their impact on athletes’ careers.