Provisional allotments for ISU Championships 2022, 2023 & 2024; future bids discussion

[misskarne]

I wouldn't mind. And it's almost twice as long to fly to Australia from NYC than to Tallinn so I suspect I am not alone in that.

Because Europe is soooooo short on skating competitions and opportunities to host big events they need another one.

It definitely sounds like all we needed was just a little bit more time. It also sounds like the ISU just could not wait to rip it away and give it to a big country, given they actually had a replacement all lined up already.

 

[Dobre]

The ISU has really struggled to get countries to host 4CCs. I very much doubt they wanted to take it away from Australia.

 

[MacMadame]

You literally said "I wouldn't mind" and the word skater didn't appear.

I also said "so I suspect I am not alone in that." That covers everyone else who wouldn't mind.

 

[insideedgeua]

I thought there was no venue on the Gold Coast. I'm confused about how they were close to securing a deal?

There was a venue on the Gold Coast that had been used for the Commonwealth Games. It could have accommodated a temporary rink and stands for spectators.

I believe the issue was the practice rink. The rink on the Gold Coast was deemed unsatisfactory and Brisbane too far for practice.

 

[aussieSKATES]

We can't even begin to imagine the logistics of arranging, let alone shifting the location of any large event.

We're still staggered how Moscow stepped up to the plate in 2011 to host the World Championships after the earthquake in Japan.

That they did this with a six week turnaround still blows our mind.

 

[Vagabond]

Euros in the US! Sounds good to me.

I hear there's a good arena in Montpelier.

 

[skatfan]

post deleted

 

[skatfan]

Because Europe is soooooo short on skating competitions and opportunities to host big events they need another one.

It definitely sounds like all we needed was just a little bit more time. It also sounds like the ISU just could not wait to rip it away and give it to a big country, given they actually had a replacement all lined up already.

I totally understand how frustrating this is for all the Australians, but to be honest the US hasn’t exactly beaten down the door to host this (Anaheim was the first time in a looong while). If the Australian federation didn’t have venues lined up(I’m guessing the contract had a deadline) the ISU should have been making Plan B. It’s entirely possible that the US had a drop dead date to book venues and hotels and sign contracts so their hand was forced, otherwise it might have to be in Europe again where @MacMadame assures us the skaters would rather go.

 

[Karen-W]

I'm with @skatfan in not particularly appreciating the "big bad ol' USFS stole this from the small fed!" sentiment expressed by some others here. If this was truly an event that the USFS wanted to take away from Australia then they wouldn't have offered up Colorado Springs and the World Arena. They're bidding for 2025 Worlds with Boston, and 2019 4CCs was in Anaheim. This reads to me like a back up plan so that we don't wind up with another situation like last season when China dropped hosting 4CCs with less than 4 months to spare and Bulgaria backed out of Jr Worlds less than a month beforehand. The ISU was lucky that the Estonian fed was able to step up and host both of those events, but there was more than a bit of grousing that neither the USFS or Skate Canada was willing to step up and host a bare knuckles 4CCs on short notice.

I'm definitely sympathetic to our Aussie friends here who are bitterly disappointed at losing this event, but blaming the USFS seems really misplaced. Would the sentiment would be different if it was another small fed, like Taiwan or the Singapore, stepping up here? There are lots of reasons to resent the USFS, but this shouldn't be one of them.

 

[misskarne]

I don't think some people are grasping how quickly this seems to have fallen apart. ISA do not appear to have had a lot of warning - if any - that it would be taken off them. And after all the trouble they had getting a replacement last year, all of a sudden the ISU have a replacement location ready-made? That reeks of ISU double-dealing behind ISA's back to sort something else out and then pulling the rug. It stinks.

And they don't even have the basic courtesy to allow the ISA to announce it first?! They let USFS announce it before ISA?! Sorry but feck that, that is on USFS, that's shitty behaviour.

Well, I hope there's a blizzard every day during 4CC Colorado Springs, and I hope the ISU delegates there all freeze their goddamn butts off, and I hope every single day they are reminded that they should have been on the Gold Coast during an Australian summer.

 

[skatfan]

I don't think some people are grasping how quickly this seems to have fallen apart. ISA do not appear to have had a lot of warning - if any - that it would be taken off them. And after all the trouble they had getting a replacement last year, all of a sudden the ISU have a replacement location ready-made? That reeks of ISU double-dealing behind ISA's back to sort something else out and then pulling the rug. It stinks.

