ISU has cancelled 2021 Europeans, ISU Grand Prix Final, World Junior Synchro; Stockholm Worlds still on for now

[Sylvia]

(This news originally was posted in the "ISU to evaluate feasibility of 2020-21 skating season" thread.)

Copying out the full text of today's press release: https://www.isu.org/isu-news/news/1...vent-calendar-season-2020-22?templateParam=15

The ISU Council met on Thursday December 10, 2021. Among other decisions that will be published in due course in an ISU Communication Decisions of the Council, the Council decided to cancel the following ISU Events in view of the worsening worldwide *********-19 ********* situation and the consequent increasing risks for organizers and participants:

• ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2021, Zagreb, Croatia on January 25-31, 2021
• ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships 2021, Lyon, France on March 12-13, 2021

In addition, the ISU Grand Prix Final season 2020/21 which had already been postponed from its originally scheduled date of December 10-13, 2020 in Beijing, China, has now been definitely cancelled.

The ISU World Figure Skating Championships remain scheduled to be held in Stockholm, Sweden on March 22-28, 2021. In the unfortunate event that the sanitary situation worsens further and that these World Championships could not be held as planned, the ISU Council would assess and reevaluate the remainder of the 2020/21 Figure Skating season and decide whether, in addition to the World Team Trophy, scheduled for Osaka, Japan on April 15-18, 2021, other ISU Figure Skating Events could be organized, if the ********* situation allows.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

Thanks for the update, @Sylvia

 

[Meoima]

This 1,5 year has been devastating. We can only hope the world will be back to normal soon and everyone will be able to travel and work and compete normally and healthily.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

Is this the Worlds that's used to determine the number of spots at the next Olympics? It sounds like they're holding out, hoping they can hold Worlds, and if they can't, they know they'll need to build in a new way to qualify for the Olys. Based on their cancellation of Euros, to me, it sounds like they aren't thinking they can hold these competitions virtually. But we'll see.

 

[MsZem]

First time Euros won't be held since 1946

It was the right call, of course, and we all knew it was coming.

 

[briancoogaert]

Oh my God !
What a moment. All my thoughts to those skaters who try to stay fit and healthy.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

Since Worlds might still happen, cancelling Euros doesn't mean that skaters won't train - they'll still go to their rinks, and they have to assume that Worlds is a go.

I wish that the ISU had decided to hold Euros virtually, so that the skaters (who are training toward Worlds anyway) could compete. That, or that the ISU would just go ahead and cancel Worlds now, and put alternative Olys qualifications plans in place and announce them now/early, so skaters could prepare. Or tell us Worlds will be virtual. Or that it will be held, but only nations with under an X percent infection rate can compete. Or something.

It seems like it's wishful thinking, re: Worlds; and that the sport and its participants would be better off if they just made an executive decision now, so people can plan and train appropriately.

 

[Coco]

Given that most judges are older, I really think they should consider having some judges judge from another location, using a multiple camera angles. They should at least test this. It may be another 18-24 months before the vaccine is widely distributed.

 

[Frau Muller]

I doubt that Worlds 2021 will go on. The ISU is probably waiting on a decision about the Winter Olympics (to take place I n February 2022). Once Olys might be rescheduled, they can work backwards to reschedule a Worlds.

 

[mjb52]

To me, the purpose of cancelling Euros is probably so they can focus their efforts on figuring out how to hold Worlds. That might be wishful thinking but that's what I'm going with.

 

[Sylvia]

Latest update on the Worlds website is dated Nov. 27:

Championships with focus on health and safety - Stockholm 2021, ISU World Figure Skating Championships

stockholm2021.se

 

[Braulio]

I only hope Worlds are moved to last week of April and we can have some skating of this level of course safety and health first

 

[Ka3sha]

Some comments from Russia:

Tatiana Tarasova

European Championship has been canceled, and this is understandable - now the situation in the world is difficult, people are sick, the situation is difficult. But we must do our job, and if we can hold Russian Nationals, it must be held, and something else must be arranged for senior skaters before the Worlds.
As for the Grand Prix final, it would be better if they had consulted us (Russia) and held it here, we are always ready.
Our task is to hold events, so figure skating could benefit. There is no point in talking about total security and safety - it couldn't happen, even if you are sitting at home all the time. It seems to me that it is important to keep the competition as long as possible, as long as we have the strength.
It was probably a deliberate decision. [But] we need to hold Russian Nationals. People were preparing, skating in the events.
We must organize the event we can. We need to think about how we will motivate athletes. Nobody has canceled the Worlds yet. We have to think about how to replace the Europeans

Alexei Mishin

This decision was in the air, I deeply regret that life has put ISU in a position when they had to cancel Europeans. This is a misfortune for the figure skating world as one of the brands of the Olympic movement, a misfortune for fans of this sport.
But it's a bigger misfortune for those people who could brilliantly perform at this championship. And it's an even more serious trouble for those who could win this event and become European champions. This sadness and frustration of athletes is shared by their coaches.
But at the same time I want to say to everyone that the Moscow Grand Prix event showed us that Russian figure skating is alive and developing. It is a healthy, strong organism. And the health of this organism is a guarantee that figure skating will develop and move forward.
You can worry about the cancellation of the Europeans, but I would not make a tragedy out of this.
Of course, every athlete dreams of a gold medal, but the second driving force for an athlete is the desire to become the best, to train, and it is still unknown, which of these two forces is stronger, because the process itself makes an athlete happy.

