ISU to evaluate feasibility of 2020-21 skating season

MsZem

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The MLB players and staff were supposed to be isolated during the season. Some of the outbreaks happened because of players who went partying outside the bubble. And there were enough outbreaks during the season that the schedule had to be significantly reworked several times, as in cancelling or postponing games so that teams with outbreaks would not potentially transit the v*r*s to other teams.
MLB had safety protocols. But teams did not play in a limited number of stadiums as you wrote, nor was there full isolation for players and staff. Following the Marlins outbreak, MLB did come up with stricter requirements. But outside of road trips, staff members and players were only "prohibited from visiting bars, lounges, malls, or other places in which larger groups of people gather" (source). That's nowhere near what the NBA was able to put in place.

MLB has come closer to a bubble-like setup with the postseason, and there have been no cases so far (ETA: and none since August). So basically, your post in response to yeslek was inaccurate.

BTW, if I never hear the word "bubble" again in this context it would be too soon.
 
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MacMadame

Doing all the things
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Not sure why @Jayar wants to fatten up Mr. Jayar (I'm getting Hansel and Gretl vibes here). But I also hope he comes home safely.

It seems like the SkAm bubble is a lot like the MLB bubble and they did have cases. I hope no one catches The Crud there. I am wondering too about all these comps in Russia. They have a high case count and it seems like they aren't doing bubbles or even taking minimal precautions. I'm not sure we'd hear if there were cases associated with them either as the media is very controlled there.
 

ballettmaus

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That's not correct. Major League Baseball isolated its players and staff, and only played in a limited number of stadiums, and still had cases and outbreaks on several teams.

I wouldn't consider that a bubble. They travelled. They came into contact with the outside world. The true bubbles worked because once at the hotel, the athletes never came into contact with the outside world and if skaters arrived, were tested, quarantined until they got their results back and then never left the hotel except to go to the rink, they should all be fine as well.

The NBA and NHL bubbles worked so well, I wish there was a way to hold all skating competitions this year that way but, unfortunatey, there isn't.
 

Lemonade20

If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
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I’m surprised we’re still talking about putting on the 2022 Olympics, to be honest. Even with a vaccine, it’s still a long way to go in recovery from the YKW
 

Japanfan

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I’m surprised we’re still talking about putting on the 2022 Olympics, to be honest. Even with a vaccine, it’s still a long way to go in recovery from the YKW

Maybe because there is hope for the future.

We could be out of this by Feb. 2022, which is still more than a year away. If we are not, there will be a lot more to worry about than YKW.
 
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taz'smum

'Be Kind' - every skater has their own story
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Maybe because there is hope for the future.

We could be out of this by Feb. 2022, which is still more than a year away. If we are not, there will be a lot more to worry about that YKW.
Being realistic, the Beijing Olympics postponed to 2023 is possible!
Though in the absence of a normal 2021-22 season, qualification could be messy.
 

ballettmaus

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I’m surprised we’re still talking about putting on the 2022 Olympics, to be honest. Even with a vaccine, it’s still a long way to go in recovery from the YKW

I read a comment on another forum from someone who believes that athletes will be the second group to get a vaccine after front line workers. I can easily see that - there's a lot of money in the sports industry and while there may not be that much in skating, there is in the Olympics.
 

starrynight

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I can see the Olympics potentially going ahead as a television only event if things are still bad.

What happens with the summer Olympics will be significant. Judging by this article, there are contingency plans to create a bubble in the athletes village etc etc.

https://thediplomat.com/2020/10/tokyo-olympic-games-will-go-ahead-in-2021/

Although off-topic, I do wonder if 'rona will be the impetus to the staging of future Olympics occurring in a more cost-effective, cheaper and sustainable way. The Olympic movement has become extremely expensive in every way and it could only be a good thing if somehow that could be moved away from.
 
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Debbie S

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Being realistic, the Beijing Olympics postponed to 2023 is possible!
Possibly, but earlier this year when the IOC postponed Tokyo, they indicated they would not postpone another year, and if they did need to cancel, they would also cancel Beijing. :(

Of course, the theme of this year is things can change, so who knows if that is still their thinking.
 

starrynight

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The issue with Olympic sports is that it's not as easy to create a bubble as with a football team for example, because athletes train separately across the world.

But of course, there would be options of creating pre-Olympic bubbles to ensure that athletes are 'rona free before they leave. But that is expensive and Olympic movements across the world don't have money to spare like a professional football team does.

Olympic sports really are a giant money pit that don't earn a lot (or anything) from the investment.
 

Frau Muller

From Puerto Rico…With Love! Not LatinX!
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IF an Olympics goes ahead in the **** era, and some sports like figure skating held virtually in real time, with skaters skating in their home locales, how would the time zone thing work?

OK, I can see how, leading to the event, skaters can acclimate themselves and alter sleep patterns. Competitors would set their body clocks to Beijing Time....but...on top of THAT, would American television (NBC) still be able to dictate the times of events, so that the USA public can watch in their prime time??? That crap - USA marketing wishes - should go by the wayside.
 

Sylvia

TBD
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FWIW, ISU published the judges' draws for 2021 Europeans, Junior Worlds & Worlds on Oct. 22: https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-...judges-draw-by-number-championships-2021/file

"Further to ISU Communication no. 2332, point 6, the ISU World Figure Skating Championships
2020 were not held, but a Judges draw was done for them and was not used, therefore
the unused draw remains valid and shall be used for the 2021 Championships."

From last year's thread:
The draw was held in Geneva, Switzerland on October 10, 2019.

