The International Skating Union (ISU) has apologized after an Auschwitz-themed ice skating costume was nominated for the organization's "best costume" list in what they have called an "error."
The costume was worn by Russian figure skater Anton Shulepov as he skated to the theme of the movie "Schindler's List" during a free skate routine in France in November. It featured a Star of David and elements of guard uniforms from Auschwitz, where more than 1 million Jews and prisoners of war were killed by Nazis during World War II.
The costume already received criticism when Shulepov wore it at the Internationaux de France event in November, according to The Guardian.
But the backlash grew after the ISU re-shared a photo of it on Sunday. The organization included the costume in an online contest where fans could vote for their favorite outfits of the year.
CW: antisemitism
— azteclady (@HerHandsMyHands) December 1, 2019
.@AuschwitzMuseum .@ISU_Figure has nominated a costume that is half concentration camp prisoner uniform w/a yellow star, half Nazi guard uniform, for its "best costume" award, despite having been told how offensive this is. Skater is Russian Anton Shulepov. pic.twitter.com/rLWhXS6TdG
The fact that Shulepov is included under best costume is profoundly offensive. Some of us have family who died in the Holocaust. The yellow Star of David is what marked ordinary people for death, just because they were Jewish. This isn’t just some movie; real people died.
— Tol™ Lauren (@tyrannolaur) December 1, 2019
Shulepov’s evocation of painful Holocaust imagery in his routine was insensitive & offensive. It's also shocking the @ISU_Figure initially posted a picture of this costume as a nominee for “costume of the year," and then issued a wholly inadequate apology. https://t.co/02bCUNWsK9
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) December 2, 2019
The costume was removed from the contest by Monday morning. The ISU said it had been included "by error," and that a Shulepov costume from a different contest was supposed to be up for a vote instead.
"The ISU regrets that by error the wrong costume (Free Skating instead of Short Program costume) of Mr. Shulepov has been presented for voting," the ISU wrote on Twitter. "This error has been corrected and the ISU sincerely apologizes for this mistake and the bad sentiments it has caused."
In a statement to the Guardian, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called the costume "offensive."
"While we understand the need for skaters to be creative in their choice of costumes, Anton Shulepov's apparent decision to evoke painful Holocaust imagery as part of his routine was insensitive and offensive," he said.
The ISU didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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