OREANDA-NEWS. The Russian Cup this year became a qualifier for the national championship, following which, in turn, tickets to the European championship were to be distributed. But the pandemic ruined the plans of the world figure skating - the European Championship was canceled. The main world start of the year - the World Cup in Stockholm - is still planned, but it can also be canceled at any time.

The Russian stages of the Cup became the most competitive and attractive; all the leaders of Russian figure skating took part in them. However, at the very end, there were massive outbreaks of infection with a dangerous infection: the final stage in Moscow was missed by a number of top athletes, including single women and men Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Dmitry Aliev, Mikhail Kolyada, Alena Kostornaya, sports duo Alexander Stepanov / Ivan Bukin and many others skaters. As a result, Kamila Valieva became the star of the fifth stage, who simply had no competitors at the time of her performance.

As for Alena Kostorona, “the skater has not yet had time to recover from her illness and gain the necessary form for performing,” explained Alexander Gorshkov, president of the Russian Figure Skating Federation (FFKKR).

Most of the representatives of the Russian national team did not fulfill the mandatory criterion for getting into the national championship - participation in at least two stages. Taking into account the circumstances that caused the skaters to skip the starts, it was decided to admit them to the competition, contrary to the regulations. But then several more skaters withdrew from the tournament.