As for the Worlds, JSF started to coordinate so as to hold in Japan in this autumn.

[pinky33]

Watch the news, food is now being banned because of radiation levels. Cooling is good but the damage is done. Move on!!!! Without athletes there is no ISU. The athletes needs and health should come first, without them no one makes money. If you have never paid to get an athlete to the international level you have no idea of who is actually losing out here. Athletes do train towards competition, this is true in any sport. Peak or not there is a plan, if you evertrained to compete at an elite level you would understand this. The althletes need to be considered.

[Akira Andrea]

As for holding it in Japan in the next few months....honestly until the nuclear situation is resolved the extent of the radiation contamination truly out in the open, I wouldn't consider Japan for a world event like this- it's too risky.

I can understand your anxiety that there may be a radiation contamination still even if it supposes that the accident of the nuclear plan ended.
I also may have the same anxiety as you, if there has been a nuclear accident in any other country where I do not know well the situation.

However, I who can know the present situation of Japan well is more optimistic about the future after that this nuclear accident ended.
Even if the influence is slight, the situation of the radiation contamination is always opened to public so far.

Wherever in Japan we are, we can know the risk level because the detecting level of atmospheric radiological monitor in there is being opened to public.
At least, in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, any kind of dangerous level has never been detected so far, after the earthquake.
As for the vegetables in the disaster-stricken area ward and so on, the check of the radiation contamination is already done, the shipment will be prohibited if the level which exceeds regulation value has been detected.
We know empirically that these regulations which depend on the government, the local government and the farmers is done strictly considerably in Japan.

There may not be an effect to erase your anxiety even if I explain with any way, but if taking notice of the report from Japan from now on, I think that your anxiety becomes extinct quite early.

[Akira Andrea]

This is an article in “Jiji Press” in Japan.
Translated from Japanese.
ISU Gave up the plan to hold the Worlds in Japan and intends to consider the venue etc instead of Japan.
March 21st, 2011 JST

By Jiji Press at Rondon
In March 21st, International Skating Union (ISU) announced that they gave up the plan to hold it in Japan postponing the Worlds. In this day at original plan, it was scheduled to be opened in the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, but was canceled under the influence of the East Japan big earthquake.
On the official site, ISU says, "We had been searching the way to hold in Japan, but accepted it because we received the information from Japan Skating Federation to have no choice but to ask to be excused from it".
As for the substitute venue, there are plural proposals, but, as for the decision of the time and the venue, it seems to take time somewhat.
Being requested to examine from ISU the possibility to hold in Japan postponing the Worlds, JSF was examining holding in this autumn.
According to ISU, as for the International Team Trophy which was scheduled to hold in Yokohama Arena in the middle of April, it got to hold in Japan in April in next year one year after.

The article
ISU Gave up the plan to hold the Worlds in Japan and intends to consider the venue etc instead of Japan.
http://www.jiji.com/jc/eqa?g=eqa&k=2011032100383

[Asli]

Thank you, Akira Andrea. I feel for the Japanese federation and all the people who worked hard to organize the Worlds. As for the skaters, hopefully wherever the Worlds are held, the crowd will make them feel at home.

I hope you are right in your optimism about Japan's recovery from the disasters.

[marbri]

Skaters try to peak at the time worlds is held, but I suspect the number who do is small.
Peaking is hard to control and overrated imo. An elite athlete is ready to compete when called on to compete. What a mess sports would be in if athletes in other sports took this attitude. And I don't buy that a skater can't manage more than two competitive programs in a season. There was a time when the grande prix required skaters to compete two long programs.

And why was it stopped?

[Frau Muller]

....The article
ISU Gave up the plan to hold the Worlds in Japan and intends to consider the venue etc instead of Japan.
http://www.jiji.com/jc/eqa?g=eqa&k=2011032100383

Good. Finally. Like everyone else, I look forward to a time in future years when we may once again be enjoying a Worlds in Japan!

I am curious if even the Fall 2011 NHK Trophy (in Nagano, I think) may be in jeopardy?

[Akira Andrea]

I am curious if even the Fall 2011 NHK Trophy (in Nagano, I think) may be in jeopardy?

JSF gave up the hosting of the Worlds in autumn, but it doesn't necessarily follow that Japan in autumn is in danger.
I think that one of the reasons that JSF gave up the hosting of the World in autumn is not because they thought that the hosting in autumn in Japan may put it in danger, but because they thought that even any kind of explanation cannot sweep the anxiety of the people before the safe declaration by the country as for the nuclear plants accident.
I think that we should not be too anxious as for the future because we are too conscious to the present situation.
We can get the sufficient time to consider carefully about the NHK Trophy in autumn even after the safe declaration by the country as for nuclear plants accident has declared.
To jump to conclusion even as for NHK Trophy in autumn may be as if a burnt child dreads the fire.

