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The 2022 ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships has been canceled for the second year running.
The annual continental championship for non-European nations was set to be held in Obihiro, Japan, but was canceled on Friday, with the ISU, Japanese Skating Federation and local organizing committee citing “travel restrictions, quarantine requirements, safety concerns and logistical challenges.”
While figure skating has had a Four Continents Championship annually since 1999, events for short track and long track speed skating debuted in 2020. They have only been held once, however, with last year’s Sydney short track and Calgary, Alberta, long track competitions also canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
South Korea dominated both in 2020, winning 16 of 30 short track medals in Montreal and 13 of 42 long track medals in Milwaukee.
This season’s Four Continents Short Track Speed Skating Championships is still slated for Jan. 14-16 in Salt Lake City.
Two major skating events were canceled last month as well: Cup of China, a figure skating Grand Prix slated for Chongqing that has since been moved to Torino, Italy, and the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, which would have been hosted in Tianjin, China.
Figure skating’s Four Continents is expected to have a new host on Oct. 1, while it has not been made clear if the long track speed skating version will be held at all.
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