FILE PHOTO: Figure Skating - ISU European Figure Skating Championships - Steiermarkhalle, Graz, Austria - January 25, 2020 France's Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron during the Pairs Free Dance REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
(Reuters) - French ice dancers Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron will not defend their title at next month's World Championships after withdrawing from the tournament due to a lack of preparation and concerns arising from COVID-19 health protocols.
The French skating federation said the ice dance world champions will skip the March 22-28 event in Stockholm, Sweden to focus on preparing for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
