ISU to propose expansion of Worlds fields; 2020 Worlds unlikely to be rescheduled

[VGThuy]

So true. I just wonder how USAG was able to get their performances and competitions available on YouTube considering they have a contract with NBC, while USFS events seem stymied by having all of their events streamed live and in full via NBC Sports Gold. I guess maybe gymnastics doesn’t have the same live streaming coverage of the entire event that way figure skating does in the US. Thinking about it, it seems what is provided on YouTube from USAG is what they are willing to share and the “full competitions” they have available on YouTube are just ones that aired on NBC, so it may not be showing all or most of the gymnasts.

 

[Rhino]

I’m not quite sure you ‘get’ social media then. Almost all advertising is done that way and the sharing of videos is an easy way to get the info out there and allow people to get more invested if they choose to do so. If you don’t think there are kids out there who see a clip of Nathan’s quads or young girls out there who see someone like Simone Biles tumbling and then they want to ‘be’ that, you’re out of your mind. The generation that is going to keep everything sustainable and create future generations in sport is not the older generation, and putting things on TV is not going to help it. There are about three of you on this entire board that think broadcast TV is still the name of the game. Just like we fell in love through TV (or the few of you that didn’t), the new generation is going to do it a different way. It doesn’t make it wrong. It’s keeping up with the times.

Or maybe they take what they can get. Even when it was on TV much more often, the USFS had sponsors like SmartOnes and Keri Lotion. I wouldn’t look that far into it.

ETA- I did a 10 second fact check. Consumer Cellular has smartphones so YES, people can stream as they want.

As one of the 3 people who think network TV is still the way to go - not true, it's what happens to skating where the TV coverage is now much smaller, or maybe now non existent except for the Olympics every 4 years, it's the future competitors I'm most concerned about it.

It may well be the teens and pre-teens come across skating via viral videos (Youtube willing, though see below for a little potential development), but what about the 6 and 7 year old's who are going to be the future competitors? For example it seems that as a Lady figure skater these days you need to be starting by 6 or 7 years old at the latest to be competitive internationally, but if you're not exposed to figure skating by that age how are you going to come across it - I would hope any parents worth their salt don't let their 6 or 7 year old's anywhere near the internet/social media.

I would be interested to know where all those who think social media etc. etc. is the way to go think future competitors are going to come from in such countries where TV coverage is now much smaller than it used to be - obviously there's local rinks and so on, and not every who takes up skating does so via seeing it on TV, but as far as I can see there's bound to be less competitors than there would otherwise have been.

Re the Youtube videos, it appears the ISU may be starting to get a handle on the music companies blocking videos.

Throughout the GP season and Championships, obviously not Worlds, I was keeping an eye on what happened to the live streams after each event, and typically you got 1 or 2 blocked, often 2 or 3 days after each event - some sort of appeal process going on?

However I looked the other day and with one exception, Men's SP at Skate America, the first one with a problem (co-incidence?), they were no longer blocked e.g. Skate America Gala right through to Euros Pairs Long, Men's Short and Long and Rhythm Dance. However they're no longer blocked, but the Junior Grand Prix and Junior Worlds still are.

This to me means that someone at the ISU is addressing the issue, otherwise how would they become unblocked, but not the Junior Grand Prix or Worlds? (there were 12 streams that I had as blocked that are now OK)

OK, there's 2 more Rostelecom Men's SP, and GPF RD that have now become blocked, but there may just be something going on, and the ISU is concentrating on its more high profile events, and the new blocking has occurred since they tried to sort it out, but there's definitely something going on as far as I can see, which obviously gives hope for more videos going viral in the future - let's hope the various national federations can also do something about this e.g. USFS seems right under NBC's thumb, but the Russian Federation is doing a wonderful job in ensuring that their skaters can be seen all around the world.

