The international figure skating Grand Prix is in great danger, the president of the International Skating Union, Ottavio Cinquanta, said yesterday.
Speaking at the European championships in Turin, Italy, Cinquanta said the structure of the Grand Prix may have to be changed because some top skaters have skipped events this year and prize money is diminishing.
Pam Coburn, the chief executive officer of Skate Canada, said she had heard no news about changes to the series, although Skate Canada stages one of the six Grand Prix stops.
However, Coburn said Skate Canada is considering its own changes to its Grand Prix event. The event's time frame might be condensed to accommodate skaters who find it difficult to compete in back-to-back events.
The Grand Prix qualifying series takes place over six consecutive weeks in various parts of the world. Skaters are invited to two events, although top-seeded skaters may accept three invitations.
Stars such as five-time world champion Michelle Kwan and three-time world champion Evgeny Plushenko pulled out of the Skate Canada Grand Prix event this season, but Coburn said that over the years not all of the medalists have shown up for the series.
This year, however, the Grand Prix has been marred by the withdrawal of skaters who wanted to conserve themselves for the Olympics next year and also by an unusually large number of injured athletes.
Coburn said Skate Canada will announce the location of the 2005 Skate Canada in the next couple of weeks. The announcement has been delayed because Coburn said Skate Canada has been looking at two sites, which she wouldn't reveal. Speculation has it that one is Victoria, which will have a new arena.
Any proposed changes to the Grand Prix series would probably be discussed at a meeting during the world championships in Moscow in March, she said.
Grand Prix events are held in the United States, Canada, France, China, Japan and Russia.