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

[Orm Irian]

Yes some nations/cities have had referendums on it. I think Calgary (?) recently voted against a bid for the games. I think other places have too.

Sion voted against bidding for the Winter Games.

 

[MsZem]

Recently the successful bidders have been countries with IMO questionable international records in other areas who want to present a cheerful face to the world. And who have the $$$, or can assemble the $$$, to afford the bid.

Successful bids for the Olympics held/planned since 2000 are the US (twice), Italy (twice), France, China (twice), Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Russia, the UK, Canada, Greece and Australia. The bolded part applies to three of these countries; Greece had other issues.

And everyone suggesting a single location does remember that time zones exist, right?

 

[Japanfan]

I was thinking about having a permanent site for the Olympics (one for Summer and one for Winter).

As I suggested in another thread recently, it might be more feasible and desirable to have the Summer Games rotate through four or five hosts that will have all or virtually all of the facilities in place at any given time.

I find both these propositions too restrictive, as it's good for cities that have never hosted the Olympics to have the opportunity to do so.

But I know there were few bidders for the last winter Olympics, and the cost of hosting an Olympics is exorbitant.

Don't know what the solution is.

 

[allezfred]

Recently the successful bidders have been countries with IMO questionable international records in other areas who want to present a cheerful face to the world. And who have the $$$, or can assemble the $$$, to afford the bid.

It isn't just the Olympics that is having this problem either. There was a big stink in the football (soccer) world when Qatar got awarded the World Cup in 2022, given that it's not much of a football country and that the World Cup is traditionally played in summer, which is not the best time for outdoor sport in the Middle East. And there's other reasons too. https://bleacherreport.com/articles...the-world-cup-should-be-taken-away-from-qatar

Well that’s an article from 2014 and the 2022 World Cup is still very much going to be staged in Qatar. It is going to be held in November due to Qatar’s climate.

 

[TAHbKA]

Upper class - think fine wine, scotch, whisky, exclusive clubs, & secret societies.

Unless it's a state fund gig and then it's exactly the other way around - the parents would sell their kids if they could to make them Olympic champions or at least successfull athletes. Oksana Baul is probably one of the most extreme examples for that.

It looks like the best place to hold worlds is in Israel , Netanyahu has made made an agreement with Pfizer to completely immunize Israel by the end of March Pfizer, Eilat has a big ice rink in that mall another advantage its in the far south of Israel away from big population centers The israel skating federation would be up to the task.

The trouble is that the numbers here right now are sky high, aka now the hospitals are starting to crash. There is no place for the audience in Eilat rink, there is no practicing rink, for now the foreigners are not allowed to enter Israel...come to think of it - a Worlds with Hanyu and without the audience from abroad would be nice. For me

 

[MsZem]

There is no place for the audience in Eilat rink, there is no practicing rink, for now the foreigners are not allowed to enter Israel...come to think of it - a Worlds with Hanyu and without the audience from abroad would be nice. For me

I might even throw a Pooh on behalf of the Fanyus if that were to happen.

 

[kwanfan1818]

And everyone suggesting a single location does remember that time zones exist, right?

Of course. But even now athletes compete at ridiculous times dictated by the broadcasters who pay the most $$$ to get the marquee events for their audiences live in their timezones.

 

[allezfred]

If we are going to have a fixed location for the Olympics, it should be Europe as this is where the Games originated.

 

[VGThuy]

A touristy place in Europe seems to be the fairest right? I mean it's kind of in the middle of the world and the time zones will make it as far from the U.S. as it does China. Japan and Australia are bit further though but not too much. Europe also seems to have the best public transport, and seems the most tourist/pedestrian friendly.

 

[mjb52]

Perhaps we could do it by sport and give Russia figure skating in perpetuity? There are plenty of cities that seem willing to host figure skating competitions. I nobly shall grant Norway the ski.

 

[overedge]

Well that’s an article from 2014 and the 2022 World Cup is still very much going to be staged in Qatar. It is going to be held in November due to Qatar’s climate.

But Qatar is still using what is essentially slave labour to build the venues. https://www.theguardian.com/global-...reveals-34-stadium-worker-deaths-in-six-years

 

[allezfred]

But Qatar is still using what is essentially slave labour to build the venues. https://www.theguardian.com/global-...reveals-34-stadium-worker-deaths-in-six-years

Oh I am not disagreeing it’s very problematic.

 

[Vagabond]

I find both these propositions too restrictive, as it's good for cities that have never hosted the Olympics to have the opportunity to do so.

What of it?

And there would always be the possibility that a host will be added or removed from the rotation at a later date.

