Decisions of the ISU Council: Stockholm Worlds (March 22-28) still on; Synchro Worlds cancelled; 2021 Grand Prix schedule/Beijing test event announced

[Karen-W]

I've heard about this...and it's messed up. Especially since a lot of skaters there will be minors and they can't bring their parents along! So if they test positive they have to quarantine all by themselves. Like, apparently an ISU representative will stay behind if this happens, but the skater has to pay for it?

I'd be pretty pissed off if that was my kid.

How many minors do you think will be at Worlds?

Men (54 entries & alternates)
1) Yuma Kagiyama JPN
2) Mikhail Shaidorov KAZ
3) Evgeni Semenenko RUS

4) ALT Yudong Chen CHN
5) ALT Shun Sato JPN
6) ALT Younghyun Cha KOR

Ladies (69 entries & alternates)
1) Olga Mikutina AUT
2) Ekaterina Ryabova AZE
3) Viktoriia Safonova BLR
4) Alina Urushadze GEO
5) Julia Lang HUN
6) Nelli Ioffe ISR
7) Lindsay Van Zundert NED
8) Haein Lee KOR
9) Anna Shcherbakova RUS
10) Alexandra Trusova RUS
11) Anastasiia Arkhipova UKR

12) ALT Maria Levushkina BUL
13) ALT Maia Mazzara FRA
14) ALT Regina Schermann HUN
15) ALT Lucrezia Beccari ITA
16) ALT Ginevra Lavinia Negrello ITA
17) ALT Rino Matsuike JPN
18) ALT Seoyeong Wi KOR
19) ALT Young You KOR
20) ALT Alena Kostornaia RUS
21) ALT Audrey Shin USA

Pairs (32 teams & alternates = 64 athletes)
1) Yuchen Wang CHN
2) Elizaveta Zhuk CZE
3) Anastasiia Metelkina GEO
4) Sofiia Holichenko UKR
Dance (52 teams & alternates = 104 athletes)
1) Ekaterina Kuznetsova AZE
2) ALT Caroline Green USA

So, of 287 potential athletes - 33 are minors. If none of the alternates are used, then we are talking about 20 athletes who are minors and might be impacted by not having a chaperone present. And, by the way, are we positive that these minor athletes will not be allowed one chaperone? I know the initial document in January didn't include chaperones for minor athletes but I thought that had been amended in a later version.

 

[seabm7]

And, by the way, are we positive that these minor athletes will not be allowed one chaperone? I know the initial document in January didn't include chaperones for minor athletes but I thought that had been amended in a later version.

ISU does not allow chaperones for the Worlds, according to the health regulations updated on February 25, 2021:

https://www.isu.org/docman-documents-links/isu-files/event-documents/figure-skating-4/2020-21/championships-32/announcements-96/25552-wc21-health-regulations-21-02-25/file

"Chaperones: No chaperones accepted".

 

[Carolla5501]

How many minors do you think will be at Worlds?

Men (54 entries & alternates)
1) Yuma Kagiyama JPN
2) Mikhail Shaidorov KAZ
3) Evgeni Semenenko RUS

4) ALT Yudong Chen CHN
5) ALT Shun Sato JPN
6) ALT Younghyun Cha KOR

Ladies (69 entries & alternates)
1) Olga Mikutina AUT
2) Ekaterina Ryabova AZE
3) Viktoriia Safonova BLR
4) Alina Urushadze GEO
5) Julia Lang HUN
6) Nelli Ioffe ISR
7) Lindsay Van Zundert NED
8) Haein Lee KOR
9) Anna Shcherbakova RUS
10) Alexandra Trusova RUS
11) Anastasiia Arkhipova UKR

12) ALT Maria Levushkina BUL
13) ALT Maia Mazzara FRA
14) ALT Regina Schermann HUN
15) ALT Lucrezia Beccari ITA
16) ALT Ginevra Lavinia Negrello ITA
17) ALT Rino Matsuike JPN
18) ALT Seoyeong Wi KOR
19) ALT Young You KOR
20) ALT Alena Kostornaia RUS
21) ALT Audrey Shin USA

Pairs (32 teams & alternates = 64 athletes)
1) Yuchen Wang CHN
2) Elizaveta Zhuk CZE
3) Anastasiia Metelkina GEO
4) Sofiia Holichenko UKR
Dance (52 teams & alternates = 104 athletes)
1) Ekaterina Kuznetsova AZE
2) ALT Caroline Green USA

So, of 287 potential athletes - 33 are minors. If none of the alternates are used, then we are talking about 20 athletes who are minors and might be impacted by not having a chaperone present. And, by the way, are we positive that these minor athletes will not be allowed one chaperone? I know the initial document in January didn't include chaperones for minor athletes but I thought that had been amended in a later version.

