2002 Olympics silver medalist in singles Irina Slutskaya believes that the updated ratings of the International Skating Union (ISU) seem lower while there are no Russian skaters in international competitions.
The ISU continues to update rankings in the absence of Russian skaters.
– That’s really wrong. How can there be rankings and zoning of certain places in the absence of the strongest athletes on the planet. And that doesn’t just apply to figure skating, it applies to all sports where there are no world-class leaders. The ISU ranking seems lower because there are no really bright personalities in the sport. There aren’t those who would set the pace and fashion for the competition, Slutskaya told RBC Sport.
Earlier, coach Eteri Tutberidze also said that the ISU shouldn’t update the ratings and give titles in the absence of the Russians.
In the ISU ranking for April, the Russians took five lines in the top 10. Now Alena Kostornaya moved from 9th to 26th, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva – from 5th to 9th. Alexandra Trusova moved to the 4th line, Kamila Valieva – to the 5th. Anna Shcherbakova is still in the lead, ahead of Kaori Sakamoto by 452 points.
During the last Games in Beijing, Russian figure skaters won six medals: two gold, three silver and one bronze.
Previously, the ISU suspended Russian and Belarusian figure skaters from all competitions under the auspices of the organization until further notice.
RBC Sports
Source : MatchTV
I am William Jackson and I have a passion for sports journalism. With over 3 years of experience in the industry, I have worked in a variety of roles to improve the quality and accuracy of sports news coverage. As an author at Athletistic, I specialize in covering football news and providing comprehensive analysis for fans around the world.
