2021 Worlds are still on

[gsk8]

The ISU Council met on January 28, 2021 via an online meeting and took a number of decisions during their meeting:

ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships 2021, scheduled to be held in Zagreb (CRO) on April 9-10, 2021 are cancelled

The Council confirmed that the other pending ISU Events of the 2020/21 season remain scheduled as planned, subject to pandemic developments and no quarantine requirements and/or prohibitive / extensive entry restrictions:

• the second ISU Speed Skating World Cup (January 29-31, 2021) and the ISU World Speed Skating Championships (February 11-14, 2021) within the Heerenveen competition bubble in the Netherlands are continuing as planned

• the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating World Championships remain scheduled as planned, to be held on March 5-7, 2021 in Dordrecht, the Netherlands

• the ISU World Figure Skating Championships remain scheduled as planned, to be held in Stockholm, Sweden on March 22-28, 2021. Since these Championships serve as a Qualification Competition for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, the Council will review the Olympic Qualification status at its next meeting. Depending on the actual entries received by the deadline of March 1, 2021, the ISU Council will evaluate and decide at that time whether and which changes to the Olympic qualification system could be necessary.

Additionally the Council approved the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Calendar for the season 2021/22 and acknowledged that the previously cancelled Test Events have now been rescheduled to be held in the Olympic venues in Beijing.

The full decisions of the Council are published in ISU Communication 2367.

 

[Skatesocs]

2021 Worlds!

 

[Winnie_20]

I am anything but surprised at this point that the ISU want to go ahead with Worlds. And I hope it will all work out!

The ISU have experience with ice skating events in a bubble, and unless I have missed some earth-shattering news, it’s all good so far!

(Yes, I know, this may come as a huge shock to all those on-line fans shouting murder at the ISU for even entertaining the thought of letting these championships go ahead as planned, because of course it’s “impossible” to safely host an event right now in Europe! Even though at this very moment the opposite is being proven in Heerenveen.)

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Have any federations announced their skaters won't participate?

 

[figureskatingandrainbows]

Have any federations announced their skaters won't participate?

Canada's up in the air. There's rumors they won't send any skaters, but they do have qualification methods posted on their website. There's also a travel ban on some countries, specifically Japan and South Korea, and we aren't sure if athletes are exempt, so there's an unlikely possibility that the Japan-and-Korea-based skaters won't be coming. So far, though, no official withdrawals.

 

[Mista Ekko]

I'm assuming no audience...

Or is that still a possibility?

 

[Blades of Passion]

I'm assuming no audience...

Or is that still a possibility?

They are instituting ingenious new ways of making money:

1.) Seats in the arena can be purchased where a laptop will be placed and allow people to live-stream themselves as audience members.

2.) Flags can be bought to be waved at the conclusion of performances by arena workers.

3.) There will be a "stuffed animal throwing service", where upon payment during a performance or briefly after it concludes, arena workers will receive notification to throw toys out onto the ice.

 

[Mista Ekko]

They are instituting ingenious new ways of making money:

1.) Seats in the arena can be purchased where a laptop will be placed and allow people to live-stream themselves as audience members.

2.) Flags can be bought to be waved at the conclusion of performances by arena workers.

3.) There will be a "stuffed animal throwing service", where upon payment during a performance or briefly after it concludes, arena workers will receive notification to throw toys out onto the ice.

 

[anonymoose_au]

3.) There will be a "stuffed animal throwing service", where upon payment during a performance or briefly after it concludes, arena workers will receive notification to throw toys out onto the ice.

Ha ha can you imagine if they did this? Those poor arena workers would be weighed down by Winnie the Poohs

 

[moonvine]

They are instituting ingenious new ways of making money:

1.) Seats in the arena can be purchased where a laptop will be placed and allow people to live-stream themselves as audience members.

2.) Flags can be bought to be waved at the conclusion of performances by arena workers.

3.) There will be a "stuffed animal throwing service", where upon payment during a performance or briefly after it concludes, arena workers will receive notification to throw toys out onto the ice.

How do I sign up for #3???

