China Will Not Host ISU Events in 2018-19 | Page 11 | Golden Skate

China Will Not Host ISU Events in 2018-19

Midnightcass

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 24, 2017
I saw it in Wechat newsfeed too, I was a bit surprised to see the title: Goodbye Cup of China, we are hoping to see you again.
Maybe it’s just me, but the wording used sounds like they are not sure if Cup of China is coming back next year or not... :shocked:

Well they said this on their weibo:
" I regret to bid farewell to you this year. I look forward to see you again. "

Which hopefully suggests that this is temporary. However, we can't be sure. ISU might give the spot to Korea permanently.
 

rikaquegira

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 30, 2017
I selfishly want Korea to be the new GP. Too many traumatic experiences with CoC. Let's create new ones with "Cup of Korea"(?) Could that be the name?
Plus, Yuna Kim could totally be in the medal ceremony every year because why not?? People line up just to see her do nothing. A new GP for Korea could do well to figure skating's popularity there.

And is it just me or Beijing 2022 is already polemic?

:popcorn:
 

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
I selfishly want Korea to be the new GP. Too many traumatic experiences with CoC. Let's create new ones with "Cup of Korea"(?) Could that be the name?
Plus, Yuna Kim could totally be in the medal ceremony every year because why not?? People line up just to see her do nothing. A new GP for Korea could do well to figure skating's popularity there.

And is it just me or Beijing 2022 is already polemic?

:popcorn:

Perfect time for Cup of Korea imho... go with the flow, may be they can invite a few skaters from N.Korea as well.

If China really wants to host it, they would have found a way. Clearly their heart is just not in it, so might as well take a breather. It will be interesting to see who invite Boyang, may be Canada? France?
 

charlotte14

Medalist
Joined
Aug 16, 2017
Um, figure skating was just collateral, general opinion in baidu bars is that speed skating and short track is what prompted this.

And for those who are seriously thinking of moving it to taiwan and calling it cup of taiwan....ugh, ISU might not want to engage in an intl relations nightmare.
I think the best choice for a GP skating event is Korea then...
 

StitchMonkey

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Korea is a good alternative but what if they do manage a great event? What then? It seems unfair to snatch it back.

Yes, but at the same time if it could still be turned into a challenger series event. Not as prestigious, but Asia needs one... or several. Maybe this could give it some momentum.
 

DorYiu

Let’s go crazy
On the Ice
Joined
Jun 13, 2017
Yes, but at the same time if it could still be turned into a challenger series event. Not as prestigious, but Asia needs one... or several. Maybe this could give it some momentum.

That’s true, given Shanghai trophy is now cancelled (correct me if I am wrong), Korea could do a PyongChang Trophy or Seoul Trophy. :dance3:
 

Spinning

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 10, 2015
Yes, but at the same time if it could still be turned into a challenger series event. Not as prestigious, but Asia needs one... or several. Maybe this could give it some momentum.

Or add more GPs all together. Too many skaters too few spots on the current system anyway. Europe could have one more. Australia and South America are good destination too!
 

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Country
Northern-Ireland
Haven't read through the whole thread, but the Chinese taking the opportunity to renovate the facilities in the country at the start of their Olympic cycle does make sense to me.

However, they could have planned it better so that they could continue to stage events.

For example, do the Capital Gymnasium in Beijing this season, and continue to hold the planned events in Shanghai and Harbin (and, if they wanted the COC to be in a different city, have it in Nanjing).

Once work in the Capital Gymnasium is finished, it could have started hosting events again and work could start on the International Sports Centre in Harbin (since that is where so many skaters are based). And then, when it is finished, the coaching schools could return to Manchuria and the work could move onto, say, the Shanghai Oriental Sports Centre. And then when it is finished, work could move onto the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium.

Yes, it would mean that the work would extend over a longer period of time than if everything was started now. But, in the long run, it would be better to keep a hand in with the ISU. Because once events start getting re-allocated, it makes it harder to get them back if the replacement does a good job. And I do expect the Koreans to do a good job if, as expected, they get the Senior GP.