Worlds 2020 drawn judges by country:

Men: AUS, AUT, CZE, FIN, GEO, GER, GBR, KOR, RUS, SWE, SUI, UKR, USA

Ladies: BEL, CZE, DEN, FRA, HKG, ITA, NED, RUS, SVK, SLO, ESP, SWE, USA

Pairs: AUT, CAN, CHN, CRO, CZE, FRA, GER, GBR, ITA, LAT, RUS, ESP, USA

Ice Dance: CAN, CHN, FIN, FRA, GBR, JPN, LTU, POL, RUS, ESP, SUI, UKR, USA
 

MsZem

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With the progress on vaccines, I’m not worried about the Olympics not happening at this point. The desire among nations to use the games as a big “we’re back!” moment will be strong indeed; they’ll do what needs to be done for them to go ahead.
London 1948 was held even though there was still damage from the war and various austerity measures were in place. That's not the same as dealing with a public health crisis, but I agree that the IOC and countries around the world will be highly motivated to have the Olympics take place.

Also, Japan has done well handling CV-19 and I'm sure they have some of their best and brightest working on plans on how to hold the Olympics as safely as possible.
 

Rukia

A Southern, hot-blooded temperamental individual
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The NBA was very successful with a closed-off bubble, which would be very doable with just the athletes. I mean they basically live in an insular bubble while they are there anyway. Audiences are a different animal altogether, although we still have a while to go. I'm going with an optimistic prediction that Tokyo will hold the Olympics and even have spectators (although maybe more limited in number).
 

skatfan

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The NBA was very successful with a closed-off bubble, which would be very doable with just the athletes. I mean they basically live in an insular bubble while they are there anyway. Audiences are a different animal altogether, although we still have a while to go. I'm going with an optimistic prediction that Tokyo will hold the Olympics and even have spectators (although maybe more limited in number).
The NBA bubble relied on athletes quarantining in their homes in their own homes except for practices of no more than four athletes at a time. There’s was a regime of regular COVID-19 testing during this period. Upon arrival at Disneyworld,they had to test and quarantine for 48 hours. There was daily testing for all athletes, coaches and staff. No one else on the hotels or meal areas or practices or competition.

the less than four athletes rule would be impossible to enforce in skating

Skate America had significantly relaxed rules in comparison - they took more chances IMO, and with a big event like world’s, the chances of someone being positive are over 50 percent. Not a good combination.
 

skatfan

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IMO it's far too early to tout Skate America a success. Wait two weeks to be sure there are no clusters or positive tests and then people can crow.
Agreed. I was using Skate America only as a comparison of rules, not outcome.
 

Turbo-Mom

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The WHO states that "essential travel to Sweden may include traveling for humanitarian aid work, medical reasons, or family emergencies. If they have World's will competitors have to Quarantine for 14 days in Sweden before leaving the hotel to try and locate unofficial practice ice. Once World's is over with, the competitors returning to the United States would need to Guaranteen again for 14 more days. WHO also warns that health care resources are limited in the event competitors get COVID while in Sweden? Does anyone have insight on how this would work for the competitors. I'm assuming they won't have international Spectators and use a format similar to Skate America. Athletes go into a bubble after the 14 day quarantine is over.

Also wondering if competitors are vaccinated ahead of time, can they still be carriers if the come in contact with someone else that is positive for COVID but is asymtomatic
 

Sabine-Yuna

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The WHO states that "essential travel to Sweden may include traveling for humanitarian aid work, medical reasons, or family emergencies. If they have World's will competitors have to Quarantine for 14 days in Sweden before leaving the hotel to try and locate unofficial practice ice. Once World's is over with, the competitors returning to the United States would need to Guaranteen again for 14 more days. WHO also warns that health care resources are limited in the event competitors get ********* while in Sweden? Does anyone have insight on how this would work for the competitors. I'm assuming they won't have international Spectators and use a format similar to Skate America. Athletes go into a bubble after the 14 day quarantine is over.

Also wondering if competitors are vaccinated ahead of time, can they still be carriers if the come in contact with someone else that is positive for ********* but is asymtomatic
As far as I know you dont have to quarantine in Sweden. Going back to their own country athletes might have to quarantine. It's different in every country. But season is over then, so this shouldn't be a big issue.
 

Miezekatze

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I don't think travel rules have anything to do with what the WHO considers "essential travel". All countries can make their own rules who from which country can travel into their country for which reason and whether and how long they have to quarantine.

European countries currently change their rules all the time.
 

MacMadame

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Also wondering if competitors are vaccinated ahead of time, can they still be carriers if the come in contact with someone else that is positive for ********* but is asymtomatic
If you don't get infected, the virus doesn't live in you. So you can't pass it on.
 

acraven

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But no one is expecting the vaccines--at least the early ones--to be particularly close to 100% effective, so that means it will definitely be possible for some vaccinated people to get the virus. Of those who still manage to catch it, some are likely to be infectious.
 

Debbie S

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Whether to hold the Olys doesn't just depend on how safely the event can be conducted (and with the number of athletes, the travel involved, training needs/setup, it's going to be a lot harder to set up a bubble than with SA) but also how feasible it is for the athletes to compete. Will they be able to prepare properly? Will nat'l and int'l governing bodies for the individual sports be able to hold qualifiers? Will athletes be able to travel, not just to the Olys but to an int'l qualifier?

With cases surging and some countries headed for a second lockdown, it's going to be difficult to have a sports season leading up to Tokyo (and most summer sports didn't have a season this year). Winter sports have some more time before Beijing but the next 3-4 months aren't looking good. Figure skating could theoretically hold Worlds at any time of the year but outdoor sports, not so much (particularly if Australia and NZ are locked down to foreign visitors). :(
 

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