Out of interest I would also be interested in those people that were geo-blocked from seeing the ISU's streams can now see them - I haven't got a VPN so can't tell, but I'd be interested to see if there's some sort of time restriction going on that might now have gone, because this would obviously be useful in publicising skating going forward - it's no good having all this skating and live streams and so on on the Skating ISU channel, if it's geo-blocked for everybody for ever and a day unless they happened to be in a country where there was no broadcaster at the time.

Hence I'd be interested just to see if people can now see them - this is the Skate America Gala for example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YWnVW4ggn0&list=PLuiPiC1Hk8eJwcQNEe-n1YI6Rz3xyplqS&index=5&t=0s,
and Euros Men's Long https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obe_WTRy_aU&list=PLuiPiC1Hk8eIfP4l31INmquQ7tyFlCgK5&index=29&t=0s.

 

[gkelly]

As one of the 3 people who think network TV is still the way to go - not true, it's what happens to skating where the TV coverage is now much smaller, or maybe now non existent except for the Olympics every 4 years, it's the future competitors I'm most concerned about it.

It may well be the teens and pre-teens come across skating via viral videos (Youtube willing, though see below for a little potential development), but what about the 6 and 7 year old's who are going to be the future competitors? For example it seems that as a Lady figure skater these days you need to be starting by 6 or 7 years old at the latest to be competitive internationally, but if you're not exposed to figure skating by that age how are you going to come across it - I would hope any parents worth their salt don't let their 6 or 7 year old's anywhere near the internet/social media.

I would be interested to know where all those who think social media etc. etc. is the way to go think future competitors are going to come from in such countries where TV coverage is now much smaller than it used to be - obviously there's local rinks and so on, and not every who takes up skating does so via seeing it on TV, but as far as I can see there's bound to be less competitors than there would otherwise have been.

We often hear from competitors that they were first introduced to skating by going skating at a local rink, often at a friend's birthday party. Or just as something to do on an occasional afternoon.

The kind of skating that happens at children's birthday parties isn't figure skating, but it does often get kids to see more advanced skaters jumping and spinning and decide they want to do that too. Or just to sign up for basic skating lessons, after which they will be introduced to the more advanced paths they could take if they continue.

Recently, synchronized skating has been more popular than singles and ice dance in my area. People don't often see synchronized skating on TV, but they do often gravitate in that direction, even while still at the learn-to-skate group lesson stage.

Whatever a young child (or older child/teen or adult) sees on TV, they can't start training as a figure skater unless there is a rink sufficiently nearby that they can go there at least weekly to start and eventually almost daily.

Ice availability is the biggest barrier to participation. And for potential future elite figure skating, a high volume of participation from a young age is pretty much necessary. But young children can't make serious training happen for themselves no matter how much they want it if there is no rink nearby, if the local rink has minimal ice time available for figure skating, if their parents are unable or unwilling to bring them to the rink on a regular basis, if they can't afford advanced lessons, etc.

It would be interesting to poll the elite skaters themselves to learn which were first introduced or attracted to figure skating by what they saw on TV (or youtube, etc.) vs. those who were first introduced to it by actually setting foot in a rink.

It is true that participation in learn-to-skate class tends to peak following each winter Olympics, when more people have been reminded (or shown for the first time in the case of preschoolers) that the sport actually exists.

But kids and others people who see skating on TV and think they would like to try it themselves will be disappointed in their hopes if there is no rink near where they live.

For those who do have the proximity, USFS programs to attract new skaters are probably best focused on trying to get kids and others actually in the door in those locations where there are rinks and rink doors to get in. Which are usually more local efforts by local rinks and clubs, often as part of USFS's "National Skating Month" in January.

So the "media" that get some future competitors in the door may be more along the lines of articles in local media about local skaters elite and otherwise, mentions in articles about various activities available to the local public. Those local media might be local TV news, local newspapers, websites of municipal park systems that include ice rinks, even low-tech media such as wall posters or booklets listing activities to sign up for.

 

[kwanfan1818]

One of the big advantages of online streaming and YouTube is that kids have a far bigger field to idolize and appreciate, ie, not just local people, and with individual videos, outside of the context of competition, where partisanship and nationalism tend to get ramped up.

