Discussions continue at the IOC for a return of Russian athletes to international competitions, but the International Skating Union (ISU) remains firm in its position. Meeting this week in Lausanne, its Council decided to maintain the exclusion of Russia as host of its competitions during the 2023-2024 season. The decision also concerns Belarus. The two countries will therefore not be able to host any ISU-stamped international figure skating calendar event during the next season, scheduled to begin in the summer. The body's decision mainly affects the Rostelecom Cup, formerly called the Russian Cup, a stage of the Grand Prix contested since 1996 between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, before being relocated to Sochi in 2021. It had already been canceled on last year due to the conflict in Ukraine. During the same meeting, the ISU Council launched a call for applications to host the Figure Skating Grand Prix Final in December 2023. Initially awarded to the city of Orléans, south of Paris, it was brought to the attention of the French Ice Sports Federation (FFSG).