And when an athlete retires from the sport, their biggest regret comes not from the fact that they have stopped winning gold medals at events. The greatest emotional anxiety and experiences are those feelings that are associated with the lack of the usual rhythm - to wake up, come to training, learn something new.

The training process itself is a great joy and pleasure for a true athlete.

Tamara Moskvina:

We assumed that this could happen, it wasn't a surprise.
Is it a catastrophe for us? A catastrophe is an earthquake, a war, a siege of a city, and the cancellation of the Europeans is just like a concert was canceled.
Yes, of course, this will affect our upcoming work - we will immediately reorganize, start preparing for the Worlds and the Olympics

 

[Orm Irian]

That’s a huge relief.

 

[casken]

Thank god Moskvina gets it. Those Tarasova/Mishin word jumble responses are something else.

 

[Vagabond]

As for the Grand Prix final, it would be better if they had consulted us (Russia) and held it here, we are always ready.

Our task is to hold events, so figure skating could benefit.

is always so wise in the ways of figure skating, and so obtuse with respect to everything else!

 

[Dobre]

It's not a surprise, of course. But it is still sad.

I guess for the rest of my life I will always have a greater appreciation for international competition. (Not that I didn't love it enough to stay up at ridiculous hours of the night already).

 

[Ananas Astra]

is always so wise in the ways of figure skating, and so obtuse with respect to everything else!

To be fair, her wisdom in the ways of figure skating has also declined gradually over the last couple of years. She is entertaining, yes, but she often talks utter bs.

 

[Vagabond]

To be fair, her wisdom in the ways of figure skating has also declined gradually over the last couple of years. She is entertaining, yes, but she often talks utter bs.

Fair enough!

 

[alchemy void]

TAT is delusional.

 

[olympic]

Regarding Worlds, it is a race to see how effective and widespread the vaccine is by March and that will probably determine if it's a go. I would like to see Worlds in May as it was in 2011. I really think that is doable and safer.

 

[AxelAnnie]

This 1,5 year has been devastating. We can only hope the world will be back to normal soon and everyone will be able to travel and work and compete normally and healthily.

Disappointing but not surprising.

It is Hanukkah...so maybe we can have a miracle

 

[AxelAnnie]

Regarding Worlds, it is a race to see how effective and widespread the vaccine is by March and that will probably determine if it's a go. I would like to see Worlds in May as it was in 2011. I really think that is doable and safer.

I cannot see any scenario that can make World's maintain any level of integrity. With illness and confusion everywhere and lost time all around for training....I what would be the point?

 

[ross_hy]

I think the ISU is holding on to Worlds because they don't have a good plan B for the Olympic qualifier. Even if they postpone for a few weeks, I hope they find a safe way to do it. I'm sure they need the $$ and they don't want the sport to go without the exposure. This ***** will definitely have downstream effects for the sport - and obviously life in general - for years.

 

[skatingguy]

Things are going well for Sweden with the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships - most of the coaching staff are out of the tournament because of positive tests.

Sweden, Germany dealing with COVID-19 cases ahead of world juniors

As the World Junior Hockey Championship draws near, a number of teams are facing COVID-19 outbreaks within their rosters.

tinyurl.com

 

[Judy]

I honestly can’t see how worlds can happen. With skaters, judges and everyone else involved in hosting such an event it is brutal. Especially with all the different countries. I am sure they can do something though for the qualification for olympics etc.

 

[skategal]

Things are going well for Sweden with the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships - most of the coaching staff are out of the tournament because of positive tests.

Sweden, Germany dealing with COVID-19 cases ahead of world juniors

As the World Junior Hockey Championship draws near, a number of teams are facing COVID-19 outbreaks within their rosters.

tinyurl.com

I still can’t believe they are trying to hold the tournament especially considering Alberta is going into lockdown next week.

 

[starrynight]

Things are going well for Sweden with the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships - most of the coaching staff are out of the tournament because of positive tests.

Sweden, Germany dealing with COVID-19 cases ahead of world juniors

As the World Junior Hockey Championship draws near, a number of teams are facing COVID-19 outbreaks within their rosters.

tinyurl.com

Those articles on teams cutting players and coaches show how brutal a positive test can be.

There’s every risk that a country’s team could be decimated right before worlds and then have a grave impact on the ability to get spots.

 

[caseyedwards]

Silly. Going to overreacting mode

 

[mjb52]

They can always just allow extra back-ups and more flexible rules for using back-ups. I don't think anyone thinks qualifying spots is going to happen the way it has in the past. We can all sit on our hands forever or we can try to make things work.