 

[MAXSwagg]

Tony is correct about this medium vs. that. As someone who just turned 28, Facebook is mostly for older people (I only use messenger) (not to mention it’s all just crap shared over and over). Even YouTube is declining, honestly. I only tolerate it because I have an ad blocker, but even so ISU needs to start forming a vision. Many have and are pondering questions like “What vision does the ISU have for itself for the future? What substantive actions are they taking?” Of course, people generally have an inherent aversion to change, and particularly older people, IMO.

 

[Rock2]

Lots of really good commentary here but no one talking point lives on an island, as I see it. There are a number of matters being raised here that have to be considered together, so that a cohesive strategy and path forward can be crafted. Indeed, many barriers.

Here is an audit of the several key and interdependent issues at play. Have to keep in mind that approaching one issue differently has a ripple effect on the others...so it's dang complicated.

1. Skating, an aesthetic Olympic sport.
Skating's unique position in the world of sport to me is like no other and will forever live at the top of the mountain in terms of decision making on direction. Right now, aesthetics drive more fan interest than the technical aspects although both of course play a role. However, the more you push aesthetics in eligible sport, the less authentic of an Olympic SPORT (aka faster, higher, stronger) you become. We want this so much to not be the case, but it is. For this reason the more subjectivity you build into the sport, the more resistance you eventually face from the Olympic movement to promote measurement over judgment to determine superiority. The more athletic you become, the more you risk disengaging a wide audience. Women's gymnastics might be the only remote comparison, esp floor routines. You can somewhat compare to what extent technical dominates over presentation as an Olympic sport. The relatively unbridled artistry is sequestered to non-Olympic ('show') events. Pendulum in skating currently swinging away from technical and more into the domain of the subjective. I don't see it lasting.

2. Who is your audience?
Big issue here. Current vs future. The current profile is a bit different depending on what factors exist in your country/area (see point 3 below) but the mix is mostly some combination of seniors, gay men, uber skating fans, uber fans of a particular athlete, people connected directly to the sport. As a career marketer who has bought a lot of media in my days, I can say that's not a very appealing profile and is not likely to get much of my ad or sponsorship money no matter what I'm selling (more on that later). Also this sort of profile doesn't scream growth and scalability. Decline if anything. In order to grow, you'll need to appeal to different demographics. In order to do that, you have to be highly strategic, starting with identifying new demographics and redesigning the sport to appeal to those demographics and in a way that doesn't alienate your core. Super hard.

3. Starpower is your biggest driver.
While the uber 2% of fans like us are bigly into the sport itself, the general market is drawn in by starpower. This is also a huge factor that influences participation (especially with girls). Star power is more than medals ( ::: cough ::: Lysacek ::: cough :::: ) yet may not require them ( * waves to Adam Rippon * ) but usually it comes from achievement. There is some correlation between the health of skating in your territory and recency of viable stars in the sport that transcend it, especially in singles. The sport is pretty healthy in Japan, Korea, Russia and not so much in Canada and USA.
Starpower as I said needs to transcend the sport such that most regular peeps on the street could identify the skater just based on the name. And I mean well over 50% of the people in your country. In the USA most recently that's Michelle Kwan, in Canada it's probably Elvis Stojko (not convinced Tessa is there yet and certainly not Nathan Chen in US), in Japan is Yuzuru Hanyu, in Korea it's Yuna Kim. Which names are more recent than others? You can more than loosely correlate to the health of skating in that country.

Sadly IMHO as much as I support IJS, it works against building starpower. It's great that anyone can win now if you bring the goods, but that means somewhat of a rotation at the top. Back in the days of 6.0 you could practically install a good yet marketable skater into the top 2-3 and keep them there for an Olympic cycle. Those are longer, deeper impressions from your best ambassadors of the sport that can only improve the marketing while also secure revenue streams for show skating who welcome these anointed stars post their Olympic triumph.

