World championships for figure skating and short track speed skating, originally postponed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, have now been canceled altogether.
“Mindful of the escalating negative COVID-19 developments, the resulting world-wide human tragedy and the measures taken by the public authorities as well as logistical challenges the ISU Council during its on-line meeting held on April 16, 2020 concluded that a postponement of the pending 2020 ISU Championships is not possible,” the International Skating Union (ISU) said in a statement.
The ISU will hold an online meeting on April 28 to discuss the 2020-21 skating season. The World Cup/Grand Prix seasons for figure skating and speed skating typically start in late October and November. Skate America, the first Grand Prix figure skating event, is scheduled for Oct. 23-25.
The world figure skating championships will not be held for the first time since 1961, when worlds were canceled after the entire U.S. team was killed in a plane crash en route to the event. The other times worlds were canceled were for World War I and World War II. Worlds began being held annually in 1896.
When 2020 Worlds were first postponed in March, the ISU said they could be rescheduled for later this year, but not before October. Montreal would have hosted the event.
The short track worlds were due to be hosted in Seoul. When they were postponed in March, the ISU said they could be rescheduled, but not before mid-October.
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