Here’s a short recap of what happened over the past week in the world of figure skating.

 

German Olympic Committee Ban On Steuer Lifted, But Savchenko/Massot Future Still Unclear

The big news of the week were the ongoing developments in the Franco-German partnership between Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot. There were good tidings for their coach Ingo Steuer who had been under a German Olympic Committee (DOSB) funding ban due to his past connections to the Stasi, the former East German intelligence services. Steuer’s coaching future in Germany had been under doubt because of the ban, so this will provide him with an incentive to remain in the country.

On the other hand, the French Ice Sports Federation (FFSG) put out a rather strangely worded press release that seemed to suggest that they will not be releasing Massot to skate for Germany due to his “youth constituting an important advantage to this partnership” and “would keep in its fold a promising sportsman whose potential is widely known in figure skating.”

In a further twist, Savchenko’s former partner Robin Szolkowy announced on the same day of the DOSB ruling that he will skate in shows with Swiss skater Myriam Leuenberger. The new pair will make their debut at the Operapop on Ice show in Verona, Italy in September.

 Cappellini/Lanotte Make The Move To Zueva

According to R-Sport, World and European champions Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte will be coached by Marina Zueva from this season. Zueva currently has Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, and Alexandra Aldridge and Daniel Eaton under her tutelage in Detroit. Cappellini and Lanotte had previously collaborated with Zueva’s former coaching partner Igor Shpilband and it would be fair to surmise that particular relationship is over.

Marchei Tries Out Pairs

In more surprising news, it was revealed that Valentina Marchei is currently training in pairs with Ondrej Hotarek in Montreal, Canada. Marchei has already been assigned to Skate Canada and Rostelecom Cup in singles and the indications are that she plans to complete in both disciplines at the present time.