4. Which media matters?
Not a simple answer. Two years ago I did a consulting project for a top US network on media landscape and trends. The trends are undeniable, but to make wholesale statements such as "young people don't watch TV so don't focus on it" is a dangerous pursuit. Need to manage the transition well and continue to use TV where it makes sense...for all demos. Young people do watch a ton of TV but at a declining rate. The smart marketers and strategists know which media to use and under what circumstances. I'd have to get my slides out from the marketing communications classes I teach to walk you through that. But I won't do that to you

Media plays a huge role in both advertising and yes access to the sport as part of an audience. Both are related to growth and health of the sport. There are issues with young people and digital focus. First you need a sport designed for a younger audience. Right now in North America advertisers see the sport as a 'women's sport and so most of the money coming in is from advertisers of brands that target the shoppers 30-45...ish. Some might be targeting an even older crowd. Few other advertisers would ever buy skating under any circumstance if targeting a different demographic. So that means the ad money will remain mostly TV and some sponsorships.

Since the viewership even for that demo is declining, so is the ad money, which means broadcasters will need to generate revenue elsewhere. Government-subsidized networks can move to lower cost platforms and make it work, especially if meets 'local content' mandates. If there is no subsidy then you need a revenue stream. That means ads and subscription fees to carry it. This all in part because the ISU depends on rights money and is likely holding its rights licensing fees to a high level regardless of state of local skating. Economics becoming increasingly tougher in the markets without much general market hype.

When thinking of growing the sport, digital is a challenge because it's mostly asynchronous. People are watching it at different times that suit them. That dynamic works against raising the public consciousness of the sport and its athletes. Think back 15 years ago when a major TV episode happened and there were no PVRs and digital wasn't as much of a thing. The next day that's all people talked about at work and elsewhere. It's the offline equivalent of trending on twitter and was a big catapult for sporting and entertainment stories that you lose both off and online when you migrate to asynchronous consumption of the sport.

And if you don't have that macro level of consciousness (still mostly driven by TV right now) then you don't have the little kid watching Nathan Chen clips on YouTube and being inspired to do that. Have to remember, people are inspired not just to do as the athletes can do, it's more about aspiring to be as popular as they are. That's more the goal. And if their parents or schoolmates have no idea who Nathan Chen is, then there isn't much point in 'being like him'.

All that to say I agree, if you want to be successful as a digital sport we need a different sport and entirely new strategies to incubate starpower in new media. Some of that will need to come from athletes themselves, but much of it needs to come from skating's ecosystem, however you define it.


Anyway I'll stop there. Those are the major intersecting issues that all point more less to the foundation of the conversation. Skating needs to decide what it wants to be and how to get there. I for one am not convinced that the powers that currently be in the ISU especially have what it takes to establish clear perspective and direction on this any time soon. So we'll cling to the audiences we have for dear life and endure the constant toggling in the scoring system as if to convince ourselves it will transform the sport.


(FWIW the solution in my mind is to continue with current sport and optimize as best you can. Separately you incubate a brand new sub-sport at the grassroots level. Something very cool that lives separately, doesn't carry the stink of the current sport to prevent hip audiences from engaging. And you go from there. Think downhill, slalom skiing vs X-Games. I'm convinced that's the best revenue-generating strategy to get ISU out of this mess.)

 

[MacMadame]

ut what about the 6 and 7 year old's who are going to be the future competitors? For example it seems that as a Lady figure skater these days you need to be starting by 6 or 7 years old at the latest to be competitive internationally, but if you're not exposed to figure skating by that age how are you going to come across it - I would hope any parents worth their salt don't let their 6 or 7 year old's anywhere near the internet/social media.

I see plenty of evidence that 6 & 7 year olds are consuming stuff via the internet and social media. The parents are controlling it, of course, but they also control what their kids see on tv.

