Skating: Russia, China left out from 2022-23 Grand Prix calendar

Russiahas been dropped as a figure skating Grand Prix host and Russian and Belarusian skaters banned, the International Skating Union (ISU) said as it announced the 2022-3 programme on Thursday.

The Chinese event was also scratched from the calendar for the second straight year. "Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the deteriorating Covid-19 sanitary situation inChina, the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Rostelecom Cup (RUS) and the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Cup ofChinacannot be held as planned," said the ISU statement. "Replacement solutions are to be found."

The statement added that "following the IOC recommendation....no skaters belonging to the ISU Members inRussiaand Belarus shall be invited or allowed to participate in International ice skating competitions." The Grand Prix events are the most important in figure skating outside the Olympics and the World and European Championships.

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The Rostelecom Cup, formerly the Cup ofRussia, had been held every year since 1996. It moved to Sochi for the first time last season. TheChinaCup was added to the Grand Prix schedule in 2003 in Beijing. Both the men's and women's events moved to Chongqing in 2019 and 2020 and were due to be held in the city last year.

The calendar announcement on Thursday contains seven slots, although the ISU is still searching for a host for the fourth event.

Figure Skating, 2022-23 Grand Prix Calendar

21-23 October, Skate America, Norwood, Massachusetts

28-30 October, Skate Canada, Mississauga, Ontario

4-6 November, French International, Angers (FRA)

11-13 November, city to be determined

18-20 November, NHK Trophy, Sapporo, Japan

25-27 November, Finnish Grand Prix, Espoo

8-11 December, Final in Turin, Italy