 

[starrynight]

Re staging events, there's a bit of a nightmare in Australia with the Australian Open tennis. The idea was that direct flights would be chartered and all passengers would have to show negative tests prior to boarding. They would then be able to have an exemption to train for 5 hours a day in a bubble while in quarantine. However, 2 travellers on arrival presented positive tests (presumably because the antibodies developed enough to show positive) and that has now hard quarantined (i.e. no leaving their rooms at all) all the passengers on the planes for 14 days. So there is a heap of players that will be completely out for 2 weeks. Best laid plans and all that.

Although, I don't know if Sweden is quarantining any foreign arrivals or if they would remove close contacts of a positive test from competition. Although it's a decent example of how close contacts of a positive case can be affected. And with skating worlds there wouldn't be any chartered flights - just hundreds of skaters and coaches and parents individually making their own way through the world's airport and transport systems.

My second question is also still whether there will be any kind of regulation on the testing to stop positives being concealed so athletes can compete. After all, if bottles of urine samples can be switched, a certificate giving a negative result could easily be procured.

 

[Braulio]

The ISU is celebrating the European Speed Skating Championships this weekend in Herenveen, Netherlands. So that could give an example of logistics and how the World Championships in Sweden can take place in 2 months

 

[hoptoad]

So, what's the best solution for minimum scores?

It seems easy enough to allow exceptions to anyone who has previously competed at Worlds, e.g., Kneirim, Frazier, Zhou.

The tricky part is rising seniors, plus anyone on the bubble for qualifying. Part of the purpose was to limit the numbers at Worlds, so what is an alternative method to do that in a fair way? They definitely don't want a huge event this year.

Apply for waiver via recent video?

Whether Worlds happens as scheduled, or at a later time, it will still be an issue that needs to be resolved somehow.

 

[Rukia]

Just do away with minimum scores for this year. It's not fair to those who haven't had a chance to compete internationally like they normally would.

 

[SpeedySucks]

Part of the World Championships in snowboarding and free skiing have been moved to Sweden in February. If they can have this event in Sweden in February, I see no reason why Worlds can’t proceed in March unless things get substantially worse between now and then.

 

[hoptoad]

Just do away with minimum scores for this year. It's not fair to those who haven't had a chance to compete internationally like they normally would.

That does seem like the easiest and fairest solution. But would the event be too big if there were no minimum scores?

 

[Vagabond]

That does seem like the easiest and fairest solution. But would the event be too big if there were no minimum scores?

It depends on whether Federations like Andorra, India, and Morocco are going to send full teams with an entry in each discipline.

 

[Cherub721]

If they just waive the minimum scores, then there could be a huge influx of entries from skaters from small federations who wouldn't have qualified otherwise. That would make the event bigger, and during these times, that's not something they would want. I think they should just have a minimum with a lot of exceptions, like if you reached the minimum in juniors, or with a different partner, or more than two seasons ago, or in a national or international competition this season where there is official video and a protocol available and the date was prior to (whatever date they announce the minimum score). If there's still too many, they could adjust the minimum again or just take, say, the top 30 or 40 highest minimum TES scores.

 

[tony]

If there are no minimums in place, I suspect we will be back in 2008-2011 territory with ~50 singles skaters competing, some with zero chance of making it through because of their jump content.

How many skaters would actually be left out of the picture using lowered TES standards from any time in 2019 or 2020? In a normal year, they count the scores from the current and previous season anyways so skaters like Zhou have at least something to go off. For Knierim/Frazier, they always have Skate America, even if it didn't count on the official statistics.

 

[Brenda_Bottems]

Or how about we wisely discard minimum scores,code of points, and TES (whatever that is) and simply use 6.0 for this event?

Problem solved.

-BB

 

[Vagabond]

Maybe they could use Compulsory Figures for the Qualifying Round.

 

[barbk]

WSJ has a lengthy article on US figure skaters and Worlds. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-fi...dsif-it-happens-11610985668?mod=hp_listc_pos2

 

[MsZem]

Maybe they could use Compulsory Figures for the Qualifying Round.

Finally, an idea we can all get behind.

Also, CDs in ice dance

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Maybe they could use Compulsory Figures for the Qualifying Round.

Imagine if that made Trixi Schuba the only skater able to qualify!

 

[Elka]

Part of the World Championships in snowboarding and free skiing have been moved to Sweden in February. If they can have this event in Sweden in February, I see no reason why Worlds can’t proceed in March unless things get substantially worse between now and then.

A lot of reasons, outdoors/indoors being the most important difference. It took almost 10 months for them to have a law for crisis situations. (I remember mentioning some time during the summer that they are just very slow in Sweden when it comes to decision making). And they did not have the laws. Now they have: restrictions updated.

 

[olympic]

Maybe a middle ground - Lower the minimum outright to an agreed number -or- expand the length of time into the past by which one must have obtained the minimums

 

[toddlj]

Perhaps they should just allow for petitions on a case-by-case basis, where they can cite evidence in their case like scores from a previous season, or with a previous partner, or at a non-sanctioned competition this year.