The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, a top-level February event for non-European skaters, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The competition, which would have taken place in Sydney between national and world championships, was canceled by the International Skating Union council “considering the pandemic developments and related impact on the organizers and participants.”
It’s the third top-level skating event to be postponed or canceled so far this fall, following December’s Grand Prix Final (postponed indefinitely) and late October’s Skate Canada (canceled). Other lower-level and junior international competitions have also been canceled.
Past Four Continents champions include 2022 Olympic medal contenders such as American Nathan Chen, Japanese Yuzuru Hanyu, Chinese pair Sui Wenjing and Han Cong and American ice dance couples Madison Chock and Evan Bates and Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue.
The skating season begins in earnest next week with Skate America, the first event of the fall Grand Prix Series, restricted due to the pandemic to mostly American skaters such as Chen and Hubbell and Donohue. The event will not have ticketed fans in Las Vegas.
Four Continents Championships for short- and long-track speed skating were also canceled.
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