GP/JGP Final cancelled for 2021-22 season

[gsk8]

Initially the event was postponed, but was cancelled as of today:

From the ISU:

Following the ISU announcement on December 2, 2021 regarding the cancellation of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Osaka (JPN), the ISU evaluated a possible postponement to hold the Event at the end of the season and reached out to the six ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Group to find out if they could host the Event.

Unfortunately, despite all efforts made by the ISU and the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Group, it was impossible to find a solution to maintain this Event.

Consequently, and for the above-mentioned reasons, the ISU Council regrettably decided to cancel the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2021/22.

The ISU regrets that the hosting of the event is no longer possible this season, and thanks the ISU Members for their efforts and cooperation.

 

[lariko]

Initially the event was postponed, but was cancelled as of today:

From the ISU:

Following the ISU announcement on December 2, 2021 regarding the cancellation of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Osaka (JPN), the ISU evaluated a possible postponement to hold the Event at the end of the season and reached out to the six ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Group to find out if they could host the Event.

Unfortunately, despite all efforts made by the ISU and the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Group, it was impossible to find a solution to maintain this Event.

Consequently, and for the above-mentioned reasons, the ISU Council regrettably decided to cancel the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2021/22.

The ISU regrets that the hosting of the event is no longer possible this season, and thanks the ISU Members for their efforts and cooperation.

This is so, so, so sad. Poor junior division, losing a competition after competition. I feel so bad for these guys.

 

[gsk8]

It is indeed. I knew it was a long-shot but still held out hope.

 

[Weathergal]

This is so, so, so sad. Poor junior division, losing a competition after competition. I feel so bad for these guys.

It is indeed. I knew it was a long-shot but still held out hope.

I kept hoping there was something they could figure out - although to be honest I had no idea what would work. Waiting until the end of the season was the most probable solution, but especially in an Olympic year, there could be a number of retirements at that point, which could drastically change the field from the initial group of people who won the spots. This would be less of an issue for juniors, of course, and they, in particular, have lost so many comps in the past few years, it's a shame something couldn't have been worked out at least for them.

I was hoping perhaps Russia could have held it during the regular week instead, but there just wasn't enough time for that - plus I'm not very knowledgeable about visas so that might have been an issue for some of the skaters as well. If Japan could have given more warning, perhaps that would have worked, but I think things with the omicron variant just happened too quickly.

Let's hope that the various countries' Nationals continue to be held, as well as Euros, 4CC, Olympics, and Worlds.

 

[lariko]

I kept hoping there was something they could figure out - although to be honest I had no idea what would work. Waiting until the end of the season was the most probable solution, but especially in an Olympic year, there could be a number of retirements at that point, which could drastically change the field from the initial group of people who won the spots. This would be less of an issue for juniors, of course, and they, in particular, have lost so many comps in the past few years, it's a shame something couldn't have been worked out at least for them.

I was hoping perhaps Russia could have held it during the regular week instead, but there just wasn't enough time for that - plus I'm not very knowledgeable about visas so that might have been an issue for some of the skaters as well. If Japan could have given more warning, perhaps that would have worked, but I think things with the omicron variant just happened too quickly.

Let's hope that the various countries' Nationals continue to be held, as well as Euros, 4CC, Olympics, and Worlds.

Yeah, unfortunately, there are no Eu, 4CC and Oly for juniors. Most of them will be done or are already done with their respective Nationals. I am really feeling for the current junior generation and all those who have hard time getting into seniors because they didn’t have a junior season… the final is their biggest audience event. this only will make them even more eager to jump into seniors asap.

 

[Arbitrary]

RusNats of this week will allow top local J-s to participate.
I presume other federations do the similar competitions.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Well this sucks for the Juniors, they have no Olympics or Euros or Four Continents. Their season just ends...

What about the ones who are aging out? How will they go in seniors next season with only half a season? Are there actually any more international junior events coming up or will they just have to hope for national events in their own counties (not much luck for the Indian skaters...)

 

[ice coverage]

Well this sucks for the Juniors, they have no Olympics or Euros or Four Continents. Their season just ends...

What about the ones who are aging out? How will they go in seniors next season with only half a season? Are there actually any more international junior events coming up or will they just have to hope for national events in their own counties (not much luck for the Indian skaters...)

The Junior international season has not ended!
Junior Worlds still is ahead for many of the JGPF entries -- and for lots of other non-JGPF skaters.

(Even if JGPF had been held, it would not have helped unfortunate skaters who do not have national events in their own countries.)

(I'm not diminishing that JGPF would have been an important opportunity for those who qualified.)

 

[Azikin]

Well this sucks for the Juniors, they have no Olympics or Euros or Four Continents. Their season just ends...

C'mon, it's just one competition. And qualifying for JGPF was unfair this season, anyway..

 

[anonymoose_au]

Oh yeah I forgot Junior Worlds. How embarrassing.

Looking forward to that!

 

[Greengemmonster]

Who is holding Junior worlds and will they cancel?

I'm too scared to look forward to it!

 

[lariko]

RusNats of this week will allow top local J-s to participate.
I presume other federations do the similar competitions.

Not the ice dancers.

 

[lariko]

Who is holding Junior worlds and will they cancel?

I'm too scared to look forward to it!

