ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Nikolai Panin Withdraws from Kazan Event

Russian Figure Skater Nikolai Panin Forced to Withdraw Due to Injury

Kazan, Russia - October 20, 2023

Russian figure skater Nikolai Panin has been forced to withdraw from the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event in Kazan due to a left foot injury. The 20-year-old skater sustained the injury during a training session earlier this week and has been advised by doctors to rest and rehabilitate.

Panin was scheduled to compete in the men's singles event in Kazan, which is the second stop on the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit. The event will take place from October 21-23, 2023, at the Kazan Gymnastics Center.

Panin's withdrawal is a significant blow to the Russian team, as he is one of the country's top skaters. He is the reigning Russian national champion and has won two bronze medals at the European Championships. Panin was also a member of the Russian team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating is a series of six international figure skating competitions that are held annually. The top six skaters in each discipline (men's singles, women's singles, pairs, and ice dance) qualify for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, which will be held in Turin, Italy, from December 8-11, 2023.

With Panin's withdrawal, the Russian team will be represented by Andrei Mozalev, Alexander Samarin, and Petr Gumennik in the men's singles event in Kazan. Mozalev is the reigning world champion, while Samarin is the reigning European champion. Gumennik is a rising star who won the bronze medal at the 2023 Russian national championships.

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event in Kazan will be the first major international figure skating competition of the season. The event will feature some of the world's top skaters, including reigning Olympic champions Nathan Chen of the United States and Anna Shcherbakova of Russia.