World Figure Skating Championship starts in Moscow

MOSCOW, April 25 (Itar-Tass) -- The World Figure Skating Championship
officially starts in the Russian capital on Monday.
Initially, Tokyo was to host the World Figure Skating Championship in
March 2011. However, ISU jointly with the championship organizing
committee decided to move the competition to another country over a
devastating earthquake and a killing tsunami in Japan. The Russian capital
won the right to host the championship.
As many as 195 figure skaters from 44 countries will compete in the
World Figure Skating Championship in Moscow.
Exhibition performance will be held on May 1.
The Russian national team includes Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander
Smirnov, Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, Vera Bazarova and Yuri
Larionov (pairs), Yekaterina Bobrova and Dmitry Solovyov, Elena Ilyinykh
and Nikita Katsalapov (ice dancing), Alena Leonova and Ksenia Makarova
(ladies singles), and Artur Gachinsky (men's singles).
The United States tops the unofficial chart of cumulative medal count
at the World Figure Skating Championships, having won 181 medals,
including 51 gold medals, 56 silver medals, and 74 bronze medals.
Russia/the USSR comes second with 180 medals, including 75 gold medals, 61
silver medals, and 44 bronze medals. Austria is third.