World skating host bid to replace Tokyo could be announced Thursday

ISU...

The International Skating Union (ISU) will continue on Thursday to vote on where to hold the 2011 Figure Skating World Championship after Tokyo was forced to bow out due to the tragic earthquake on March 11.

After Japan was forced to decline hosting the championship, Moscow (Russia), Vancouver (Canada), Turku (Finland), Colorado Springs (USA), Graz (Austria) and Zagreb (Croatia) put in immediate bids.

The head of Russia’s figure skating federation, Valentin Piseyev, told RIA Novosti that ballots had not yet been received by skating delegations to vote on the new host city.

The ISU said it began sending the ballots out in the evening and the results could be announced as early as Thursday.

According to Canadian press, Moscow has the best chance of hosting the World Championship.

Deputy Sports Minister Yury Nagornykh said on Monday that Russia intends to offer the ISU to hold the championship either starting in mid-April or after May 15 so that it would not coincide with the Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia April 29-May 15.

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