Irina Rodnina commented on the admission of Russian figure skaters in a neutral status
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State Duma Deputy Irina Rodnina commented on the decision of the International Skating Union to grant neutral status to 13 Russian figure skaters and revoke the status of four other athletes, calling the admission process lengthy.
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Why It Matters
Russian skaters have not competed internationally since 2022 due to suspension.
State Duma Deputy Irina Rodnina commented on the provision of neutral status to 13 Russian figure skaters. Sport Express reports this.
“The admission process has begun. It doesn't happen all at once. And we are glad that our guys get the opportunity to perform and show themselves,” Rodnina said.
The International Skating Union has approved applications for neutral status from eight athletes in single skating, three in ice dancing and one in pairs skating. Among them are Nikolai Kolesnikov, Sofia Smagina, Ignat Pakhomov, Sandra Davydenko, Makar Ignatov, Taisiya Sheptalina, Agata Petrova, Sofia Sarnovskaya, Vladislav Mikhailov, Polina Zharova, Alexey Stolyarov and Stepan Marishin.
At the same time, the neutral status of four athletes was revoked: Kamila Valieva, Mark Kondratyuk, Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin. “It’s a shame that this happened, because they were preparing for the competition. Unfortunately, a ban can be done at once, but admission is a lengthy process,” the functionary noted.
Previously, Rodnina became a three-time Olympic champion in figure skating. Russian skaters have not competed internationally since 2022 due to suspension.
Open Questions
- Will there be appeals for revoked statuses?
