Will we get 2020-21 GP assignments, and when?

Japanfan

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Nationally though, There are some people who have been skating a month and others in the same country who are still quarantined. How do you make that “fair”? I don’t think you can.

I wonder how the skaters feel about that. I'd guess that some, or even many, would just want to get back on the ice in competition in order to get back into competitive form - without worrying as much about results as they would otherwise.

I don’t see them having a huge international event (4CC) right after opening without many precautions, perhaps including a quarantine of visitors.

Also, international events can't be planned unless it is certain that all the necessary borders will be open. And events get planned months in advance, which probably rules out all 2020 international competitions. Possibly even Nationals.

I think the best we can hope for at this point is that Nationals will be held, and a Worlds in 2021. But even Worlds is probably iffy, given the planning time needed.
 
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Deleted member 78951

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I wish they would straight up say GP and everything else in 2020 is cancelled, TBD on Nationals and 2021.

Why should they do that now? This will cause so many things. Many sport events will be running until then.

  • skaters are earning their living with skating
  • many people and companies involved also
  • the federations need the money
  • the organizers already invested money for this years grand prix
  • there is also the olympic test event as part of the grand prix

You can't just easily decide to cancel a whole season of competition. It's 4 month until grand prix starts. Even junior grand prix is realistic to hold. You just start with no audience and during the season progress you see if you can open up more. This is really important.
 

LL22

Member
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I wonder how the skaters feel about that. I'd guess that some, or even many, would just want to get back on the ice in competition in order to get back into competitive form - without worrying as much about results as they would otherwise.



Also, international events can't be planned unless it is certain that all the necessary borders will be open. And events get planned months in advance, which probably rules out all 2020 international competitions. Possibly even Nationals.

I think the best we can hope for at this point is that Nationals will be held, and a Worlds in 2021. But even Worlds is probably iffy, given the planning time needed.

I was thinking, the skaters always make posts at those “camps” in August where they are evaluated before the season begins. Perhaps, the countries will not have a national competition, but rather a camp to evaluate everyone. Then they can decide who gets funding and such from that.

if I were an athlete and I was off the ice for 4 months and got to train for 3 let’s say (random numbers) and my competitor was off the ice for 3 months and got to train for 4 months, I wouldn’t want to compete. I would guess being off longer and back on shorter is a huge disadvantage, right? In a year from now, when hopefully everyone has been consistently back on the ice, the month difference won’t be a big deal. But initially, in the beginning of the season every 4 weeks can provide a lot of progress and improvement... right? I’m guessing here, any insight?

About the planning in advance, I know. I worry about this also because even local qualifying events are planned months in advance.
 

zebraswan

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People get injured and lose training time in comparison to their rivals every season. There is no way to guarantee a totally level playing ground. If someone opts not to compete because they don't feel ready, of course that's their prerogative. Others are probably very anxious to get out and compete again asap, even if their form is not ideal. Everyone has lost momentum...the question is whether they can keep any motivation to continue with the sport if there is no option to compete until next year.
 

Lemonade20

If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
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People get injured and lose training time in comparison to their rivals every season. There is no way to guarantee a totally level playing ground. If someone opts not to compete because they don't feel ready, of course that's their prerogative. Others are probably very anxious to get out and compete again asap, even if their form is not ideal. Everyone has lost momentum...the question is whether they can keep any motivation to continue with the sport if there is no option to compete until next year.

Exactly. A lot of the skaters have been staying in shape doing off-ice training. Returning to the ice will be hard for everyone as their bodies almost have to relearn everything again. It will be a challenge to get it all together (choreography, practice, etc). No one can predict what happens next, but these skaters need us to cheer and motivate them on their journey
 

AngieNikodinovLove

Frangi & Piazza & Paul & Hektor & Theo. Oh My! 😝
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So this org published this today saying the Grand Prix final is confirmed for China. It has today’s date on it but I’m not sure if it’s some thing that is publishing today that was talked about months and months ago.

It also mentions the other six events are still unknown as if they will go ahead. LOL. Who knows.

 

LL22

Member
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So this org published this today saying the Grand Prix final is confirmed for China. It has today’s date on it but I’m not sure if it’s some thing that is publishing today that was talked about months and months ago.

It also mentions the other six events are still unknown as if they will go ahead. LOL. Who knows.

Thanks for sending! When do they announce the skaters for each GP event?
 

MacMadame

Doing all the things
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if I were an athlete and I was off the ice for 4 months and got to train for 3 let’s say (random numbers) and my competitor was off the ice for 3 months and got to train for 4 months, I wouldn’t want to compete. I would guess being off longer and back on shorter is a huge disadvantage, right?
That is absolutely not how athletes think. Not at all.

The athletes will go to the competitions if they feel ready. It's not about where other athletes are or how much ice team other athletes can get. It's about your own readiness and your own goals.
 