 

[figureskatingandrainbows]

Ha ha can you imagine if they did this? Those poor arena workers would be weighed down by Winnie the Poohs

There's going to be nothing thrown until Yuzu skates, and then they shall rain down from the heavens in a yellow-and-red cloud until the arena workers pass out from throwing so many.
Not a good idea, ISU...

 

[4everchan]

you may want to edit your post with 2021 2020 worlds have been canceled a long time ago

PS Canada is sending athletes.... you can check out the info shared in the Canadian thread. The qualification criteria is posted on their website. However, athletes have revealed that Skate Canada is waiting to see how the bubble will work in Sweden. If it seems safe for athletes, they shall be going.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Skate Canada is waiting to see how the bubble will work in Sweden. If it seems safe for athletes, they shall be going.

Do they mean in terms of another sporting event been held in Sweden? It seems a bit difficult to ascertain how the bubble will work if not. Like how soon do skaters normally show up to an event? If it's less than a week before the competition it'd be cutting it close to watch for a couple of days then rush to get their skaters over there in time.

 

[4everchan]

Do they mean in terms of another sporting event been held in Sweden? It seems a bit difficult to ascertain how the bubble will work if not. Like how soon do skaters normally show up to an event? If it's less than a week before the competition it'd be cutting it close to watch for a couple of days then rush to get their skaters over there in time.

i think they mean the conditions/regulations... speed skaters are in the netherlands in a bubble for long track right now... it must be depending on what sanitary norms are put in place.

 

[alexocfp]

i think they mean the conditions/regulations... speed skaters are in the netherlands in a bubble for long track right now... it must be depending on what sanitary norms are put in place.

And they are going off without any problems.

The European short track championshs were completed last week as well.

 

[Skater Boy]

Canada's up in the air. There's rumors they won't send any skaters, but they do have qualification methods posted on their website. There's also a travel ban on some countries, specifically Japan and South Korea, and we aren't sure if athletes are exempt, so there's an unlikely possibility that the Japan-and-Korea-based skaters won't be coming. So far, though, no official withdrawals.

While many of us love skating in my opinion athletes even to us skating lovers should nto be given special permission to travel ditto for pro sports. There is a pandemic. People are dying. People are losing there careers, jobs and businesses.

 

[Skater Boy]

And they are going off without any problems.

The European short track championshs were completed last week as well.

That sounds hopeful but what do you mean "going off without any problems" how will we know? I thought they said no bubble. Will heir be fans watching? While the USA, Japan and Russia have had nationals what about Canada. They are in so much trouble with such a weak team and there is a fair chance they wont send a team to worlds. The problem is international travel is not advised in Canada and the USA - figure skating or any sport should not be seen as essential travel.

 

[alexocfp]

That sounds hopeful but what do you mean "going off without any problems" how will we know? I thought they said no bubble. Will heir be fans watching? While the USA, Japan and Russia have had nationals what about Canada. They are in so much trouble with such a weak team and there is a fair chance they wont send a team to worlds. The problem is international travel is not advised in Canada and the USA - figure skating or any sport should not be seen as essential travel.

I mean that the speed skating has been problem free the last few weeks.

No reason the figure skating can’t be the same.

If individual countries don’t or can’t attend, thats fine, but the show must go on.

I know we have to pretend that every country contributes, but if Russia and Japan shows up, well that’s all you need really. Russia showimg up is already 85% of a world championship.

Odds are, Russia will be there. If they aren’t, then just cancel them and declare Anna the world champion.

 

[Winnie_20]

I mean that the speed skating has been problem free the last few weeks.

No reason the figure skating can’t be the same.

Exactly! I know this may come as a surprise to many people, but the ISU involves more than just figure skating.

Various speed skating championships have been going on IN A BUBBLE for weeks and it continues to do so, and so far it’s all going fine. It’s not difficult to assume they will more or less use the same rules and regs for the FS bubble.

And, it should be noted, the Canadian federation allowed its skaters to attend, too! They realized it was safe enough. So at this point I would assume they will allow the figure skaters to go to an ISU-run FS bubble. They’re seeing it can be done.

 

[FayD]

Wish they had cleared up the issue about TES minimums. But then again... they saw no problem with raising the ladies' minimums mid-season last year so they probably don't care that much whether skaters have them or have opportunities to get them.