And how many of these minors already are pretty independent. Sadly we all know that one of the truth is a lot of these kids are not living at home being taken care of by their parents, they moved away to training centers and are fairly self-sufficient I have a feeling. While I don’t think it’s a ideal a lot these minors are probably fairly independent

But once again, everyone knows the rules going in.

 

[PRlady]

Out of office. Is my guess

Yep.

 

[cholla]

I've heard about this...and it's messed up.

Not sure it's that messed up. It's also a good deterrent for federations that'd dare to be lazy with enforcing sanitary protocoles. Like telling them: 'if your skaters fool around and get sick, they'll be locked up and you'll shoulder the cost, so make them behave, make it work'.

 

[allezfred]

Slovenia provided a private plane for Vlhova to ski in the World Cup in Sweden (which she's likely to win).

Somehow I don't think they are going to do the same for Dasa. ?

 

[Seerek]

Slovenia provided a private plane for Vlhova to ski in the World Cup in Sweden (which she's likely to win).

Slovakia

 

[Vagabond]

Slovakia

I don't think Slovakia will be flying Daša Grm anywhere on a private jet either.

 

[Dobre]

I think skaters are pretty familiar with the risks of getting sick on airplanes. Some of them wore masks during travel pre-pandemic.

Not sure it's that messed up. It's also a good deterrent for federations that'd dare to be lazy with enforcing sanitary protocoles. Like telling them: 'if your skaters fool around and get sick, they'll be locked up and you'll shoulder the cost, so make them behave, make it work'.

And maybe don't buy them all travel tickets sitting next to each other on the same train or plane just because that might be cheaper.

 

[allezfred]

Slovakia

Babiakova....

 

[rfisher]

Somehow I don't think they are going to do the same for Dasa. ?

I guess winning a world cup carries more weight than merely hoping to make a free skate at Worlds.

They didn't fly any of the other member of the ski team either though.

 

[Ka3sha]

According to Zhulin, Russian team at first will meet, get tested and start training at the closed training center in Novogorsk on March, 16th and then fly to Stockholm on March, 20th.

 

[taz'smum]

According to Zhulin, Russian team at first will meet, get tested and start training at the closed training center in Novogorsk on March, 16th and then fly to Stockholm on March, 20th.

Yep, except some teams have already arrived in Novogorsk, some will not arrive until the 17th.
Tiff and Jon are being tested for C19 antibodies.
Once they arrive they will be in a closed environment and will all fly together at the weekend.

 

[Karen-W]

According to Zhulin, Russian team at first will meet, get tested and start training at the closed training center in Novogorsk on March, 16th and then fly to Stockholm on March, 20th.

Yep, except some teams have already arrived in Novogorsk, some will not arrive until the 17th.
Tiff and Jon are being tested for C19 antibodies.
Once they arrive they will be in a closed environment and will all fly together at the weekend.

I think this is a really smart idea for the Russian team - especially to allay any fears and worries that some people seem to have about them transmitting C19 or bringing it into the Stockholm bubble.

I know it wouldn't be feasible for the USFS to do this with our skaters (and it would hardly make any sense for the dance teams since they're all at I.AM). Hopefully the rest of our team are doing their own, smaller bubbles in Irvine, CO Springs, Dallas and TCC.

 

[Frau Muller]

According to Zhulin, Russian team at first will meet, get tested and start training at the closed training center in Novogorsk on March, 16th and then fly to Stockholm on March, 20th.

In the words of first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin:

Поехали! ?

 

[4rkidz]

I too tend to get colds while traveling. Now that I'm familiar with masks and how much they help with fighting transmission, I think I'll just always wear a mask on planes going forward. Why not?

Thread drift, but it's going to be interesting to see if mask-wearing in general becomes more common in the U.S. after CV19.

