Armenian ministry says Figure Skating Federation did not seek support over UK visa delays

The Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports said the country’s Figure Skating Federation did not request government assistance to obtain visas for athletes who missed the European Figure Skating Championships due to delays by the British Embassy.

The ministry told Panorama.am on Wednesday that it was not approached by the Armenian Figure Skating Federation to seek visa support for national team skater Simon Danilyants and pairs skaters Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin, who failed to receive UK entry visas in time for the event.

The ministry said that when federations submit formal requests, it reviews them and, with support from the Foreign Ministry, intervenes with diplomatic missions to help secure visas, including via expedited procedures if needed. It added that the figure skating federation had submitted such requests in previous years, including 2023-2025, and they were processed accordingly.

Earlier, the federation said that despite submitting all required documents on time, the British Embassy did not issue visas within the set deadlines, preventing the team from competing. It said the setback harmed athletes’ seasonal preparation, competitive development and international rankings, and pledged to work to prevent similar situations in the future.