The Hungarian Figure Skating Federation has officially announced that it is not in able to hold the European Championship due to lack of money. Without Russian stars, tournaments are of little interest to anyone. It will only get worse further.
There is no money and is not expectedThe International Skating Union (ISU) on March 1, 2022, against the backdrop of the events in Ukraine, decided to push Russian and Belarusian figure skaters, speed skaters and short track skaters away. A couple of months later, the ISU congress extended the suspension until further notice. It is unlikely that the organization fully realized what it threatened and what scale it would acquire.
In figure skating without Russia, major tournaments turn into a farce. This is especially true, of course, of the female part. Our girls dominate and do not let anyone in. And in other sports, the presence of Russians is mandatory to maintain competition and interest. However, the ISU is clearly in no hurry to lift the suspension. There isn't even a conversation going on. Although in some sports they have already changed their minds — they allow it, albeit in a neutral status.
The organization has frankly been performing poorly in recent years. Recall the times of the pandemic, when the ISU leadership reluctantly tried to hold separate competitions. There was a feeling that it was easier for them to cancel everything than to make an effort. Without Russia, the world figure skating is rapidly bent. It should not come as a surprise that the Hungarians refused to host the European Championship next year.
«We have relinquished the right granted by the ISU to host the tournament due to lack of sufficient financial resources to organize quality competitions,» the statement said.
Russia can save the ISU. But is it necessary? Budapest emphasized that the reason for such a decision was the rise in energy prices caused by the conflict in Ukraine. The Hungarians clearly understood that there would be only losses from the European Championship. Fans en masse will not go to competitions where there are no main stars. Nobody needs a second-rate tournament. Why then spend money on a failed project.
The tournament was planned to be held in January 2024. Now the International Skating Union has a serious problem. It is urgent to find a replacement for Budapest. You will probably have to tearfully beg some country to do this, otherwise there will be a political failure, which will be a death sentence for the organization. Another proof of the need to urgently return Russian figure skaters to the world stage.
In our country, with great pleasure, we would hold a tournament at the level of the European Championship. Only now we need to ask ourselves if we should go towards people who are ready to destroy an entire sport for the sake of someone else's interests.