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

[Brenda_Bottems]

Somebody should fetch ANL a cocktail posthaste.

-BB

 

[Carolla5501]

If they have close contacts, this sounds to me like they were free range within the bubble.....

It sounds to me that you are making assumptions based on no facts.

I mean skaters and coaches never have any close contacts do they? (Or in your world the coach has a megaphone and screams instructions across an arena?).

 

[mjb52]

Good luck to all skaters from all countries tomorrow (today in Sweden)!!!! Have a wonderful time! We aren't there with you in person but we are there in spirit (some of us in spirits), whether that involves "in spirit" knitting in the front row, waving banners with your faces on them, putting on cardigans because it's cold in the arena, or whatever else. You are all awesome!

 

[taz'smum]

Good luck to all skaters from all countries tomorrow (today in Sweden)!!!! Have a wonderful time! We aren't there with you in person but we are there in spirit (some of us in spirits), whether that involves "in spirit" knitting in the front row, waving banners with your faces on them, putting on cardigans because it's cold in the arena, or whatever else. You are all awesome!

Yes, the arena will probably be colder than normal with the absence of spectators

 

[Sylvia]

Or it's a false positive.

The Armenian ice dance team of Tina GARABEDIAN / Simon PROULX SENECAL posted the same video today regarding the circumstances of their withdrawal from Worlds.
Tina: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNC7FmxDq_a/
Simon: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNDAs6MpUzR/

 

[taz'smum]

The Armenian ice dance team of Tina GARABEDIAN / Simon PROULX SENECAL posted the same video today regarding the circumstances of their withdrawal from Worlds.
Tina: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNC7FmxDq_a/
Simon: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNDAs6MpUzR/

If the reports from the skaters that it was a false positive are true, that really sucks big time.
To lose your chance of an Olympic place to a false positive is really not fair!

 

[MsZem]

The Armenian ice dance team of Tina GARABEDIAN / Simon PROULX SENECAL posted the same video today regarding the circumstances of their withdrawal from Worlds.
Tina: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNC7FmxDq_a/
Simon: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNDAs6MpUzR/

This really sucks, but given that the first test was positive (false positive, but still) I just don't see what could have been done. Even if the second test results had come in on time and had been correctly reported as negative, I doubt anyone would have taken the risk of allowing them to skate (ETA: the cynic in me does wonder if a solution might have been found if they were representing certain other countries). It is such a shame for them, and I hope they won't allow this to demotivate them and will keep working towards their goals.

Anyway, just to get this straight: three positive tests in all, two for people who tested positive on arrival and never had access to anything, and one a false positive?

 

[Hindernisse]

This is brutal

 

[Karen-W]

Anyway, just to get this straight: three positive tests in all, two for people who tested positive on arrival and never had access to anything, and one a false positive?

Sounds like it.

This is just so devastating for the team!

 

[clairecloutier]

Can they still qualify at Nebelhorn if a decision is not worked out beforehand??

 

[Frau Muller]

Sounds like it.

This is just so devastating for the team!

Are you counting the Ladies single skater from Hong Kong, who withdrew before skating the Sp (as her warm-up group appeared & she wasn’t in it). Just as with the Armenian ice dancers, the arena announcer simply said “Xxxx has withdrawn Due to medical reasons.”

 

[Karen-W]

Are you counting the Ladies single skater from Hong Kong, who withdrew before skating the Sp (as her warm-up group appeared & she wasn’t in it). Just as with the Armenian ice dancers, the arena announcer simply said “Xxxx has withdrawn Due to medical reasons.”

No. Everyone in the pbp thread said that she was legitimately injured in the last practice before the SP.

 

[MsZem]

Can they still qualify at Nebelhorn if a decision is not worked out beforehand??

What other decision is possible? There was no guarantee that they'd qualify a spot at Worlds - they've never finished higher than 22nd, and weren't even top 16 at Euros last year (top 16 at Worlds is the threshold for an Olympic spot, right?). What really sucks is that they never even got to try, but they will have another chance in September, and I hope they'll be able to skate well at Nebelhorn.

 

[Debbie S]

Are you counting the Ladies single skater from Hong Kong, who withdrew before skating the Sp (as her warm-up group appeared & she wasn’t in it). Just as with the Armenian ice dancers, the arena announcer simply said “Xxxx has withdrawn Due to medical reasons.”

It was reported that she was injured in practice/ warmup earlier that day.

I assume the Armenians can go to Nebelhorn?

 

[Frau Muller]

No. Everyone in the pbp thread said that she was legitimately injured in the last practice before the SP.

That’s my point. I was slapped down (shut up). Even though the “slapper” heard what I heard. The ISU must monitor FSU comments.

