TEB is Cancelled

[AC96]

Nothing is fair, but this is better than counting the SP only because, again, you wouldn't know if someone would do well in the FS to bring themselves back up. Who knows, maybe Gracie would have had an uber meltdown, Liza might have been getting ready unveil a new FS setting a new world record, Yulia might have been planning a 3A, it's a wild possibility of what the FS could have looked liked. But what I am suggesting at least puts people in their right place, for now, while keeping everyone safe.

This is an absurd argument. We cannot base the real results of a competition off of hypothetical possibilities.

 

[TelmoFe]

For me the best option is to do FS next week in Russia before the SP. Everyone is in Europe so close. We have to understand the decision. We are talking about life! Our life!

 

[HanDomi]

Maybe they will decide not to have a finals?

this is the worst decision they could make

 

[SamuraiKike]

Well, I actually realized that considering SP results as final results would mean a bronze medal for Roberta :noshake::eeking:

I don't think any medal will be awarded or champion declared. The event has been cancelled. The problem now is how this affects GPF qualification.

 

[tulosai]

I don't know why it isn't possible to wait 1-2 days and see if the FS can be held in place of the Gala?

There is no reason this shouldn't have been possible, but the event has been cancelled now. Actually cancelled. It's over. The ISU isn't even meeting to discuss possibilities till Tuesday. Many national teams have made plans to 'evacuate' their teams from the country ASAP- several are confirmed to be leaving tomorrow morning at this point. Unfortunately, this idea, while a very good and logical one, is not on the table anymore.

 

[whatif]

President of RFSF, Gorshkov is against a proposal to count SP results as final. http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20151114/879303051.html

Also speaking of how skaters feel competing under these conditions: Kovtun could not gather himself for the competition today, could not concentrate and thinks that there are more important things in life than figure skating right now. http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20151114/879310024.html

 

[SorrySkater]

Here is my best shot at a translation. I admit though that I don't agree with the reasoning used.

If we take into account only the short- there will be mass protest. said the Journalist Trankov. I am sure that the Canadian Federation will launch a protest. Patrick Chan will surely not remain out of the Final. How is it possible to exclude people from the Final due to a Force majeur.
I consider that we must make a protest on behalf of Liza (Tuktymesheva was 5th after the short program). How to leave out of the Final the current World Champion? It is simply dishonorable treatment of athletes (sportsmen and women)! The competition has not finished. I have a positive solution (a bit of trouble translating this). But speaking of other people, I don't consider it just. added the figure skater.

Personally, I would hope that the skating federations of Canada and Russia would have more important things on their minds than taking the actions proposed by Trankov. Such actions seem shallow and petty. Sorry, but performance in past seasons does not guarantee a spot in the Grand Prix Final. This has been proven to be the case, time and time again.

 

[tulosai]

For me the best option is to do FS next week in Russia before the SP. Everyone is in Europe so close. We have to understand the decision. We are talking about life! Our life!

Again, what about visas? Going to Russia is not the same as going to France for people of many nationalities... additional visas are needed.

 

[Perdita]

In the end, it's all up to ISU and I'm not against using only SP standings, but how about using SP standings but also allowing TEB skaters who got on podium at another event to skate at GPF (if Spain can host such number of skaters)? Sounds quite realistic to me.

 

[exerym]

and if Chan and Liza would have made good SP then I guess no protest Mr Trankov ? Cmon... :roll5:

Why? He said, that in his case, taking SP as a final result is good (because he won it), but it's unfair for others (У меня положительный исход. Но говоря о других ребят, я не считаю это справедливым)

 

[Pamigena]

It's terrible, but these attacks have sadly become a fact of life...the Russian plane from Egypt that crashed was also an act of terrorism, and life just went on as always for most of us, despite the greater loss of life.

I live in the country where one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in history happened: Beslan school case when 200 schoolkids were killed and 800 people wounded, I live in the country where 227 people were bombed in the plane just 2 weeks ago (with some laughs from Charlie - I wonder if they are going to ridicule people who were killed in Paris - I bet they won't). I live in the city where the number of terrorist acts over the last 15 years is higher than in the whole Western Europe. So what? That's the reality. We brought it to ourselves after starting Chechen War. The West brought it because they were not happy with Saddam and Kaddafi.

Terrorists are happy now - the effect they wanted is here. And the more events are cancelled, the more extraordinary measures are imposed the more happy they will be. We have to live in this reality.

Yes, but that's just it. I am painfully aware of the fact that it's part of our reality. But that doesn't mean that we should just say "so what" and ignore that it has indeed happened. Especially not right after it has happened. What happened yesterday is unfair and it shouldn't have happened and the skaters shouldn't be affected by this. But the fact is that they are affected. Now the ISU has to find a solution that is as fair as possible in light of what happened. But I hardly see how it would be helpful to just ignore the circumstances and go back to business as usual only 12 hours after the incident has happened. And it's not like the event got cancelled because all the judges came down with a bad case of the sniffles. Yes, it's an unfortunate truth that for many people terrorist attacks are a part of their daily life. But that doesn't make it any less horrible and it still has an impact, if we like it or not. And compared to all the lives that have been lost last night, a messed up GP event hardly seems more important.