I know I have mentioned this many times over the years, but a nice idea would be to have the two Asian GP's rotating between China, Japan and Korea. So, for example:

2017–18: China and Japan
2018–19: Japan and Korea [Worlds in Japan]
2019–20: Korea and China [4 Continents in Korea]
2020–21: China and Japan
2021–22: Japan and Korea [Olympics in China]
2022–23: Korea and China
etc.

And now would be the perfect opportunity for the ISU to introduce this sort of system. Because once Korea holds their first Senior GP, you can be sure that they will want to hold more.

CaroLiza_fan
 

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Country
Northern-Ireland
Or add more GPs all together. Too many skaters too few spots on the current system anyway. Europe could have one more. Australia and South America are good destination too!

That is what I have been saying for years (for example, here is a thread I started on the subject 5 years ago). Have 8 GP's altogether, with 2 in each of the 4 main figure skating regions:

The Americas (mainly North America)
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
Asia / Pacific (mainly the Far East)

And have 12 entries in all categories at each GP.

But, the problem is money. Adding more events to the Senior GP Series, and having more skaters competing at them, would be too costly for the ISU.

So, if you have a few bob lying down the back of the sofa...

CaroLiza_fan
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Another problem with adding two more GPs is time. Eight events would push the GPF out two more weeks, into Nationals/holiday time for many federations.

It might also be difficult to fill 12 pairs entries at 8 events. Sometimes these days pairs events go off with less than 7 pairs. 10 entries might be more reasonable for pairs, and even then that could be tough to fill, because of injuries.
 

Spinning

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 10, 2015
That is what I have been saying for years (for example, here is a thread But, the problem is money. Adding more events to the Senior GP Series, and having more skaters competing at them, would be too costly for the ISU.

So, if you have a few bob lying down the back of the sofa...

CaroLiza_fan

I doubt that money will be the issues in this case. Major events could get sponsorship quite easily. And many countries have government funding to pull international sporting events at the ready. ISU is just not practical with changes that's all. It will take years before all feds could find the way to make all parties happy.

I like your system though. 8 events. 96 spots. Sound about right!
 

SnowWhite

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 30, 2016
Country
Canada
Another problem with adding two more GPs is time. Eight events would push the GPF out two more weeks, into Nationals/holiday time for many federations.

It might also be difficult to fill 12 pairs entries at 8 events. Sometimes these days pairs events go off with less than 7 pairs. 10 entries might be more reasonable for pairs, and even then that could be tough to fill, because of injuries.

That would really be the bigger issue. I wouldn't like them to start the GP earlier, because it's important that skaters has some off season and lengthening the season (by pushing the whole start forward) could contribute to injuries (certainly a problem in other sports as the seasons get longer). But if the GP finished a couple weeks later that would delay the GPF and conflict with Russia and Japan's Nationals. And for Russia, if they had to push Nationals back by two weeks, then Europeans would be really close.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
French Nationals are also scheduled mid-December, a week before Russian and Japanese Nationals.
 

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Country
Northern-Ireland
Another problem with adding two more GPs is time. Eight events would push the GPF out two more weeks, into Nationals/holiday time for many federations.

That would really be the bigger issue. I wouldn't like them to start the GP earlier, because it's important that skaters has some off season and lengthening the season (by pushing the whole start forward) could contribute to injuries (certainly a problem in other sports as the seasons get longer). But if the GP finished a couple weeks later that would delay the GPF and conflict with Russia and Japan's Nationals. And for Russia, if they had to push Nationals back by two weeks, then Europeans would be really close.

I wouldn't be adverse to starting the Senior GP Series a couple of weeks earlier. The Senior B's are already in full swing in September, and the ISU doesn't seem to worry about the GP's clashing with the Senior B's.