 

[Braulio]

It was reported that she was injured in practice/ warmup earlier that day.

I assume the Armenians can go to Nebelhorn?

Yes they can and should to be able to contend for a spot

 

[once_upon]

The ISU must monitor FSU comments.

I think they'd be pretty stupid/naive to not monitor what is being said on any social media site with large followings.

 

[sk9tingfan]

Wrong thread.

 

[Frau Muller]

I think they'd be pretty stupid/naive to not monitor what is being said on any social media site with large followings.

Exactly. You are right. Understandable to monitor and protect BUT I and other mere fans (without ISU, USFS or other skating-business affiliation) should not be naive.

 

[allezfred]

What other decision is possible? There was no guarantee that they'd qualify a spot at Worlds - they've never finished higher than 22nd, and weren't even top 16 at Euros last year (top 16 at Worlds is the threshold for an Olympic spot, right?).

19 spots. It turned out that all countries/couples that made the free dance qualified at least one spot for the Olympics. There were 20 couples who qualified for the free.

 

[Vagabond]

I think they'd be pretty stupid/naive to not monitor what is being said on any social media site with large followings.

Many people here on FSU have said in previous discussions that the ISU is pretty stupid, so....

 

[Carolla5501]

I feel very sorry for this couple, but I find it hard to follow their logic that appears to be they were intentionally thrown out of the event so somebody else can go to Olympics especially when you look at their past competition history.

 

[Aceon6]

I feel very sorry for this couple, but I find it hard to follow their logic that appears to be they were intentionally thrown out of the event so somebody else can go to Olympics especially when you look at their past competition history.

^This. With a PB in the rhythm dance of 61.25, even with generous scoring they would have been out of the free as NazNik in 24th scored 66.54. Not that it would have been impossible, but...

 

[Sonata]

Any news on Safonova? Is she still in isolation alone in Stockholm? Was an adult chaperone allowed to stay with her?

 

[marbri]

^This. With a PB in the rhythm dance of 61.25, even with generous scoring they would have been out of the free as NazNik in 24th scored 66.54. Not that it would have been impossible, but...

Well in their defense their results at Worlds were:
2016: 27th (Wang and Liu were 22nd)
2017: 25th (Fear andGibson were 22nd)
2018: 22nd (Fear and Gibson were 24th)

I mean it's not that unlikely that they felt they had a realistic shot to break into the top 20 at 2021 Worlds based on their history.
So yeah, they got screwed.

 

[MsZem]

Well in their defense their results at Worlds were:
2016: 27th (Wang and Liu were 22nd)
2017: 25th (Fear andGibson were 22nd)
2018: 22nd (Fear and Gibson were 24th)

I mean it's not that unlikely that they felt they had a realistic shot to break into the top 20 at 2021 Worlds based on their history.

Except Fear and Gibson were already on their way up in 2018-19, which was not the case for Garabedian and Proulx Senecal. The most recent competition involving both teams was 2020 Euros: F/G 5th, G/P-S 17th. As @Aceon6 noted, their PB would not have gotten them into the free skate.

So yeah, they got screwed.

He tested positive! What did they expect the organizers and the ISU to do? Even if the second test had come back negative in time, there was no way of knowing if he had CV at that point. Should the organizers have put everyone at risk? It is obviously hugely disappointing, but there was no better solution here, and there's nothing that can be done now. They'll have to give it their best shot at Nebelhorn.

 

[marbri]

All I am pointing out is that they were improving 2 spots each time worlds was held so it's not unlikely they reasonably believed they had a shot at top 20 therefore having a reason to believe they got screwed by a false positive test. So yeah, I think they got screwed by a false positive. I won't lose any sleep over it but I have a lot of sympathy for them and the sleep they are losing over this.

Not everything on this board has to be a debate.

 

[mjb52]

The weird thing about Worlds is that probably most people weren't sure it would happen until it actually did and even until it was over I was still nervous about things being cancelled, so it sort of flew by without as much chance for fanfare and discussion pre Worlds other than about whether it would happen or not, and then there were four intense days of competition, and now there's all this nervous energy left over!

 

[skatingguy]

The weird thing about Worlds is that probably most people weren't sure it would happen until it actually did and even until it was over I was still nervous about things being cancelled, so it sort of flew by without as much chance for fanfare and discussion pre Worlds other than about whether it would happen or not, and then there were four intense days of competition, and now there's all this nervous energy left over!

Also, the lack of international competition, and even national competition, meant there was less to go on, and fewer story lines to watch going into Worlds.

 

[MacMadame]

Not everything on this board has to be a debate.

How long have you been here.