2020 ISU Challenger Series

[nimi]

ISU has announced the 5 core events for 2020: Nebelhorn, Finlandia, Nepela, Golden Spin + 1 North American competition (TBD)

https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/23644-2307-challenger-series-2020-21/file

In recognition of the long standing tradition and merit of the following International Competitions, there will be a core group of five (5) Challenger Series events, namely:

• Nebelhorn-Trophy in Oberstdorf (GER)
• Finlandia Trophy (FIN)
• Ondrej Nepela Trophy in Bratislava (SVK)
• Golden Spin of Zagreb (CRO)
• One event in Canada or the United States to be agreed upon among the ISU Figure Skating Members in Canada and the United States.

There will be additional CS events added to the list, but again only 5 events will include Pairs.

Since the season 2019/20, only five (5) Competitions include Pair Skating to ensure that these competitions have the minimum number of Pairs required to fulfil the criteria for a Challenger Series competition.

Up to a maximum of five (5) additional International Figure Skating Competitions may be added by the ISU Council at its full discretion based on the applications from organizing ISU Members from all Continents to be submitted to the ISU.

 

[Braulio]

Please ISU demand the other events to have a decent streaming via youtube

And since Golden Spin is a core event, THEY MUST HAVE A STREAM!!! Never again like this season with no coverage!!!

 

[A.H.Black]

Learned today that the Classic will be in Salt Lake City again next year. Dates will be Sept 16-20. There will not be a pairs competition this coming year. Apparently Canada gets the pairs competition for 2020-21.

 

[Colonel Green]

Learned today that the Classic will be in Salt Lake City again next year.

NOOOOOO!!!

Apparently Canada gets the pairs competition for 2020-21.

Oh, thank God.

 

[A.H.Black]

NOOOOOO!!!

I had the opposite reaction. I love this competition. It is so relaxed. We always chat with skaters, coaches and officials in an easy way. It has also become sort of a "good luck" competition for many skaters we watch.

 

[Debbie S]

I've been to SLC twice (2012 and this season) and thought it was a great place to have the event. Laid-back and low-key and the area is beautiful. I won't be able to be there this coming year, but encourage anyone who is on the fence to go.

 

[npavel]

why only 5 events?

 

[Orm Irian]

Learned today that the Classic will be in Salt Lake City again next year. Dates will be Sept 16-20. There will not be a pairs competition this coming year. Apparently Canada gets the pairs competition for 2020-21.

Thank goodness. Pairs at that altitude has been its own particular brand of terrifying...

why only 5 events?

For pairs? Because before they limited it to five there used to be so few pairs at some Challenger events that the results weren't valid for championship minimums, and skaters/federations were having to add extra competitions to their plans (without necessarily getting more funding to make up for it) in hopes that a) there'd be enough people at the next event that it would count and b) they could replicate their results there. Which wasn't always the case. Limiting pairs to five out of the ten events has definitely helped avoid that problem.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I had the opposite reaction. I love this competition. It is so relaxed. We always chat with skaters, coaches and officials in an easy way. It has also become sort of a "good luck" competition for many skaters we watch.

I don't mind SLC either.

My only thing is please no more rinks with all the hockey guards and markings under the ice still visible. Or "Go Badgers" banners on the walls.

Nothing says "no budget" than that.

tee-hee

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

why only 5 events?

I think 5 events refers to the core events (including pairs).

There will still be all the others (tho some get canceled along the way) throughout the season.

 

[Vagabond]

"Go Badgers" banners on the walls.

Nothing says "no budget" than that.

Agreed.

 

[kwanfan1818]

there used to be so few pairs at some Challenger events that the results weren't valid for championship minimums,

You only need two entries from two different members, plus the judging and tech panels with the minimum credentials, for the TES earned to count towards TES minimums. That is a low bar that nearly all (senior) internationals clear.

It's WS points that were an issue, where you need the following minimum entries at the draws:

In addition, the minimum number of entries per discipline are as follows:
• Men / Ladies: minimum of eight (8) entries each, from at least four (4) ISU Members;
• Pair Skating: minimum of five (5) entries from at least three (3) ISU Members;
• Ice Dance: minimum of six (6) entries from at least four (4) ISU Members.

In addition, to qualify for higher CS WS point values, and count towards the SB list, you need to have three disciplines, so no singles-only events.

They originally tried to have a higher number of minimum entries -- the ones above are the same as for garden variety internationals -- but realized that they were too high, especially with no limit on the number of CS events with Pairs.

 

[azcalder]

So does that mean no 2020-21 Autumn Classic?

 

[skatingguy]

So does that mean no 2020-21 Autumn Classic?

Autumn Classic will be the North American event in the core 5 ISU Challengers that this year has all four events. The pairs competition switches back & forth between the Autumn Classic & US Classic, and this year it's Canada's turn.

 

[Orm Irian]

It's WS points that were an issue, where you need the following minimum entries at the draws:

Argh, yes of course, sorry for the mistake! I must have got that issue muddled up with the problem of minimum entries needed at standard Senior Bs for TES minimums to count, eg last season when Hamon/Strekalin got their world TES mins at a small competition but couldn't use them because while there were the required number of teams at the competition, thanks to multiple withdrawals from other countries all of those teams were French. But I do remember people worrying - I think year before last? - that if Katia and Harley withdrew from Salt Lake there wouldn't be enough entrants from different countries for it to count for something, so clearly there was an issue in the past with low pairs numbers causing problems even at Challenger level.