Vetlugin will replace Mozalev at the "Challenger" tournament in Georgia

Russian figure skater Matvey Vetlugin will compete at the "Challenger" tournament in Georgia instead of Andrey Mozalev. This was reported on September 27 by TASS, citing a source familiar with the situation.

"The decision [to replace] is not related to health," the agency's source said.

The "Challenger" tournament series of the International Skating Union 2026/2027 season will end with the IceChallenge tournament in Graz, Austria, which will be held from February 10 to 13, 2027. Russian athletes compete in a neutral status.

Ice test: Russian figure skaters will compete with champions at the tournament in Bratislava

The Ondrej Nepela Memorial will be the first test of strength in the international arena for a number of our athletes.

On September 25, Russian figure skater Evgeny Semenenko took the lead after a short program at the Ondrej Nepela Memorial in Bratislava, scoring 101.16 points. Italian Daniel Grassl is on the second line (99.10). Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov from Kazakhstan closes the top three (95.98).