Russia has denied pairs skaters Minerva Hase and Nolan Seegert and ice dancers Katharina Müller and Tim Dieck entry to training.
“The Bundeswehr informed us of this,” said Reinhard Ketterer, Vice President of Competitive Sports of the German Skating Union, the German Press Agency. Both couples are in the sports promotion of the Bundeswehr.
The Federal Ministry of Defense did not comment on the figure skaters’ failed project. When asked by dpa, it announced that it had decided on Tuesday to ban all sports soldiers from taking part in trips and training and competitions in Russia and Belarus. The ban relates to activities that take place as part of their official work.
The Berliners Hase/Seegert had already prepared for the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in Sochi, Russia, with coach Dmitri Sawin. In Moscow with Anjelika Krilowa, Müller/Dieck from Dortmund train at times. After the Beijing Games, the next highlight of the season will be the World Championships from March 21 to 27 in Montpellier, France.
The International Skating Union announced on Tuesday that figure skaters from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to take part in the World Championships as a result of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
KKetterer is worried about Nikita Starostin starting. The 19-year-old Russian has been nominated by the German association for the World Cup. “He is not reported by the Russian, but by the German association. That’s why I’m assuming that he can compete for Germany,” said the DEU Vice President.