 

[tony]

The biggest advantage of any kind of social media over TV is that you do not have to be there in that exact moment to see something. Two-hour recap show of skating on Sunday afternoon? You’re going to have to be sitting in front of your TV or DVR it ahead of time, but why would non-fans do that? On social media, you can see it whenever you want, or in this case- you can stumble upon it and become interested at any time. I said it earlier and I know it’s hard to back up when there aren’t many posters here younger than myself, but Instagram is All. That. Matters. And until something else comes around and completely takes it over, it’s going to stay that way.

Many of us watch Survivor. In 2000, it was garnering 30-45 million viewers each week. It’s still a top 10 or 15 show, and it’s averaging about 7 million viewers this season- one with 20 previous winners.

A top 10 show dropping down that drastically in numbers because of other (later) viewing options. Imagine figure skating broadcast numbers now.

 

[VGThuy]

Every three-year-old on up I know has access to an iPad, their parents smart phone, a smart TV, or at least a TV with chromecast that has access to YouTube. Usually there are parental settings and parents are watching what they’re doing and controlling the amount of time they spend on it, but it’s the new “kids sitting in the living room and watching TV”.

 

[MacMadame]

On social media, you can see it whenever you want, or in this case- you can stumble upon it and become interested at any time

These platforms are always suggesting things to you, some that you might not go looking for. I have found entire new YouTube channels to be a fan of by watching something else on YouTube that I deliberately went looking for.

 

[tony]

These platforms are always suggesting things to you, some that you might not go looking for. I have found entire new YouTube channels to be a fan of by watching something else on YouTube that I deliberately went looking for.

Exactly. Sometimes I get sucked into Judge Judy ranting clips and all of a sudden (hours later) I’m wanting to learn how to paint.

 

[MacMadame]

Exactly. Sometimes I get sucked into Judge Judy ranting clips and all of a sudden (hours later) I’m wanting to learn how to paint figure skate.

That's how it will work with the kids in terms of becoming fans IMO.

In terms of becoming elite skaters, an awful lot of them tell about going skating for the first time and falling in love with it. That will still continue regardless. Sure, some are inspired by skating they saw being broadcast though often it was an Olympics. So I think those avenues will still exist. You might see the skating on tv but you might see a clip that's gone viral on YouTube.

 

[missing]

I understand the reasoning behind TV commercials although I've never truly believed people buy a Chevy because they see a commercial for one.

But okay. Puffs Tissues wants some easy to remember product placement. It goes (I assume) to the USFS and a deal is struck- Puffs gets to decorate the kiss 'n cries, and the USFS gets some money. Smuckers sponsors figure skating on TV for years and years and becomes identified with figure skating (that one worked- I buy their peanut butter). When skating is more popular and more people watch it on TV, the companies pay more for the privilege of being associated with the sport. The division of money between the network and the sport is not something I know, but presumably deals are struck and everyone ends up happy.

I also understand the internet media concept. I like Skater X, who has a video on YouTube. I send the link to 5 of my closest friends, including 3 who don't watch skating but would have cause to like the video. 2 of the 5 people send the link to another 10 people, and some of them send the link, ad infinitum. By the time the link hysteria is over, 10,000,000 people throughout the world have watched the link and liked it, and a certain percentage of them will like it enough to watch another YouTube video with Skater X.

What I don't know is how many of those people will go to a skating competition or exhibition that Skater X is at. I assume the various skating unions make their money (such as it is) from competitions and that the skaters make it from the exhibitions.

I also don't know how advertising works on the internet. I know there are ads all over the place, because I'm stunned at the idea that anyone would actually look at one (except for Amazon, which can sell me anything). Does Skater X's YouTube video have the same ad throughout the world or even the same ad throughout a country? Is there a Smuckers/Puffs equivalent? Do the skating unions in any way benefit from the YouTube ads?

These aren't gotcha questions. I'm asking out of ignorance. Most likely no one here can give me a correlation between YouTube popularity and skating event attendance. But quite possibly someone here knows how the advertising money works, and I'd be happy to learn the answer.

 

[overedge]

The message I got is "we're cheap." But their ads talk about sending pictures to the grandkids and mention talk, text and data. Data == streaming.

