‘Are you taking cannabis with you?’ Russian figure skaters stuck at Canadian airport ahead of Grand Prix
A transatlantic trip to Canada by Russian skaters competing in the second Grand Prix event of the season took more than 24 hours, with airport customs control subjecting to the skating stars to vigorous checks.
The Russian team, including rising star Alexandra Trusova, spent more time there than had initially been planned after a delayed luggage claim made them miss their connecting flight to Kelowna, the host city of 2019 Skate Canada.
“We have been traveling for more than 24 hours,” said Russian ice-dancer Betina Popova. “It was unbearable to listen to Sergey Mozgov’s (Popova’s skating partner) jokes all day long. I was really very difficult. We somehow were late for our connection flight already in Canada.”
After missing the connecting flight, the athletes were forced to change their tickets and fly to Kelowna with a stop at Edmonton airport.
“’Are you taking cannabis with you?’ I was asked at passport control,” Popova said.
“Where? Why? No I don’t have cannabis. Do you know anything about me that even I don’t know?” the skater said, laughing off the embarrassing situation and adding that they were exhausted after finally reaching Kelowna.
Skate Canada will kick off on Friday with Trusova and two-time world champion Evgenia Medvedeva expected to fight for podium places in the women’s singles event.
The 15-year-old prodigy who is making her senior Grand Prix debut in Canada is set to throw FOUR quadruple jumps in the free program, something that has never been seen before in women’s skating.