I agree and (so its not total thread drift) I would bet that many of the European and North American athletes will be doing the same and wearing masks to travel. In the past my daughter did wear a mask when she was travelling to compete but only if SHE was sick - Now I think many people will be - including me. Not including the family members that got *** nobody at work or in my family has even had a sniffle or cold the past year because of the new safety protocols we are following.

 

[Vagabond]

I hope that the athletes and coaches who travel to Stockholm by plane are doing more than wearing masks. They should be wearing visors too.

 

[Sylvia]

ISU will publish a "Where to Watch" press release of all the broadcasting rights worldwide and countries not listed should be able to watch the Skating ISU YouTube channel's livestream.

Where to Watch ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021 - International Skating Union

Viewers will be able to watch the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021 either via their national broadcaster / channel and for countries where there are no broadcasters, the ISU will offer a live stream on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel.

www.isu.org

@pairsicedance started a thread in TV Alerts (thanks!): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/2021-worlds-where-to-watch.108134/

 

[Sylvia]

I hope that the athletes and coaches who travel to Stockholm by plane are doing more than wearing masks. They should be wearing visors too.

Jason Brown plans to do so! : https://twitter.com/JasonBrownFP/status/1370698488376291338

 

[4rkidz]

Yep, except some teams have already arrived in Novogorsk, some will not arrive until the 17th.
Tiff and Jon are being tested for C19 antibodies.
Once they arrive they will be in a closed environment and will all fly together at the weekend.

Such a smart decision by the Russian federation. Good luck to your kid

 

[mjb52]

I spent a second speculating on if the Russians would drive, but I guess while Russia is closer to Sweden than the US is, it's still a 24 hour drive from Moscow... but only 16 from St. Petersburg! I always prefer driving to flying so I guess I was projecting there, but not very practical or restful for sure. A little fun though to imagine the whole National Team in a giant bus, like Plush's caravan to Kislovodsk.

 

[taz'smum]

I hope that the athletes and coaches who travel to Stockholm by plane are doing more than wearing masks. They should be wearing visors too.

No visors but my sprog will be double masking during travel.

 

[Braulio]

Babiakova....

Paurova...

 

[beepbeep]

No visors but my sprog will be double masking during travel.

Well fitted N95 all the way.

 

[Dave of the North]

Jason Brown plans to do so! : https://twitter.com/JasonBrownFP/status/1370698488376291338

i was hoping it was one of these:

Bottle protection

 

[Vagabond]

Jason Brown plans to do so! : https://twitter.com/JasonBrownFP/status/1370698488376291338

I am glad not only that he does, but also that he has posted in on Twitter, where others can see and perhaps therafter follow his example if they do fly or go into other risky settings.

 

[Sylvia]

I am glad not only that he does, but also that he has posted in on Twitter

Just to clarify... that was a screen cap -- from Jason's Instagram stories for USFS this past Friday -- that was tweeted by one of his Japanese fan accounts. I assume that was how he flew to and/or from 2021 Nationals in Las Vegas.

 

[screech]

Maybe they should all wear this thing on the plane.

 

[taz'smum]

Maybe they should all wear this thing on the plane.

Standard kit for the Russian team I believe

 

[Sylvia]

Phil Hersh's Nathan Chen article for NBC's OlympicTalk: https://tinyurl.com/yeg49cl8
Excerpts:

With that in mind, the ISU’s choice in June 2018 of Stockholm as 2021 host has turned out to be a stroke of good luck.
It is among few host cities in the world that could provide a main arena (Ericsson Globe), two practice arenas and a hotel for skaters and meet officials all so close to each other that no bus transport is needed. Everyone will be able to get from one place to the other on dedicated indoor walkways. The only time athletes will need a bus is to get to and from the airport.
No one without particular level accreditation for the event will be allowed into the official hotel, and everyone who asked for a single occupancy room received one, Ulrika Molin, project manager for the World Championships, said in a Monday email. All media interviews and press conferences will be virtual.

Molin said there had been no consideration by the ISU or the organizing committee of an earlier arrival to allow a quarantine of at least a week.
The Swedish organizing committee is paying for competitors’ lodging and meals beginning with dinner Saturday and ending with lunch Monday, March 29.
...
Team officials and coaches are “recommended” to leave as soon as their singles skater(s) or pair/dance team(s) have finished. Competition officials (judges, technical panel, data/replay officials) have been given specific departure dates.