But what you actually said was that their phones don't do streaming and you are wrong about that. Their phones are the same phones that all the cellular companies have.

I said AFAIK. And I think it's pretty clear that the demographic their ads are targeting is not the demographic or user type that is going to watch a skating event on their phone.

 

[MacMadame]

What I don't know is how many of those people will go to a skating competition or exhibition that Skater X is at. I assume the various skating unions make their money (such as it is) from competitions and that the skaters make it from the exhibitions.

Skating clubs try to put on one competition a year (minimum) and at least one show because that's how they make money. They get some from memberships but competitions and shows are a way to get a hefty hunk of cash.

It's extremely hard to make money from a competition like Regionals or Sectionals and that's why it's been hard to get them to bid on these competitions. That's also why USFS keeps changing the format of the qualifying comps and even of Nationals.

Nationals used to make money for both the LOC and the USFS but it's gotten harder and harder for them to make money, let alone significant money. In the greater scheme of USFS budget, Nationals and Skate America are not the main driver of their income. It's membership and sponsorships.

When you say "exhibitions," I assume you mean shows? (And not the gala at a competition) Those venues do give skaters some income but not som such USFS. They also get income from doing clinics and from coaching.

This is in the US. Other countries vary. (Though some are pretty similar.)

Do the skating unions in any way benefit from the YouTube ads?

If the video is on their channel.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

It may well be the teens and pre-teens come across skating via viral videos (Youtube willing, though see below for a little potential development), but what about the 6 and 7 year old's who are going to be the future competitors? For example it seems that as a Lady figure skater these days you need to be starting by 6 or 7 years old at the latest to be competitive internationally, but if you're not exposed to figure skating by that age how are you going to come across it - I would hope any parents worth their salt don't let their 6 or 7 year old's anywhere near the internet/social media.

As someone who has nieces and nephews from ages 3 - 7, broadcast TV isn't going to help get interest from small children because it'll be on cable and they might see it when their parents are flipping through. A significant proportion of their parents don't have cable. When they do have screen time, they are watching things on Netflix, Disney+, youtube, and Hulu. Not cable.

 

[Rhino]

As someone who has nieces and nephews from ages 3 - 7, broadcast TV isn't going to help get interest from small children because it'll be on cable and they might see it when their parents are flipping through. A significant proportion of their parents don't have cable. When they do have screen time, they are watching things on Netflix, Disney+, youtube, and Hulu. Not cable.

Thanks for your reply and others pointing out that youngsters under the age of 7 can often get at Youtube and other social media under parental supervision. Thinking back this is what happened with my niece, though at age 12 she's only just got her first smartphone, and yes I can't imagine young children watching a vast amount of network TV and coming across skating unless their parents are into skating also.

However what I would say is that I first came into this conversation to talk about the potential loss to skating of losing Eurosport, a true pan-European broadcaster, must be at least 30 or 40 European countries given the number of them that have split up over the years.

Also it's, in the UK at least, not a premium sports channel. Yes it's on Sky (satellite) and Virgin Media (cable), but these companies account for 18 million out of 27 million households in the UK, and Eurosport is on the same level of subscription as things like the Discovery Channel and National Geographic, so it is potentially a big loss in the UK at least, presumably many other European countries where the skating coverage may not be as much.

Hence it is a potential loss, maybe not as much as feared, time will tell, but I don't think it can be ignored, yes all is rosy. Let's hope that the Skating ISU channel, maybe other initiatives as suggested above can take up the slack, but it is a big loss.

