The World Figure Skating Championships will be held on schedule - from 22 to 28 March in Stockholm. This decision was made by the executive committee of the International Skating Union. So far, only the issue of admitting spectators to the stands has not been resolved and tickets for the tournament are not being sold.
Earlier, the ISU Executive Committee has already decided to hold the World Figure Skating Championships in the Swedish capital at the end of March. Now, it seems, this resolution has found confirmation in the ranks of the Federation's functionaries, TASS reports : "The dates and place of the tournament remained unchanged."
Sweden has become one of the countries of Europe where antiquarian legislation is quite loyal and, apparently, this one also influenced the ISU's decision. Nevertheless, the issue of admitting spectators to the stands of the competition has not yet been finally resolved. Contrast marks for the World Cup are not yet sold either online or at the ticket offices in Stockholm.
Sports agent Ari Zakaryan shared his opinion on the possible cancellation of the World Figure Skating Championships due to the coronavirus.
- How do you feel about online tournaments? Are they the future?
- I don’t think so. These are one-off stories. They can be entered only now because of the need. If, for example, the World Cup is canceled, you need to try to do at least something with it. For the rest, figure skating is a spectacular sport, a whole show in which the presence of spectators is necessary.
- What about ISU? Do you think they are doing enough to popularize figure skating?
- I can't answer yet. They are all faced with a very serious task. When television and health care prohibits you from doing something, and you violate them, and God forbid something happens.
The question is very difficult. I think they try to do everything well and right. I know that now they are aimed at hosting the World Cup. But if ISU surrenders and cancels, then it will already be possible to speak out.
- A little less than two weeks until the decision on the World Cup. What are the expectations?
- At the moment it all depends on the Swedes. If the organizing committee aims to hold the championship and will do everything possible for this, we will understand this very soon.
If not ... ISU , in my opinion, should very quickly find a country that will undertake to host the tournament, albeit without spectators. Airplanes fly, you can get there anyway. I am sure there are such countries.
- I'll ask directly - will the cancellation of the World Cup for the second year in a row kill figure skating?
- Yes. If he plunges the coffin into the ground, all that remains is to sprinkle it with sand on top, ”Zakaryan said.