2020–21 Canadian Figure Skating

[Colonel Green]

Have they announced how it's going to work yet? The format and such? If too many people can't compete they'll likely cancel it, I'd think. If people couldn't skate for Challenge, nationals might be bust too (due to restrictions and such)

The plan was to do it in hubs like with Ontario's sectionals (and Quebec's). I think they just announced that if need be you can use your Sectionals videos for Challenge too (though that might be a problem for a few of the skaters who only did the short/rhythm segment).

Jordan Cowan posted a clip of Natalie & Bruce's new Swan Lake free dance. They had previously cited Ilinykh/Katsalapov's Swan Lake as one of their top three ice dance programs of all time (the other two were G/P's "Vincent" and V/M's Moulin Rouge!), so I imagine this is there homage to that:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CH9dZLqnXNT/

 

[Supernovaimplosion]

The plan was to do it in hubs like with Ontario's sectionals (and Quebec's). I think they just announced that if need be you can use your Sectionals videos for Challenge too (though that might be a problem for a few of the skaters who only did the short/rhythm segment).

I guess they can just get around the rules by having the hubs outside effected cities

 

[lariko]

Well, here is a cheery article from CBC... lost Montreal WC, might not compete in Stockholm if it goes ahead...

Twitter

 

[Supernovaimplosion]

Well, here is a cheery article from CBC... lost Montreal WC, might not compete in Stockholm if it goes ahead...

Twitter

I dont see how this will work though. Unless there's a lot of major fed's that would miss worlds (which considering Russia and the USA would probably not happen) then surely Canada would just lose all of their spots. Isnt trying for some better than giving up?
I wonder if they're trying to push other feds to do the same. Didn't Japan stop their skaters from going to challengers?
I understand that they're concerned for the health of their athletes.

 

[lariko]

I dont see how this will work though. Unless there's a lot of major fed's that would miss worlds (which considering Russia and the USA would probably not happen) then surely Canada would just lose all of their spots. Isnt trying for some better than giving up?
I wonder if they're trying to push other feds to do the same. Didn't Japan stop their skaters from going to challengers?
I understand that they're concerned for the health of their athletes.

Yes, if it happens, iirc Canada will drop to 1 spot in each discipline for Olympics

 

[ice coverage]

If(??) the ISU does not change the 2022 OWG qualification procedures established in Dec 2019, and if Canada does not participate in 2021 Worlds, then it would not be guaranteed a spot in each discipline.

As things stand now, only a small number of countries would be able to earn OWG spots via the competition in Autumn 2021 (traditionally Nebelhorn).
Spots for only six men, six women, three pairs, and four dance couples would be available then.
Just my two cents, but I do not know whether it could be assumed that Canada would be successful in earning one of the six spots for women.

 

[4everchan]

considering that last weekend, the judo team when to the panamerican qualifier in Mexico, to secure berths for Tokyo, I cannot imagine that Skate Canada would simply prevent their skaters to compete for spots for Beijing 2022... It makes absolutely no sense. unless they think that there are no chances of medals anyways, and that one spot per discipline is plenty.... well let me tell you that I am pretty sure that ice dancers will speak up about this, considering that the Canes just changed countries and sat out a full season to represent Canada and are ranked 2nd in the country behind Piper and Paul who also definitely want to go the games as Canada's 1st team instead of Canada's 3rd team... Seriously, it makes absolutely no sense to skip worlds.... already last year, the choice for the sole male representative was a huge nightmare... Imagine now... they would need to send skaters to Nebelhorn... which ones??? and what about Nationals?? Let's say they send Roman to Nebelhorn, he wins his spot, even perhaps gets a medal.. then he is beaten at Nationals... by a couple guys.. who do they send? Or the opposite... This makes no sense at all. If Skate Canada is making such decisions, they are sending a very bad message that they have sacrificed the current generation and have already skipped to the next one... I do not think it's fair at all. So mark my words, there will be a lot of pressure from coaches and our team will go to Sweden.

 

[Supernovaimplosion]

considering that last weekend, the judo team when to the panamerican qualifier in Mexico, to secure berths for Tokyo, I cannot imagine that Skate Canada would simply prevent their skaters to compete for spots for Beijing 2022... It makes absolutely no sense. unless they think that there are no chances of medals anyways, and that one spot per discipline is plenty.... well let me tell you that I am pretty sure that ice dancers will speak up about this, considering that the Canes just changed countries and sat out a full season to represent Canada and are ranked 2nd in the country behind Piper and Paul who also definitely want to go the games as Canada's 1st team instead of Canada's 3rd team... Seriously, it makes absolutely no sense to skip worlds.... already last year, the choice for the sole male representative was a huge nightmare... Imagine now... they would need to send skaters to Nebelhorn... which ones??? and what about Nationals?? Let's say they send Roman to Nebelhorn, he wins his spot, even perhaps gets a medal.. then he is beaten at Nationals... by a couple guys.. who do they send? Or the opposite... This makes no sense at all. If Skate Canada is making such decisions, they are sending a very bad message that they have sacrificed the current generation and have already skipped to the next one... I do not think it's fair at all. So mark my words, there will be a lot of pressure from coaches and our team will go to Sweden.

