ISU to evaluate feasibility of 2020-21 skating season

Sylvia

TBD
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79,986
Not sure about Finlandia though - is the rink at Espoo the same kind or is it a stadium?
It's a multi-purpose arena that can accommodate almost 7000+ seats for ice hockey games and 8000 for concerts: https://www.metroareena.fi/

It was posted in the Japanese news thread that JSF currently is planning to hold all 6 of their block (Regional) competitions and their Novice Championships this fall with no spectators.
 

Aussie Willy

Hates both vegemite and peanut butter
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27,871
From an Australian perspective, our national association is looking at contingencies for how nationals could operate this year. A communication has been released so this is public news. Still it may be difficult to hold a full event which includes singles, pairs, dance and synchro which is how it has always been.
 

Aussie Willy

Hates both vegemite and peanut butter
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27,871
I think the other thing to consider with skating is it is mostly a volunteer run workforce. The clubs and associations have a moral health and safety obligation to ensure that people are not infected or risk infection. But if people did get sick it could affect their public liability insurance premiums as well if many people got sick at an event.
 

Marco

Well-Known Member
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15,262
From an Australian perspective, our national association is looking at contingencies for how nationals could operate this year. A communication has been released so this is public news. Still it may be difficult to hold a full event which includes singles, pairs, dance and synchro which is how it has always been.

Don't know how Kailani can fly back and compete...
 

Orm Irian

Well-Known Member
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1,691
Don't know how Kailani can fly back and compete...

She'd be able to return, even with things as they stand now, so long as she does a two-week hotel quarantine on arrival. By early December when Nationals happen it's likely there will be no quarantines required after internal border crossings, so long as we don't have a second wave, and depending on how things look in the rest of the world even the requirements for international returnees to quarantine may not be as stringent by then. She and Victoria Alcantara will have to make the same calculus about whether returning, losing a bit of training time and being home for a 4CC that might not go ahead, but possibly not able to leave again afterwards, is worth a Nationals medal.

I still think it's much more likely that some Challengers and Senior Bs will go ahead than that the GP/JGP will because they aren't built on a structure of many people flying around the globe multiple times in a six-week period; they can be accessed through ground borders for many participants.
 

misskarne

Handy Emergency Backup Mode
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23,456
Don't know how Kailani can fly back and compete...

Kailani, and Brendan for that matter, are both home in Australia. Rinks are opening up in NSW. They can train here; but returning to their overseas training bases will be difficult.

It may be that both will choose to train here until things are more settled, to avoid loading up on the quarantine.
 

AngieNikodinovLove

Frangi & Piazza & Paul & Hektor & Theo. Oh My! 😝
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12,674
I think the other thing to consider with skating is it is mostly a volunteer run workforce. The clubs and associations have a moral health and safety obligation to ensure that people are not infected or risk infection. But if people did get sick it could affect their public liability insurance premiums as well if many people got sick at an event.

You don’t like peanut butter? That is blasphemous
 

Sylvia

TBD
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79,986
Copying over what @DobrinFan posted in another thread:
Riga, Latvia added as the 6th JGP event with pairs (Oct 14-17)
"Following the cancellation of the first two Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Events that were to have been held in Canada and Slovak Republic, the Council approved the application from Riga / LAT to host a Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Event.

The revised ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series will therefore be as follows:
1st event September 9-12, 2020 Budapest / HUN
2nd event September 16-19, 2020 Yokohama / JPN
3rd event (incl. Pair Skating) September 23-26, 2020 Ostrava / CZE
4th event (incl. Pair Skating) Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2020 Tashkent / UZB
5th event October 7-10, 2020 Ljubljana / SLO
6th event (incl. Pair Skating) October 14-17, 2020 Riga / LAT

A further update will be given after the Council meeting to be held on July 6, 2020."
 

Sylvia

TBD
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79,986
Also from the latest ISU Communication, linked above:

4. ISU Figure Skating Championships 2021 – Minimum Total Element Scores

The Council decided to keep the same Minimum Total Element Scores necessary for participation in
the 2021 ISU Figure Skating Championships and earned at competitions in the season 2019/20 and
in the season 2020/21 as approved for the 2020 Championships.

Note regarding the Covid-19 situation:
In case that due to the Covid-19 pandemic an extended number of Competitions are cancelled during
the fall 2020 the Council will review the situation in regard to the Minimum Total Elements Score again
at the time of the October Council meeting.

The Council determined that the Skaters/Couples participating in the ISU Championships 2021 must
have reached the following Minimum Total Elements Scores during the ongoing season (2020/21) or
the immediately preceding season (2019/20):

Worlds 2021
Men 34 / 64
Ladies 30 / 51
Pairs 27 / 44
Dance 33 / 47

Euros/4CC 2021
Men 28 / 46
Ladies 23 / 40
Pairs 25 / 42
Dance 28 / 44

Junior Worlds 2021
Men 23 / 42
Ladies 23 / 38
Pairs 23 / 34
Dance 23 / 37
 

once_upon

Better off now than 4 years ago? Have TP now
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Did I read it right, they still haven't made a decision that the ISU events will happen, that they may be cancelled?
 

Sylvia

TBD
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79,986
Did I read it right, they still haven't made a decision that the ISU events will happen
Correct.

From the latest Communication (no. 2332 dated June 17, 2020):
Note regarding the Covid-19 situation: The ISU Council will closely monitor the COVID-19 related developments in close consultation with the appointed Working Groups (see ISU Communications 2320 and 2327) and the organizing ISU Members of all ISU Events and will decide upon and communicate any postponement and/or change of location and/or cancellations as soon as possible.
 