Was ISA in compliance with their contract deadlines for the event? It does seem odd that a federation had a championship event but a venue was not confirmed with less than a year to go. And yes, after last year‘s debacle with China for 4CCs I can totally imagine the ISU wanting things confirmed in a timely manner.

Like Karen said, it feels like the USFSA did this as a favor the ISU. The ISU probably botched telling the ISA when they should have.

 

[Karen-W]

Baloney. The ISA should have known/made sure the venue in Sydney was available for the 2023 event when the ISU awarded it to them. There's something that stinks alright, and it started smelling over a month ago when folks here noted that the venue was suddenly switched to "TBA AUS" from Sydney. There's more to this story than is being shared than a mere "we were working hard to secure sponsors and almost had one lined up" - which doesn't even match up with @insideedgeua hearing that at least one issue was the lack of a practice rink in Gold Coast, nor does it satisfactorily explain why the move from Sydney in the first place.

Honestly, after getting burned last season by the Chinese fed backing out of hosting 4CCs, the notion that the ISU was just back-room-dealing with the USFS to take this event away from Australia is ludicrous. What probably happened is the ISU Council met to review/approve/allocate upcoming Championships, venue plans, etc, and the ISA didn't have its ducks in a row the way it should have. At that point, what would you have them do? Wait around another month to see if the ISA could get their act together? Or, ask the other 4CCs feds if any of them would be able to step up. I have no doubt the USFS, being headquartered in Colorado Springs, probably was better positioned to pull an event at the World Arena together on short notice, but you're flat out accusing them of actively seeking this outcome.

That's a ridiculous accusation, especially when you consider which cities they've been putting forward to host major Championship events (Worlds, 4CCs, Nationals during Olympic years) during the last 20 years - 2002 LA Nats, 2006 St Louis Nats, 2009 LA Worlds, 2010 Spokane Nats, 2014 Boston Nats, 2016 Boston Worlds, 2018 San Jose Nats, 2019 Anaheim 4CCs, 2022 Nashville Nats, Bidding 2025 Boston Worlds. Colorado Springs has hosted 4CCs 3 times in that time span (2006, 2007 & 2012) - and it was pretty clear back then that it was the USFS doing the ISU a favor to support the event - same with Taipei also stepping up to host 4 times in the last decade alone (2011, 2014, 2016 & 2018). Seeing as Taipei was just awarded 2024 Jr Worlds, well, it makes sense that the USFS was asked if they could host the 2023 4CCs in Colorado Springs again.

I'm still deeply saddened for the Aussie skaters and fans who are going to miss out on hosting this event, but wishing a blizzard on the new host and everyone freezing their butts off? That's more than a little melodramatic, even for FSU queens.

 

[litenkyckling]

I believe part of the problem was that one of the rinks was scheduled to host another sport (I want to say basketball?) and for whatever reason a deal couldn’t be done. I don’t know what the attitudes are like in Australia but if it’s anything like the UK, people don’t take the sport seriously. In the UK during lockdown, football matches were still going ahead and rinks still hadn’t opened to elite athletes because it was seen as “leisure”. I can’t imagine how hard the Australian fed had to fight to try and make this happen - I bet they were faced with people thinking that other sports (and let’s be real, sports that are more dominated by men both in the sport and as spectators) took precedence over skating.

 

[aussieSKATES]

For anyone who has managed or been part of a crew working towards strict deadlines, the tremendous stress team members experience when components start to go wrong is pretty harrowing.

As difficult as it must be to accept for everyone involved in bringing the competition to Australia, that the ISU had a solid contingency plan is absolutely necessary for an event on this scale.

There were simply too many elements to consider even beyond running the actual 2023 Four Continents Championships themselves (booking flights, securing local tv crews, security, volunteers, hotel accommodation, ground transportation, etc) for the ISU not to have some kind of back-up in place.

 

[insideedgeua]

The venue was all lined up well in advance for 2021. The switch to 2023, due to Covid, left a shorter than usual timeline. The first, second and third Sydney options were already booked out. The Brisbane Entertainment Centre was also booked out. The rink in Melbourne doesn’t have a large enough stand for spectators.