I think it’s Bulgaria and it’s hard to say. But if by March the Covid situation gets worse, after Olympics, it’s easy to imagine JWC falling by wayside

 

[lariko]

Junior Worlds still is ahead for many of the JGPF entries -- and for lots of other non-JGPF skaters.

JWC might or might not happen, and JPF had far more visibility for top juniors, particulary in the Olympic year, when even senior WC is not a big deal. Plus more junior skaters potentially qualified for it per country than would for JWC; some of them due to the vagaries of fate might not make it into JWC at all. JWC is fun, but with no Eu and 4CC for juniors, JGPF is vital international competition and lots of fun to watch. Those junior guys competed with changing selection criteria, did their best, had rigorous process to even get to those competitions, and they didn’t have last season at all.

Basically, in these trying years of bad luck, this is the suckiest.

 

[icetug]

Yeah, unfortunately, there are no Eu, 4CC and Oly for juniors. Most of them will be done or are already done with their respective Nationals. I am really feeling for the current junior generation and all those who have hard time getting into seniors because they didn’t have a junior season… the final is their biggest audience event. this only will make them even more eager to jump into seniors asap.

Juniors got their Winter Youth Olympics and Worlds in 2020, when senior's Worlds were cancelled. The final reaches the biggest audience, but it's for a very limited number of participants, and all of them come from big federations - mostly from Russia, where Junior Nationals are very well broadcast. What I wouldn't like to see is JWC cancellation. That would be a disaster.

 

[lariko]

Juniors got their Winter Youth Olympics and Worlds in 2020, when senior's Worlds were cancelled. The final reaches the biggest audience, but it's for a very limited number of participants, and all of them come from big federations - mostly from Russia, where Junior Nationals are very well broadcast. What I wouldn't like to see is JWC cancellation. That would be a disaster.

Yes, they got 2020 JWC season, and then nothing till this year’s JGP stages that were all messed up. Japanese didn’t compete. Someone who had to sit out JGP this year due to injury won’t qualify for JWC and might even age out next year. What if there is no JGP next year? Do they start seniors… as virtually never competing before? How the new juniors would start next season if there is no JGP again and the older guys start aging out?

And yes, no JWC would be a disaster too, and I am already seeing it happening tbh.

Also, the JGPF this year had multiple nations, not just Russians. There were Americans, Canadians and even added up Japanese, all of whom I actually had never seen before apart from in JGP.

 

[4everchan]

Yeah, unfortunately, there are no Eu, 4CC and Oly for juniors. Most of them will be done or are already done with their respective Nationals. I am really feeling for the current junior generation and all those who have hard time getting into seniors because they didn’t have a junior season… the final is their biggest audience event. this only will make them even more eager to jump into seniors asap.

Juniors will compete at their nationals, which in the case of Russians is way more important IMHO than JGPF.

 

[lariko]

Juniors will compete at their nationals, which in the case of Russians is way more important IMHO than JGPF.

It’s their major international event, where they are skating to the same audience that watches seniors and potentially more of them can make JGPF than JWC. I don’t see how nationals are more important competitions if the outcome of the nationals is to get international assignments. There were Canadians and Americans who qualified for JGPF, and Japanese wild-carding. I for one was looking forward to seeing how all of them would do.

 

[4everchan]

It’s their major international event, where they are skating to the same audience that watches seniors and potentially more of them can make JGPF than JWC. I don’t see how nationals are more important competitions if the outcome of the nationals is to get international assignments. There were Canadians and Americans who qualified for JGPF, and Japanese wild-carding. I for one was looking forward to seeing how all of them would do.

A major international event has more than 6 skaters invited to it. I was looking forward to GPF/JGPF just as much as everyone here, but really, the main event for juniors is JWC and let's see if senior athletes manage to skate to Euros, 4CC and the Olympics. And to go along with your point, Nationals are indeed more important for juniors if it gets them international assignments such as JWC and more JGPs next year. I would prefer that the ISU puts their energy in confirming safe major championships, as they have a bit more time to react properly and create the appropriate secure environments for athletes (if that's even possible at this point) than rushing into an event that would put the public (if allowed in),the skaters, the coaches and everyone else involved, at risk

 

[lariko]

A major international event has more than 6 skaters invited to it. I was looking forward to GPF/JGPF just as much as everyone here, but really, the main event for juniors is JWC and let's see if senior athletes manage to skate to Euros, 4CC and the Olympics. And to go along with your point, Nationals are indeed more important for juniors if it gets them international assignments such as JWC and more JGPs next year. I would prefer that the ISU puts their energy in confirming safe major championships, as they have a bit more time to react properly and create the appropriate secure environments for athletes (if that's even possible at this point) than rushing into an event that would put the public (if allowed in),the skaters, the coaches and everyone else involved, at risk

Except putting it off to the end of the season for the juniors would have allowed the time to actually ensure safe conduct of the event and there would have been no rushing. With the final cancelled, JGP loses its main pay off. There are reasons why GP/JGP exists, because it has a different selection pool than the second half of the season competitions, allowing for a different dynamic and approach. Both halves of the season balance each other out. If the focus moves to only preserving JWC/Eu/4CC/WC at the expense of GP, then per country restrictions would become more limiting than inviting.

Seniors events are great, but there will be no seniors in a few years if junior division continues to lose international competitions.

Anyway, I feel for and worried the most about the junior skaters with all the cancellations.