The Finnish Figure Skating Federation has not received any contact from Russian athletes, says Outi Wuorenheimo, executive director of the Finnish Figure Skating Federation.
STT Sports,
Mika Halonen
shows the figure skating Finlandia Trophy on the 6th–8th. October You can see the shipping information at this link.
Russia has been closed for the time being from international figure skating competition due to the country’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The lack of international competition opportunities can attract Russian skaters to change citizenship or at least acquire the right to represent another country.
– Up to the World Cup level, it is enough to have moved to a country and represent that country’s federation. At the Olympics, you must be a citizen of the country, the executive director of the Finnish Figure Skating Association Outi Wuorenheimo opened on Thursday for STT.
Wuorenheimo answered the interview during the weekend preparations for the Finlandia Trophy in Espoo. The list of participants includes, for example, the European champion of women’s single skating Anastasia Gubanovawho is from Russia.
Gubanova has represented Georgia for a few years already, so the reason behind her decision is not to circumvent the ban following the war.
According to Wuorenheimo, the course of events that led to the exchange of citizenships and representation rights originally started in Russia, which is a great country of figure skating. The competition for representative places in international competitions is fierce.
– There are a huge number of good skaters and athletes. Only a limited number get to represent their country. As a representative of a smaller figure skating country, it’s easier to get to value competitions.
Finland is not looking for quick profits
Wuorenheimo does not know how many Russian athletes have started changing their citizenship or right of representation to other countries because of the outbreak of the war and the resulting ban on competition.
– We have not received any applicants, he shed light on the situation of the Finnish Figure Skating Association.
– As for the others, I can’t say.
What if the application came?
– If an application from an athlete who does not train in Finland and has no relationship with Finland comes out of the box. We haven’t had a conversation yet, but I would assume the answer would be no.
– We require that the athlete trains here and is ready to represent the Finnish federation otherwise than based on an unfortunate situation.
Finland does not aim for success by purchasing athletes.
– We don’t go looking for quick profits.
Applying for the right of representation is common
Among the athletes competing in the Finlandia Trophy, for example, men’s single skaters Nikita Starostin and Georgy Reshtenko are born in St. Petersburg. Starostin grew up in Germany and is a citizen of the country. Reshtenko is a citizen of the Czech Republic and has represented the country for years.
In ice dancing and pair skating, it is very common that one of the pairs only has the right of representation, not citizenship.
– Canada is represented Nikolaj Sorensen and Laurence Fournier Beaudry are one example. Sörensen is Danish, but now he has changed his citizenship to Canadian so that they can go to the Olympics, Wuorenheimo opened.
The Canadian ice dance couple is also participating in the Finlandia Trophy. There are examples even closer. Finland Juho Pirinen ice dancing couple Yuka Orihara is from Japan, but represents Finland with Pirinen.
– If we wanted them to qualify for the Olympics, Yuka should apply for Finnish citizenship, Wuorenheimo said.
In pair skating Milania Väänänen pair Filippo Clerici is from Italy and represented Finland for the first time at the Lombardia Trophy held in his home country in September.
– It was a bit strange, Clerici described his mood.
By the Finlandia Trophy, Clerici has gotten used to his new representative outfit.
– By representing Finland, I have opportunities that I wouldn’t have by representing Italy, he pointed to the fierce competition in his home country.
shows the figure skating Finlandia Trophy on the 6th–8th. October You can see the shipping information at this link.
Four Finns will be seen in women’s single skating: Janna Jyrkinen, Emmi Peltonen, Nella Scared and Oona Ounasvuori.
Finland is represented in pair skating Milania Väänänen and Filippo Clerici.
There are two Finns in men’s single skating: Arttu Juusola and Makar Suntsev.
In ice dance, Finland is represented in the competition by last year’s EC bronze medalists Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis mixed Yuka Orihara and Juho Pirinen.
The Finlandia Trophy held in Espoo opens the top figure skating season. The competition is one of ten competitions in the International Skating Union (ISU) Challenger series, which competes in single skating, pair skating and ice dancing. In addition to this, a short program invitational competition in formation skating and a Special Olympics series competition will be organized in connection with the Finlandia Trophy.
There are skaters from 22 countries and Finland is represented in all sports.