Internationaux de France, an annual Grand Prix figure skating event held in November, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
France’s skating federation canceled the event after President Emmanuel Macron announced last week a curfew for Grenoble, host city for the competition.
The federation “closely monitored the health authorities position on COVID-19, but given the evolution of the health crisis and their prudence for the health and safety of the athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers, the appropriate course of action was for the [federation] to cancel the event.”
Top skaters who were scheduled to compete were world ice dance champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France and Japanese singles stars Shoma Uno and Rika Kihira, who train in Europe.
It’s the fourth top-level skating competition this season to be postponed or canceled due to the pandemic.
Previously, Skate Canada in late October and the Four Continents Championships in February were canceled. The Grand Prix Final, originally scheduled for Beijing in December, has been postponed indefinitely.
The abbreviated Grand Prix season starts with Skate America in Las Vegas on Friday, without ticketed fans and limited to mostly U.S. skaters due to coronavirus pandemic-related travel restrictions.
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