Aliona Kostornaya, the world’s top figure skater last season, has reportedly joined the 2018 Olympic gold and silver medalists in missing this week’s Russian Championships.
Kostornaya did not recover well enough from her coronavirus bout, according to Russian media reports quoting her coach, four-time Olympic medalist Yevgeny Plushenko, and the Russian skating federation president. It was announced on Dec. 4 that she tested positive.
The withdrawal puts in doubt Kostornaya’s potential place on a three-woman Russian team for March’s world championships. Under its normal selection procedures, the top two finishers at nationals get world spots, assuming they are age eligible.