The Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation (UFFK) sent a letter to the International Skating Union (ISU) demanding to deprive the Russian athlete Anna Shcherbakova of the nomination for the Most Valuable Skater of the Year award. This was reported by the press service of the UFFC on Monday.
It is reported that the federation sent letters to the ISU President Che Yeol Kim and head of the ISU Athletes’ Commission Eric Redford.
“UFFK is outraged by the nomination of the Russian figure skater Anna Shcherbakova for the ISU Skating Awards and asks the leadership of the union to respond to this fact and exclude her from the list of nominees,” – the message says.
In addition to Shcherbakova, a Japanese figure skater is contending for the award Kaori Sakamotofigure skaters Nathan Chen (USA), Yuma Kagiyama, Shoma Uno (both – Japan), performing in pair skating Japanese Riku Miura and Rûiti Kihara and Chinese Sui Wenjing and Han Tsunas well as the French Gabriela Papadakis and Guillaume Sizeronperforming in ice dancing. There are no representatives of Russia in other nominations.
Shcherbakova is 18 years old, she is an Olympic champion (2022), world champion (2021), two-time silver medalist of the European Championships (2020, 2022) in women’s single skating, winner of the world team championship (2021).