Vagabond

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So this org published this today saying the Grand Prix final is confirmed for China. It has today’s date on it but I’m not sure if it’s some thing that is publishing today that was talked about months and months ago.

It also mentions the other six events are still unknown as if they will go ahead. LOL. Who knows.
I suppose the GPF will go ahead without any qualifying skaters (or coaches, judges, or spectators). 🤷‍♂️
 

taz'smum

'Be Kind' - every skater has their own story
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Typically it’s done around now in June. I just have a feeling there will be no GP

I feel the same, that is why I am not concerned that Tiff is not yet back on the ice.
If the GPs are cancelled, it will be hard for the skaters to maintain motivation and train full-on with Nationals looking likely to be their first major comp.
Starting 4 weeks or so later than the skaters who are already back on the ice might not make a lot of difference in the long run.
At least it is giving time for the skater's injuries to heal....I feel there were way too many injuries last season, this break may not have been such a bad thing for their battered bodies!
 
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Miezekatze

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I think the international aspect is more complicated than the spectator question. I think there might be a limited amount of spectators at sports events in Germany in fall. In hungary some fans can go to soccer games. So there's things starting in this direction. But I haven't heard of anybody starting anything in regards to international sports yet.
 
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I think the international aspect is more complicated than the spectator question. I think there might be a limited amount of spectators at sports events in Germany in fall. In hungary some fans can go to soccer games. So there's things starting in this direction. But I haven't heard of anybody starting anything in regards to international sports yet.

Formula 1 in July, International athletic competitions in August (Diamond League), Triathlon in September, GT Motorsport in July, NBA in August, Ski Jumping in August, ...
 

kirkbiggestfan

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The NBA will be in a bubble in Orlando. There is a quarantine period before starting practices. Players won't be able to see their families or leave the bubble for 3 months. International players are allow to fly back to the US and start the quarantine.
Fly the top 10 skaters in the world to Switzerland next month. Put them in a bubble for 3 months. Get the best filmmakers to make a documentary and we would all be ordering popcorn in advance. ;)
 
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The NBA will be in a bubble in Orlando. There is a quarantine period before starting practices. Players won't be able to see their families or leave the bubble for 3 months. International players are allow to fly back to the US and start the quarantine.
Fly the top 10 skaters in the world to Switzerland next month. Put them in a bubble for 3 months. Get the best filmmakers to make a documentary and we would all be ordering popcorn in advance. ;)

Well you picked one example out of all the others...great
 

missing

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The Major League Baseball team owners and players are in a nasty fight over how to start the season, how many games should be played and how much the players should earn. No one is coming off well and there's no way of knowing if there will be baseball this year.

Yesterday I saw that the owners want the regular season to end by September 30 and the post season to end before November because of concern over a second wave.

It's impossible to know what concerns are real and what are to cover up the money issues, but if they are genuine, the second wave fear must be very serious. Team owners are rich people, and while rich people can't predict the future better than I can, they have more contacts with powerful people than I do, and it's possible those powerful people have informed them that a second wave is a legitimate worry.

I don't feel a burning longing for figure skating right now because it's not something I associate with June. I missed it more in March and will (most likely) miss it more this fall. But the Grand Prix would be scheduled right around the time that the second wave is predicted and if the second wave resembles the first wave (which the U.S. is still dealing with), the Grand Prix would be impossible to have.
 

Carolla5501

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IndyCar started last week in Texas. Now I don't know where the drivers all live currently but I do know that not all of them are American... maybe they all live here year round, but that's probably unlikely

Yes the NBA is in a "bubble" but it's a rather large "bubble" (Disney is the size of some decent size cities) And no, they will be allowed access to their families. Technically the families aren't suppose to go to the theme parks... (Anyone want to take bets on how long that works :) )

Plus the bubble is being shared with MLS ..




So could skating do a "bubble" ?
I am not sure what the solution is but I do know that the skaters often depend on that prize money from Grand Prix and other events so....
 

gkelly

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So could skating do a "bubble" ?
I am not sure what the solution is but I do know that the skaters often depend on that prize money from Grand Prix and other events so....

How would that work?

The first big difference between figure skating and the NBA is that at the elite level (the level that audiences care about and where some of the athletes might actually earn a living by participating) is an international circuit, not a single-country league. Would there need to be separate bubbles in each major skating country or one on each continent? Would they be able to travel to compete against each other? Or does one lucky country get to host all the elite skaters in the world?

The second big difference is that figure skating is still largely an amateur sport albeit with the potential to win prize money and and support from one's federation. Some federations cover pretty much all of their top skaters' training expenses and even some living expenses. Some don't have much to offer their skaters at all. And anywhere in between.

I'm sure the NBA can cover the housing and food expenses for their players. Who's going to pay for all of that in a figure skating "bubble"?

