World Figure Skating Championship starts in Moscow

It will be the third time Russia hosts such championship. Back in 1896, Russia's St. Petersburg hosted the first world men's singles championship. The championships were presumed all-male since competitive skating was generally viewed as a male sport. The 1905 Congress of the International Skating Union (ISU) established a second class ladies competition. Men's and Ladies events were normally held separately. The first ladies competition was in 1906. Early championships for both ladies and pairs were retrospectively given World Championship status in 1924. The 1930 championship in New York combined all three competitions into one event for the first time. Ice dancing entered the program officially in 1952. Russia's second time as a World Figure Skating Championship host was in 2005.

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.