Yeah, Canadian athletes have been competing internationally already (and judo is probably a lot worse than figure skating for covid safety ) I can't imagine Skate Canada would just give up our spots, so I don't know why we wouldn't go. I wonder if skate Canada spoke to the athletes before announcing it. Maybe they know something about olympic spots that we don't. Or maybe they were trying to bringing up the inequality in preparedness of skaters between countries, which is imo worth noting. Our skaters are at a disadvantage compared to other countries

 

[4everchan]

I reread the article... i think skate canada is simply saying they won't go to put pressure on the ISU not to hold the event because our athletes have not been preparing as much as others with the rules in place in Canada... but again, if the ISU goes ahead with WC, I am pretty sure Canada will have to send their athletes, even if they are less ready than others... worst case scenario would be that spots are lost and available in the last chance event... better try to qualify right away... especially in dance and pairs...

 

[rollerblade]

I really hate having to read between the lines, especially in an article from official sources. What's the point of SC releasing this?

 

[4everchan]

I really hate having to read between the lines, especially in an article from official sources. What's the point of SC releasing this?

that's why i think it is to make pressure on ISU... otherwise, no point at all... now, people from all over the world are saying, "worlds without Canada (or other skating countries) are not really worlds... and on top of that shouldn't serve as Olympic qualifying event... so I'd say mission nearly accomplished... politics... this is the part I like the least from Skate Canada.. but, they have to do it one way or another...

 

[chuckm]

From what I have read and heard, vaccines will become available before the first of the year. There will then be time to get the athletes vaccinated in time for worlds. So why is Skate Canada trying to put pressure on the ISU to cancel worlds when there may be no need to do that.

 

[Colonel Green]

From what I have read and heard, vaccines will become available before the first of the year. There will then be time to get the athletes vaccinated in time for worlds. So why is Skate Canada trying to put pressure on the ISU to cancel worlds when there may be no need to do that.

Vaccines will be available for some people in some places before the first of the year, and more gradually throughout the year. The Canadian government, for instance, expects to have around 3 million people vaccinated by March in the best case scenario, with priority given to vulnerable groups and medical personnel. There's no reason to expect that athletes will all be able to get vaccinated in time.

 

[chuckm]

If Worlds were postponed until May or June, there might be sufficient time for athletes to be vaccinated.
I suspect the problem is more that with rink shutdowns, the Canadian athletes are not sufficiently prepared to compete.
Keegan Messing was competition ready at SA, but he doesn't live in Canada.

 

[Supernovaimplosion]

Piper and Paul posted video of their training on instagram today. It's the same fd as last year. Wonder if it was film today, but paul said they'd share training up to challenge, so I guess they are able to keep training?? Wonder if this applies to other elite athletes too

 

[haribobo]

So Quebec decided to not release videos or results from Sectionals since skaters may need to reuse the videos for Challenge and they don't want to influence the results of that. Sigh.

Qualifiers named (by Cynthia Phaneuf?) on this video -

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIMjXxwIgAc/

Basically all men, pairs, and dance teams qualify.

Senior Ladies
Kim Deguise Leveillee
Viviane Fontaine-Maltais
Elizabeth Hatzis
Beatrice Lavoie-Leonard
Veronik Mallet
Heidi Pelchat
Alicia Pineault
Jennyfer Richer-labelle
Michelle Rivest

Junior Ladies
Arianne Belley
Melaurie Boivin
Sara-Maude Dupuis
Audreanne Foster
Mia-Catherine Lussier
Laura F. Paquette
Camille Perreault
Rose Theroux

 

[4everchan]

it was indeed cynthia phaneuf presenting.

 

[4everchan]

and it is true that they didn't give rankings and results.. however, some info has leaked already... so I am not sure what they will do about that.

 

[4everchan]

info about championnats continues to leak... i am guessing that sooner than later, we will have the results from the event

 

[Colonel Green]

Danielle Earl's photographs of Natalie & Bruce's Swan Lake free dance, from a recent visit to the TCC:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIgc-ENLTBO/