 

[Hanmgse]

I thought it would be delayed but it actually got canceled...

 

[vimeo]

Guys, are you being serious? Can't you see how absurd the idea of adding anyone's personal best (or season's best, whatever) to the SP score is? I mean, do you really believe that adding some completely random numbers to someone's score just to make the final result look more predictable can be considered fair? Same can be said about changing the Grand Prix structure/rules in the middle of the competition or assigning extra wildcards for the GPF.

I suppose none of you has ever watched an alpine skiing / ski jumping event. In these sports the second run/round is frequently (well, at least a few times every season) cancelled mostly due to weather conditions and nobody complains about first round results being counted as official ones. And bear in mind that in both sports first round results are often affected by such factors as starting order or wind conditions, so all complaints there would be even more justified.

Sure, cancelling the FS was highly unfortunate and I am among the ones who believe it was a premature decision. However, it cannot be changed now and leaving the scores as they are is the only possible solution. Yesterday everyone got their chance to perform and it's not anyone's fault that some skaters had a bad day in the office. Most of you seem to be almost sure that Tuktamysheva would move up like she did in Canada. Yeah, it's possible - or even likely - but what if Murakami skated a flawless program or Rodeghiero surprised everyone like she did yesterday? We have no idea whether Lipnitskaia would confirm her comeback and try to challenge Gold or maybe suffer a meltdown like she did in most of her free skates last season. These were just examples but similar conclusions can be made in relation to all disciplines. Therefore, if it's not possible to re-schedule the FS for a later day (and I assume it's not), making the SP scores official appears to be the only logical choice.

Just two random thoughts at the end:
- PChan will still make the GPF
- I don't think we would need to use the FS score as a tie-breaker anyway

 

[ficelle]

As someone whose one of the job task is to organize international workshop/meeting, I can tell all the postpone/re-do or move FS/add skaters to competition propositions are impossible to realize for logistical/cost matters.

ISU can just try to find the best solution with the score like :
- Have results of SP become final results ?
- Add skater's seasons best (or personal best) FS score to TEB SP score for final results ?
- Add "bonus" point to the SP score for TEB skaters ?
- Use only SP results for all the skaters this year ? (seem crazy)....

I think the first one (have results of SP become final results) is the "least worst", even if it's not perfect. In such situation, you can only do for the best but obviously there are always consequences...

 

[silverfoxes]

I don't suppose anyone here is watching the Merano Cup in Italy right now, but there are some French skaters participating (Adrien Tesson just finished). I don't think the French authorities were wrong to cancel TEB, but life goes on elsewhere.

 

[Ilvskating]

I have an idea: use skaters' LP score from this GP season, either the one from SA, SC , COC, or the upcoming ones. Postpone the result to ten end of the last one. This might benefit skaters who will skate in Japan and Russia legs as I assume skaters are getting better with the season unfold, but I think it is a better solution than using PB from last season.

The best thing is to consider skate the LP on Sunday, followed by ex, or move it to another country this weekend, say China? as I guess they still have everything set up and it is probably the only country that could make it happen.

The most fair thing to do is to have the competition without audience. so it's safe, with no added cost comparing with cancellation.

 

[SorrySkater]

Many people are proposing solutions that would cost a lot of money. Are these people volunteering to divide the costs amongst themselves? Keeping athletes in Bordeaux for a longer period of time than planned? Money. Adding another competition? Money. Sending all athletes to a nearby country in order to hold a special long program, with the assumption that it would allow Liza and Patrick to qualify for the GPF? Money. Letting all Grand Prix competitors compete in the final? Money. All of these solutions would result in extra costs for skaters, federations, event organizers, etc. Who is going to pay for all of this? Since the president of the Russian Federation has filed a protest to the plan of using short program results, I'm guessing that he's volunteering to pay all costs associated with whatever plan he has cooked up.

 

[Matilda]

These kids would've have competed fiercely if they needed to

How do you know? Some of the French skaters in particular may have family members and friends directly affected by the attacks. In any case, you cannot predict individual emotional responses to a tragedy like this. Athletes are not robots.

 

[whatif]

I am not sure some elite skaters who are affected would be too much bothered by not going to GPF. In fact, some of them intentionally do so. I am sure Tukt and PChan can shrug this off.

 

[creaturelover]

I don't suppose anyone here is watching the Merano Cup in Italy right now, but there are some French skaters participating (Adrien Tesson just finished). I don't think the French authorities were wrong to cancel TEB, but life goes on elsewhere.

The issue was SECURITY. France needs police elsewhere atm than providing security for a figure skating competition.