The Gold Coast option had plenty of behind the scenes support, but the practice rink was an issue. I hear that this may be resolved in a couple of years, but this is something where plans are not well enough advanced. This is not something where ISA had any control.

ISA was working hard to find a way, but deadlines are deadlines.

This event was not stolen from anyone or by anyone.

Is there more to the story? Always. But, not all parts of any story are made public. I don’t believe that there’s any blame game to be played here though.

 

[VGThuy]

“How to lose sympathy in 10 sentences or less.”

 

[On My Own]

“How to lose sympathy in 10 sentences or less.”

Like 9 sentences?

 

[jeffisjeff]

“How to lose sympathy in 10 sentences or less.”

Some folks on this board do seem to have a particular talent for that.

 

[Debbie S]

And they don't even have the basic courtesy to allow the ISA to announce it first?! They let USFS announce it before ISA?! Sorry but feck that, that is on USFS, that's shitty behaviour.

No, that's on the ISU, if anyone. It would be standard protocol for USFS to confirm the timeline for an announcement, since it is an ISU event.

Well, I hope there's a blizzard every day during 4CC Colorado Springs, and I hope the ISU delegates there all freeze their goddamn butts off, and I hope every single day they are reminded that they should have been on the Gold Coast during an Australian summer.

Aren't you a little too old to be throwing temper tantrums on a message board?

 

[manhn]

There was a skating event in the US with extreme weather calamities that resulted in the death of a skater’s parent due to poor road conditions.

 

[skatfan]

There was a skating event in the US with extreme weather calamities that resulted in the death of a skater’s parent due to poor road conditions.

This. I was at that event.

 

[sk9tingfan]

This. I was at that event.

As was I. The going was very treacherous.

 

[Bouffantrex]

Well, I hope there's a blizzard every day during 4CC Colorado Springs, and I hope the ISU delegates there all freeze their goddamn butts off, and I hope every single day they are reminded that they should have been on the Gold Coast during an Australian summer.

Oh dear. Is this intended to be a rageful brand of performance art?

 

[Carolla5501]

Aren't you a little too old to be throwing temper tantrums on a message board?

Have you read her posting history?


from my personal point of view I might finally have found an event to attend in the next season. (I’m not doing nationals in San Jose I just don’t have the time for that. I was going to the skate America but it’s just not going to work out, so maybe Colorado Springs so I can go to. I’ve never been to it and the timing is good. ) And despite our Australian hissy fit it’s highly unlikely they’ll be a blizzard every day.

 

[Debbie S]

And despite our Australian hissy fit it’s highly unlikely but they’ll be a blizzard every day.

I hope not! There's enough chaos in air travel right now when the weather is clear.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Oh dear. Is this intended to be a rageful brand of performance art?

Channeling the extreme moments of Toni Collette's performance in "Muriel's Wedding"?

 

[pat c]

Have you read her posting history?


from my personal point of view I might finally have found an event to attend in the next season. (I’m not doing nationals in San Jose I just don’t have the time for that. I was going to the skate America but it’s just not going to work out, so maybe Colorado Springs so I can go to. I’ve never been to it and the timing is good. ) And despite our Australian hissy fit it’s highly unlikely they’ll be a blizzard every day.

I attended 4c's the last time it was in CS. It still remains one of my fav comps. Go.

 

[skatfan]

Have you read her posting history?


from my personal point of view I might finally have found an event to attend in the next season. (I’m not doing nationals in San Jose I just don’t have the time for that. I was going to the skate America but it’s just not going to work out, so maybe Colorado Springs so I can go to. I’ve never been to it and the timing is good. ) And despite our Australian hissy fit it’s highly unlikely they’ll be a blizzard every day.

Definitely go. In 2019, I got to see a number of Japanese and Korean skaters, plus Donovan Carrillo plus Sui and Han and the 3 US dance teams. Totally worth the price!

 

[Ena Grins]

I'm so bummed for the Australian federation and fans and hope they'll be able to make it work with another ISU comp. There are more and more great skaters coming from there and they deserve a chance to compete for a home crowd.

The move to Colorado Springs does make it feasible for me to go to a skating event next season. I'm going to keep an eye out for ticket prices!

 

[Lanie]

4CCs in Anaheim was such fun.