“At least something”: Russian skaters have a chance for international performances

The first Global Skating Academy club tournament awaits applications from our juniors

Russian skaters will be able to take part in the first Global Skating Academy club tournament. It will be held in Tashkent from 27 to 29 October. So far the tournament is only for juniors. And so far – only for single skating. But refereeing will take place, as expected, according to the rules of the ISU. Will the clubs open the window to the international ice for our skaters?

The idea of ​​organizing an international figure skating club belongs to the honorary vice-president of the International Skating Union Alexander Lakernik. The authority and knowledge of a specialist is an ice sea. He spoke about the creation of the Global Skating Academy in the spring of this year. Named among the leaders of well-known in the world of figure skating functionaries: a member of the ISU technical committee Rita Sonnekein became the president, vice-president of the Austrian figure skating federation Evelyn Rossouchy-Schneider became the deputy.

On the website of the new organization, the tasks of the Global Skating Academy are outlined in simple terms: “Clubs (schools) are the basis of competitive figure skating. Clubs create athletes as well as coaches and even judges. This means that the work of the clubs is vital to the development of our sport.” The goal of the Academy is to organize camps for athletes, seminars for coaches and judges, competitions and various online events that “will move our sport forward.”

Several announced international training camps have already passed. The coaching names at the first master classes sounded top: Eteri Tutberidze with the team (Sergey Dudakov, Daniil Gleikhengauz, Alexei Zheleznyakov). Eteri Tutberidze herself called the creation of the Global Skating Academy a good idea: “we must try to move forward in any situation.” She emphasized that if our coaches and athletes are “artificially deprived of the opportunity to work” at the international level, the chance to do something new “should be used”.

Alexander Lakernik, telling how the Global Skating Academy can help today Russian skaters who have received a ban on international ice from the ISU, says that in the future this path will give them the opportunity to compete with foreigners. After all, ISU restrictions do not apply to holding club tournaments, “since the athlete in this case represents his club, and not the country.” So the way to the competition is open for the Russians.

Last year there were many figure skating tournaments in Russia, including new ones. There is an internal load of ice. But the specialist is sure that now it is necessary and important to think about different forms and international activity. Inter-club competitions can also be added to the already existing internal starts.

Lakernik believes that if the situation with the suspension continues, the club option will become more relevant. He says that such launches cannot be called a solution to the problem, but this is “at least something”. Only juniors will participate in the announced October tournament. But the main thing is to start, as they say, and plans for the participation of adults are already in the works.

Yes, only internal starts, no matter how intriguing in terms of the intensity of passions in certain types, they may be, you will still not be full. And international performances, at least at the club level, are seen as a kind of window into the big world. But will they let us open this window?

The current time, alas, is this: until the announced happened, there is no certainty in anything. Every day brings news that some of the Russian athletes (or the entire team), although they have access to competitions from the international federation, are denied a visa by the host country. And some federations were completely denied participation everywhere, despite the recommendations of the IOC to return Russia to the competitions. Yes, and foreign athletes receive bans from their organizations from participating in tournaments with Russians … There may be many obstacles for the performance of foreign participants.

Until the first tournament happened, one has to be careful when commenting. What the experts do: we must wait for the idea to be realized. Those wishing to take part in tournaments from foreign figure skaters, no doubt, will be. But will they have the opportunity to go on the ice?