Moscow chosen as replacement host city for 2011 Figure Skating World Championships

PanARMENIAN.Net - Moscow has been chosen as the replacement host city for this year's Figure Skating World Championships.

The event was originally due to be held in Tokyo but was postponed following the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The International Skating Union said the championships will now take place at Moscow's Megasport arena from 24 April to 1 May.

"We have received an official letter from the International Skating Union (ISU), informing us that the 2011 World championships will be held in Moscow," said Valentin Piseyev, executive director of the Russian Figure Skating Federation.

Piseyev said the competition would be held at the 14,000-seat Hodynka arena, built in 2007 to host that year's Ice Hockey World Championship.

On March 22, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said his country would cover all the costs of staging the event.

"I think we could give a helping hand to our Japanese colleagues as well as the [ISU]," he said.

The ISU said in a statement: "Under these extraordinary circumstances, we ask for the full co-operation and understanding of the skating community in making this a successful event.

Several countries other, including Canada, Italy, Finland and the United States, had also submitted bids to replace Tokyo, bbc.co.uk reported.