MINSK, 21 November (BelTA) – Over 100 athletes will take part in the 2019 ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Minsk, Belarus' Deputy Sport and Tourism Minister Alexander Baraulya said at a conference hosted by BelTA on 21 November.
In his words, figure skating is very popular in Belarus. “I am sure that the audience will see a great show at Minsk Arena in January. Figure skating has made significant technical progress. I have recently been to the Grand Prix in Moscow, which featured 12 strongest athletes in each of the four types. Fans asked for tickets at the entrance, which indicates the high popularity of this sport. Many leading figure skaters will come to Minsk in January 2019. There will be more than 100 athletes taking part in the competitions,” said Alexander Baraulya.
Minsk will welcome Pyeongchang Olympic champion Alina Zagitova, two-time world champion (2016, 2017) Evgenia Medvedeva, 2015 world champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva.
According to the deputy minister, the championship will be held at a high organizational level. “Belarus has gained a lot of experience in holding tournaments of the highest level. I am sure these competitions will be remembered for long,” said Alexander Baraulya.
Expert in this sport, USSR two-time champion Alexander Vedenin said that he had no doubt about the success of the competitions. “The Belarusian capital has hosted the junior world championship before. The International Skating Union knows very well how you can organize tournaments,” he stressed.
The competition part will kick off with the ladies' singles short program and a pair skating program at Minsk Arena on 23 January. The official opening ceremony is scheduled later on the day.
The 2019 ISU European Figure Skating Championships will take place in the Belarusian capital on 21-27 January. Medals will be awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, and ice dancing.