Third, many of the internationally competitive skaters are minors. Would parents be invited to the bubble? (And would parents necessarily be able to accept the invitation, which might mean abandoning the jobs they use to fund their skaters' training?)

Finally, how many skaters would be invited to the bubble(s)? Everyone who qualifies for a Grand Prix assignment based on last season? Or some smaller number of skaters -- determined by what standards?
 

Lemonade20

If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
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How would that work?

The first big difference between figure skating and the NBA is that at the elite level (the level that audiences care about and where some of the athletes might actually earn a living by participating) is an international circuit, not a single-country league. Would there need to be separate bubbles in each major skating country or one on each continent? Would they be able to travel to compete against each other? Or does one lucky country get to host all the elite skaters in the world?

The second big difference is that figure skating is still largely an amateur sport albeit with the potential to win prize money and and support from one's federation. Some federations cover pretty much all of their top skaters' training expenses and even some living expenses. Some don't have much to offer their skaters at all. And anywhere in between.

I'm sure the NBA can cover the housing and food expenses for their players. Who's going to pay for all of that in a figure skating "bubble"?

Third, many of the internationally competitive skaters are minors. Would parents be invited to the bubble? (And would parents necessarily be able to accept the invitation, which might mean abandoning the jobs they use to fund their skaters' training?)

Finally, how many skaters would be invited to the bubble(s)? Everyone who qualifies for a Grand Prix assignment based on last season? Or some smaller number of skaters -- determined by what standards?


All very good questions. It worries me that figure skating will never recover because of the complex issues above
 

TallyT

Active Member
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I truly believe that, because of the travel/quarantine problems that international sports face on a massive scale, and the fact that two of the countries still most affected by the virus are the US (Skate America is the first, yes?) and Russia, the GP series will be announced, allocated... but will end up NOT going ahead. The skaters would be well served signing up to domestic competitions (their own country, or the one they are training in) if they can and maybe these can be bumped up in prestige if there's nothing else by the big stars going to them.
 

overedge

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^^This. The ISU can put out a schedule and announce assignments, but that's no guarantee the events are going to happen. The ISU's choice to go ahead or not may not even be its own, as we saw with Worlds in Montreal. That couldn't go ahead because of the public health restrictions in Quebec on the number of people allowed to gather.
 
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Deleted member 78951

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I truly believe that, because of the travel/quarantine problems that international sports face on a massive scale, and the fact that two of the countries still most affected by the ***** are the US (Skate America is the first, yes?) and Russia, the GP series will be announced, allocated... but will end up NOT going ahead. The skaters would be well served signing up to domestic competitions (their own country, or the one they are training in) if they can and maybe these can be bumped up in prestige if there's nothing else by the big stars going to them.

Its over 4 month until the events are going to be hold. The world is opening up now, yes and also in Russia and US Both countries are over the peak. I know from a friend in Russia that Moscow alone is planning to host 3 sport events in august. I am also expecting that we're having a vaccination in autumn or latest by end of the year...no 2nd wave
 

MacMadame

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The US is nowhere near being "over the peak." There are still states with rising numbers and not just 1 or 2 but 17-20.

Just because someplace opens up, doesn't mean it's safe. Countries open up for so many reasons and safety is just one consideration. We can say we're open but that doesn't mean that countries will let us in if they decide it's not safe for US citizens to enter their country.

Also, 4 months is not very many months for planning purposes. If a group can't be sure of the future and that they can put on the event, they will cancel it. We see that all over in business, sports and entertainment.
 
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Deleted member 78951

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The US is nowhere near being "over the peak." There are still states with rising numbers and not just 1 or 2 but 17-20.

Just because someplace opens up, doesn't mean it's safe. Countries open up for so many reasons and safety is just one consideration. We can say we're open but that doesn't mean that countries will let us in if they decide it's not safe for US citizens to enter their country.

Also, 4 months is not very many months for planning purposes. If a group can't be sure of the future and that they can put on the event, they will cancel it. We see that all over in business, sports and entertainment.

According to the John Hopkins University the number of daily cases isn't at is highest anymore. 17k vs 36k some weeks ago. This is normal pandemic way. Every country is going through the process, China first, then Europe (Italy, France, Germany), the US and Russia and most recently in south america. It takes about 2 to 3 month.

So the fact we know is, that until september/october it will be much better for sure. Thats why countries are opening up. And its the right thing to do. Like in Germany the active cases are around 6500, compared to 60 000 couple weeks ago. So it's highely unlikely that you will get infected.

We need to lose the fear of it. The damage what we did with the lockdown can only be done once.

But back to topic. Most sport federations are just waiting to be able to host the competitions. Now just the countries need to allow it. Maybe the federations need to chose other locations and we have the GP in Germany, Italy, China, Japan and Korea...or Helsinki ;)

Funny (or not) side fact: The virus was especially bad in populistic countries like Italy, Russia, US, Brazil, UK
 

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