 

[insecureedge]

Officially cancelled. https://isu.org/isu-news/news/145-n...nding-2020-isu-championships?templateParam=15

16 April 2020 Lausanne, Switzerland

Mindful of the escalating negative COVID-19 developments, the resulting world-wide human tragedy and the measures taken by the public authorities as well as logistical challenges the ISU Council during its on-line meeting held on April 16, 2020 concluded that a postponement of the pending 2020 ISU Championships is not possible. Consequently, the ISU Council has decided that the following ISU Championships must be definitely cancelled:
ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, Seoul, March 13-15, 2020
ISU World Figure Skating Championships, Montreal, March 16-22, 2020
ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships, Lake Placid, April 3-5, 2020.
In regard to the planning of the 2020/21 skating season and considering the uncertain development of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on the staging of international sports events, the ISU Council will hold another on-line meeting on April 28 when different scenarios of the COVID-19 developments and impact on the ISU Event calendar will be discussed. The objective is to work out and communicate to all stakeholders options suitable for different scenarios in order to limit the uncertainty to the strict minimum. This evaluation will also consider the ISU Skating Awards in Figure Skating.

 

[mjb52]

Very sad but the right decision.

 

[tony]

I think the skating world and the world in general needs to be prepared to not see anything back to normal until 2021, and I wouldn't be surprised if 2021 Worlds are canceled as well. Some cities within the USA are already proposing a shutdown for the remainder of the year and some countries around the world have said large gatherings of any kind aren't happening this year. Once you reopen the floodgates so-to-speak, all it takes is one person to start this all over again. More and more people are getting sick and testing positive around here even though they've been limiting their time around others. I know Governors within the States are much more optimistic, but for what? To open everything up for a few weeks and then potentially have this all happen again on a bigger scale? Then you know the talk of a total lockdown for an even more extended period of time may become reality.

 

[Bellanca]

Then you know the talk of a total lockdown for an even more extended period of time may become reality.

You can only keep freedom-loving people cooped up for so long. What you've commented on is the worst-case scenario that could potentially happen, but there is always another side to it, another point of view. People are not mind-numbed robots unless they are conditioned to be that way from birth. In the USA, talk of a total lockdown is more of a politically driven agenda at this point than a hardcore reality.

Nevada is a challenge, Las Vegas, mainly.

Most people are willing to wear a mask, continue social distancing, etc., but a total lockdown? Good luck.

People will have to step up and do the right thing for their families, neighbors, and themselves. E.g., start with no handshaking or greeting one another with hugs and kisses, etc.

Freedom comes with risk.

 

[Orm Irian]

Mindful of the escalating negative *********-19 developments, the resulting world-wide human tragedy and the measures taken by the public authorities as well as logistical challenges the ISU Council during its on-line meeting held on April 16, 2020 concluded that a postponement of the pending 2020 ISU Championships is not possible. Consequently, the ISU Council has decided that the following ISU Championships must be definitely cancelled:
ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, Seoul, March 13-15, 2020
ISU World Figure Skating Championships, Montreal, March 16-22, 2020
ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships, Lake Placid, April 3-5, 2020.

Good. Glad to hear it. Now can they bite the bullet and cancel the JGP and GP as well, because there's no way either can be run under current or even slightly relaxed conditions, and the athletes need certainty.

Also, ditch the ridiculous awards thing. They must have noticed by now that far more people were laughing at it than liking it.

 

[mjb52]

Slooooow down it's not even May yet.

 

[misskarne]

I would be very devastated if we lost our 4CC after waiting so long for it.

 

[starrynight]

I would be very devastated if we lost our 4CC after waiting so long for it.

I know. But I’m trying to imagine a scenario where travellers from all over the world (particularly from the US where infection rates are high) being able to freely enter the country without a period of quarantine.

 

[misskarne]

I know. But I’m trying to imagine a scenario where travellers from all over the world (particularly from the US where infection rates are high) being able to freely enter the country without a period of quarantine.

I know. But that kind of makes it worse.

 

[MacMadame]

I am hoping that we can ramp up the testing. And find some medicines that help while waiting for a vaccine.

 

[ross_hy]

Cancelling is the right thing to do at this point, but I do hope the ISU awards Montreal the next available Worlds in 2023 to make up for it.

 

[overedge]

I kind of hope the awards event goes ahead at the next Worlds, whenever that is. Because it was going to be highly entertaining for all the wrong reasons.
🗑

 

[starrynight]

And a 4CC for Australia too please