[allezfred]

I am curious if even the Fall 2011 NHK Trophy (in Nagano, I think) may be in jeopardy?

2011 NHK Trophy is in Sapporo. I am here now. There is absolutely nothing to prevent it being held here. If you're trying to cause panic, as one skating fed CEO said to another, "Nice try".

[Vash01]

AkiraAndrea,

Thank you for your informative and well written posts. Please keep updating us on what is really happening in Japan. Best wishes to you and Japan.

[Mevrouw]

allezfred: I gather that Mr. allezfred's family are all safe? I haven't seen any comment about them but I guess you would have said something. Certainly Sapporo is quite far away from Sendai and even farther from Fukushima, with the winds going mostly in the opposite direction. So things should stay safe there. Enjoy the trip, even if there are no Worlds to attend.

[allezfred]

allezfred: I gather that Mr. allezfred's family are all safe? I haven't seen any comment about them but I guess you would have said something. Certainly Sapporo is quite far away from Sendai and even farther from Fukushima, with the winds going mostly in the opposite direction. So things should stay safe there. Enjoy the trip, even if there are no Worlds to attend.

Yes, they're very safe and we were never very concerned about them as they were far away from the affected areas. Thanks for asking.

While large parts of Tohoku have been devastated and the Tokyo area is undergoing planned blackouts, in the other parts of Japan life is carrying on as normal.

[Akira Andrea]

I think that the reason that ISU asked JSF to examine whether or not JSF can hold Worlds in Japan of autumn, postponing it, is because they thought that it is very difficult to find the other federation to shoulder the hosting of Worlds in spring instead of JSF.

I think that the reason is because they thought that the risk is too big because the lead time for hosting the Worlds is too short in the case of this time, although the big international event like the Worlds is always accompanied with not only the profit but also the commercial risk.

However, to their delight, ISU could find the plural federations which proposed the hosting of the Worlds with no thought of profit.

Therefore, I respect very much the courage and dedication of the federation and the country which proposed to shoulder the hosting of the Worlds instead of Japan with being not afraid of any risk.

I think that many Japanese also respect and thank very much that federation and the country.

[Coco]

Thank you, Akira Andrea. We appreciate your translations so much!!

And worlds in the spring are better for Mao, imo. She doesn't seem to like the fall.

MARBRI - it was at the grand prix final that skaters were required to do two long programs. It was stopped because skaters and their coaches complained, and the ISU saw it was difficult to market the results of forcing that schedule on skaters. I think the ISU had hoped to see the current program and a brand new program, but most skaters just recycled last years SP. A notable exception, of course, was Michelle's Miraculous Mandarin, iirc.

[Akira Andrea]

This is an article in “Mainichi Shimbun” in Japan.
Translated from Japanese.
Being anxious about the load against the earthquake victim and the players, JSF gave up the holding of Worlds within the country.
March 22nd, 2011 JST

In March 21st, ISU announced that they have given up the holding of the Worlds within Japan. Concerning that, JSF published a comment with the name of Seiko Hashimoto president in March 22nd.
As for the plan which holds the Worlds within Japan in autumn requested from ISU, JSF opened a board of directors on March 16th and decided once the policy which JSF examines the possibility with a forward-looking.
JSF said, "However, we judged that we should decline the holding of the Worlds within the country, if we consider the mental, physical load against a lot of earthquake victims and the participation players, after examining the time of the holding, a substitution venue, etc, and we reported it to ISU on March 19th".
ISU will release the substitution host country of the Worlds before long.
The International Team Trophy which has planned to hold at the Yokohama Arena in April will be held in Japan in April, 2012.

The article:
Being anxious about the load against the earthquake victim and the players, JSF gave up the holding of Worlds within the country.
http://mainichi.jp/select/today/news...50112000c.html

[Akira Andrea]

This is an article in “Sankei Shinbun” in Japan.
Translated from Japanese.
Six countries such as US and Russia have run for the holding of the Worlds instead of Japan.
March 23rd, 2011 JST

By Kyodo
In March 22nd, President Cinquanta of International Skating Union (ISU) revealed that six countries of Russia, Canada, US, Finland, Croatia and Austria have run for the substitution holding of the Worlds which the holding in Tokyo was canceled with the influence of the East Japan great earthquake.
AP News says that Russia who recommended Moscow to the candidate venue is influential.
Aiming at the holding of the Worlds in the second half of April or in the first half of May, ISU opens a conference in March 23rd or March 24th and decides the venue by the vote.

The article
Six countries such as US and Russia have run for the holding of the Worlds instead of Japan.
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/sports/news...1070000-n1.htm