As the country reels following the devastating earthquake and tsunami last Friday, the ISU announced that the event, scheduled for March 21-27, will not take place. Other sporting events have already been postponed in Japan, with the Asian Football Confederation calling off Champions League fixtures slated for this week.
“Taking into account the continued critical developments in Japan...the ISU, in consultation and agreement with the Japan Skating Federation (JSF) and in line with the advice of the Japanese authorities, has concluded that the staging of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2011...is not possible,” read an ISU statement.
“The same applies to the ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating scheduled to be held in Yokohama on April 14-17, 2011,” added the ISU, which stated that it has not yet decided whether the events will be merely postponed or cancelled completely.
“It is understood that a postponement of the above-mentioned World Championships as well as the holding of the ISU World Team Trophy is subject to the confirmation by the competent Japanese authorities that the situation is back to normal conditions allowing the safe conduct of major ISU sports Events in the Tokyo area,” added the statement.
