The International Skating Union (ISU) has moved the 2027 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, set to be hosted by Kazakhstan for the first time, from Astana to Almaty. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at the reasons behind the decision.
The ISU announced the relocation on Oct. 14, naming Almaty Arena as the new venue.
«It was also accepted that the ISU Figure Skating Four Continents Championships 2027 will be relocated to the modern, multifunctional Almaty Arena. The switch comes in agreement with the Kazakhstan Skating Union following a fire at a power station serving the left-bank area of Astana, affecting both operations and security around the originally appointed venue in the city,» ISU said in a statement.
The ISU did not provide further details about the fire.
The Four Continents Championships is a major international figure skating competition featuring athletes from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania.
The ISU announced in June that Kazakhstan would host the championships for the first time. The event was originally scheduled to take place in Astana from Feb. 9 to 14, 2027.