Kamila Valieva of ROC performs during the figure skating free skating at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on Feb. 17. Photo: Cao Can/Xinhua via Getty Images
The International Skating Union on Tuesday banned athletes in Russia and Belarus from competing in international ice skating events as Russia's invasion of Ukraine intensifies.
Driving the news: "The ISU Council reiterates its solidarity with all those affected by the conflict in Ukraine and our thoughts are with the entire Ukrainian people and country," the ISU said in a statement.
- No athletes from Russia or Belarus, a Russian ally, "shall be invited or allowed to participate" in international ice skating competitions "until further notice," the ISU said.
- The decision means Olympic champion Anna Shcherbakova and teammate Kamila Valieva, who was at the center of a doping scandal at the Winter Olympics, will not be able to compete in the world figure skating championships scheduled for later this month.
The big picture: The announcement comes one day after Russia was banned from competing in soccer and ice hockey competitions, and follows a slew of boycotts and condemnation by sports organizations in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Go deeper: Sports world leads Russia boycotts after Ukraine invasion