The 1961 competitions took place from January 26 to January 29 , 1961 , in West Berlin . Skaters competed in the disciplines of ladies ' singles , men 's singles , pair skating and ice dancing . The event took place without the participation of skaters from the Soviet Union not because of a political boycott , but rather because an exceptionally mild winter left the Russian skaters with insufficient ice for practice in their home country . The Soviet team was also withdrawn from the originally planned World Championships for the same reason , but that tournament was subsequently cancelled after Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548
1961 European Figure Skating Championships