And I for one would quite like the knock-on effect of starting the Junior GP Series a whole month earlier. It makes sense to me to have the whole of the Junior GP Series during what are the school holidays in the Northern hemisphere (July and August). The Junior season finishes earlier than the Senior season anyway, so they would not lose out compared to the Seniors if their off-season was earlier.

It might also be difficult to fill 12 pairs entries at 8 events. Sometimes these days pairs events go off with less than 7 pairs. 10 entries might be more reasonable for pairs, and even then that could be tough to fill, because of injuries.

As for Pairs, there are plenty of good Pairs partnerships nowadays to fill up 48 double-slots. I know this is not very scientific, but if you look up the World Rankings for the season just finished, you will find that 48[SUP]th[/SUP] position is occupied by Dušková / Bidař, i.e. the 2016 Junior World Champions. And 2 places below them are Mishina / Galiamov, who recently won the Bronze Medal at the 2018 edition of Junior Worlds.

The only reason you see empty slots in the likes of the GP Series and the Majors is that the ISU does not make enough slots available in the first place. As you say, injuries and other withdrawals happen. And it is often too late to arrange for replacements, so the slots do not get re-filled. Which is why I made the suggestion of having local "wildcards" on standby to be able to step in if somebody has to withdraw at the last minute.

I doubt that money will be the issues in this case. Major events could get sponsorship quite easily. And many countries have government funding to pull international sporting events at the ready. ISU is just not practical with changes that's all. It will take years before all feds could find the way to make all parties happy.

I like your system though. 8 events. 96 spots. Sound about right!

Thank you for liking my idea. I appreciate it.

Whilst I agree that the ISU doesn't like change, I have to disagree with your points about money. Firstly, it isn't easy to get major sponsors any more. Although the FFSG isn't the easiest Fed to work with, and it was their own fault that they lost their GP's long-time title sponsor, the fact that they have been unable to find a replacement in the now-3 years since then says a lot. Also, Skate Canada has had no title sponsor for many years.

As for government funding, that varies depending on the country and how popular figure skating is in said country.

But, the main problem is that it is not the event organisers (and their sponsors) but the ISU themselves that have to pay for a lot of the costs associated with holding a GP. For example, paying for bed and board for all the officials. And, as has been pointed out loads of times over the years whenever I have brought up fantastical new ideas, they are not flush with cash.

So, although my ideas may be nice in theory, unless there is a major injection of cash to the ISU, it ain't going to happen.

Anyway, this is getting quite far off the topic of the thread. So, apologies for that.

CaroLiza_fan
 

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!
Record Breaker
Joined
May 2, 2015
Country
Poland
I doubt that money will be the issues in this case. Major events could get sponsorship quite easily. And many countries have government funding to pull international sporting events at the ready. ISU is just not practical with changes that's all. It will take years before all feds could find the way to make all parties happy.

I like your system though. 8 events. 96 spots. Sound about right!

Well, unless you're Didier. Then you lose your sponsor easily, not gain them...
 

SnowWhite

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 30, 2016
Country
Canada
I wouldn't be adverse to starting the Senior GP Series a couple of weeks earlier. The Senior B's are already in full swing in September, and the ISU doesn't seem to worry about the GP's clashing with the Senior B's.

And I for one would quite like the knock-on effect of starting the Junior GP Series a whole month earlier. It makes sense to me to have the whole of the Junior GP Series during what are the school holidays in the Northern hemisphere (July and August). The Junior season finishes earlier than the Senior season anyway, so they would not lose out compared to the Seniors if their off-season was earlier.

Except a lot of GP skaters now like to do a CS event or two before their GP events, so those might have to get pushed a bit earlier too. That would be my concern in terms of lengthening the season.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Pushing the JGP into July doesn't give the juniors who have competed at JW much time to rest and relax before having to develop and learn programs for the new season. If there are technical changes enacted in June, many programs would have to undergo really last-minute changes for those juniors doing the first few JGP events.

Ice dancers in particular would have to start working on new SDs as soon as JW was over.
 
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