Brenda_Bottems

Banned Member
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796
I know it's been over 50 years, but have they considered outdoor venues for the championships?

Only if school figures are required. Along with proper attire for ladies. If I may be blunt: at the present time and immortality are bigger obstacles to our sport than this virus.

-BB
 

Rock2

Well-Known Member
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3,725
My own experiences with being signed up for athletic events that are being canceled one by one and being involved in the decision-making for the event I am a Race Director for is that there is some truth to this but it's probably not 100% like what people are saying.

I've talked to Race Directors and most of them are not canceling their events outright even if they think there is no way they will happen. What they are doing is keeping them on the schedule until such time as they have to start spending money on them. Then they cancel them. Alternatively, the jurisdiction they are in makes a pronouncement, say no events with over X people until there is a vaccine or no international travel until a certain date (after the date of their event). So when that announcement is made, the Race Director cancels.

They are doing this for a number of reasons. Some of them are financial but also they don't want to limit their options. As an example, my race was first postponed. Until this week I was sure there was no way to do the event on the new date. But now they've opened up enough things that I am starting to think it will happen.

To the skaters, I would say: if it's not canceled, it's because the ISU still thinks there is a chance to have the event. Some people making the decisions are sure they will all be canceled but some are not.

Of all the rather sensible discussion here (PB diversions aside) I gravitate back to this thinking the most. This is what makes sense to me. Too many unknowns, so kick the can down the road until you're forced to spend money and then make a call. Even then you can begin to spend nominally and bail at a later date.

I'm just not sure how much the ISU or even individual federations would be invested in the financial health of skating rinks. Outfits like Skate Canada depend on a lot of revenue from grassroots memberships, so they do care about rinks being open and maybe less about how many of the elite skaters are training.

What I do think about is if you just plain cancel the entire interational season. Do your elite skaters quit the sport? Do they stop training or continue, to keep their skills? If Nationals is kept on the calendar is that sufficient motivation?

So much to sort out. And it will be all on a short timeline. My bet continues to be that the only events that will be held will be (delayed?) Nationals and World's. I'll be surprised if anything else appears on the schedule unless someone in Europe wants to attempt a regional event.
 

thvu

Usova's Apprentice
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So much to sort out. And it will be all on a short timeline. My bet continues to be that the only events that will be held will be (delayed?) Nationals and World's. I'll be surprised if anything else appears on the schedule unless someone in Europe wants to attempt a regional event.
There are so many variables. I don’t envy these decision makers at all.
 

Skate Talker

Well-Known Member
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8,138
Training opportunities will also be quite different depending on the country the skater is in. Not that everyone ever had equal training opportunities but this will give some countries an addtional advantage over others.
 

Rock2

Well-Known Member
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Training opportunities will also be quite different depending on the country the skater is in. Not that everyone ever had equal training opportunities but this will give some countries an addtional advantage over others.

I have said in the past, the nuance is, if the training differences are related to C*VID I think the ISU has to be more sensitive to that. If the training differences are more related to normal circumstances of personal finance, government or federations priorities etc then ISU can't get too caught up in that.

When it comes to world's I think this all ends up at two major thresholds:
1. When they start to spend they have to look at the global situation and see if it's worth continuing or cancelling
2. When you get to the dead last minute (weeks away?) and the spending really is about to peak and skaters are about to travel and the costs of cancelling escalate etc. ISU will survey conditions in host country, how ready the skaters are and how many countries can participate and make a simple yes/no call on if this is good enough.

Until then, will be a lot of treading water.

I feel for all involved. Training, planning alike is so anxiety-inducing with all this uncertainty.
 

GarrAargHrumph

I can kill you with my brain
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I've been a bit concerned about training advantages for skaters in countries (and in the US, in states) where skaters have been allowed to practice, versus those where rinks open later. In some cases, the skaters might travel and stay in a place where they can get ice time, but that's not necessarily possible for everyone. But IMO, this is something the ISU and national federations can choose to deal with if they need to/if their skaters and coaches ask them to. It's not the end of the world.

I know it's been over 50 years, but have they considered outdoor venues for the championships?

I bet they are considering it in some cases. If they did consider this, it likely would involve some major moves - they'd need to move the events to places where they can guarantee outdoor ice even if the weather leading up to and during the event isn't conducive to ice. They'd need to be able to shift the days of the event in case of rain or otherwise poor weather, so the ice would need to be available not only during the event, but perhaps after it. The ice surface would at least need to ISU regulation size (unless they waive that rule), and also not be some weird shape. There would also need to be either a separate outdoor facility for practices, or else some other way to handle practice ice. Many countries wouldn't have such a venue. For others that do, such as the US and Canada, the venue may or may not be available, and may or may not be willing.

If, for example, they held US Nationals at its normal time, they might look at either established outdoor ice rinks like Sun Valley, or else at places like Fenway Park (a baseball stadium normally, where they've played outdoor NHL games recently.)
 

Karen-W

Checking Senior Bs for TES mins...
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There is an indoor-outdoor rink facility in Bend. It is very cool! It's NHL-regulation size. I'm not sure where a temporary rink could be set up in the area (maybe the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond?) but rain and poor weather wouldn't be an issue here either.

The Pavilion
 

Foolhardy Ham Lint

Well-Known Member
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6,277
I know it's been over 50 years, but have they considered outdoor venues for the championships?

Or the fabulous sub-tropical storms Sydney sometimes experiences during Summer.

I'm reminded of the JGP of Brisbane where for part of the ladies short program, hail on the roof of the arena was pelting down so hard, you could barely hear the skater's music.
 
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