Kremlin calls competition without athletes from Russia "inferior"

"Any rating or international competition without the participation of Russian athletes cannot be complete". This opinion was expressed on August 4, by the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov, agreeing with figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze.

The ISU Congress may lift the ban on participation in competitions from the Russian Federation, but raise the minimum age for “adult” athletes, reports Izvestiya.

“She [Eteri Tutberidze] is absolutely right. If we talk about figure skating, our athletes are among the strongest in the world. And any rating, no matter where it is compiled, any international competition, no matter where it is held, cannot be complete without the participation of our athletes. Because the strongest do not participate,” he said.

The day before, coach Eteri Tutberidze expressed outrage that Russian athletes do not participate in updating world rankings and cannot win medals at major tournaments, Sport-Express reports .

Earlier, on August 1, the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Oleg Matytsin called the decision of the International Skating Union (ISU) to remove Russian skaters from competitions discriminatory.

Prior to that, on March 1, ISU banned the Russian and Belarusian teams from participating in competitions under its auspices, following the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee. Figure skaters, speed skaters and short track skaters from these countries were banned from participating in international competitions, including world championships and other tournaments under the auspices of the organization.

The pressure on Russian athletes increased after Russia launched a special operation to protect the Donbas on February 24.