2021 Four Continents Bid: AUS or TPE | Golden Skate

2021 Four Continents Bid: AUS or TPE

GF2445

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
I managed to track down an ISU documents comparing the bids for 2021 Four Continents.
The Four Continents event held in the penultimate season of the Olympic Cycle is considered the most important, as top skaters use this as momentum for the World Championships before the Olympic Season (which we all know is vital).

The two bidders are Melbourne and Taipei City.

https://www.isu.org/isu-championshi...kating-ice-dance/17179-fc21-bids-summary/file

To me there are two glaring numbers
2,000 vs 12,000

If you think these numbers have to do with seating capacity, you are 100% correct.
 

brens78

Medalist
Joined
Jun 15, 2016
Country
Australia
Dammit why couldn't Brisbane try, I'm just down the road from the Entertainment Centre and Boondal Ice Rink that would be perfect for practice! I'd still go if it were in Melbourne :)
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I'm super surprised they're not looking at holding it at Rod Laver Arena or something. But come on ISU...how many times has Taipei held it?! Too many.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
I managed to track down an ISU documents comparing the bids for 2021 Four Continents.
The Four Continents event held in the penultimate season of the Olympic Cycle is considered the most important, as top skaters use this as momentum for the World Championships before the Olympic Season (which we all know is vital).

The two bidders are Melbourne and Taipei City.

https://www.isu.org/isu-championshi...kating-ice-dance/17179-fc21-bids-summary/file

To me there are two glaring numbers
2,000 vs 12,000

If you think these numbers have to do with seating capacity, you are 100% correct.

I had posted the bids summary link in June in the Team Australia thread. Sorry if you missed it back then.


Anyway, I think it is possible(??) that the decision-making process for 2021 Four Continents has gotten more complex??

Taipei originally was the only bidder for 2021 Junior Worlds, and the ISU once had said [ETA: in Jun 2018] that it would announce decisions for 2021 Junior Worlds and 2021 Four Continents at the same time -- after the October meeting of the ISU Council.
But after the ISU Council meeting, the ISU announced Harbin, China, for 2021 Junior Worlds -- and made no announcement for 2021 Four Continents.

Only my speculation, but I wonder whether giving 2021 JW to China had anything to do with China not holding its GP and JGP this season. And whether not giving 2021 JW to Taipei affects its chances for 2021 Four Continents [ETA: either for better or for worse???]. Only my wondering.

:popcorn:
 

GF2445

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
I had posted the bids summary link in June in the Team Australia thread. Sorry if you missed it back then.


Anyway, I think it is possible(??) that the decision-making process for 2021 Four Continents has gotten more complex??

Taipei originally was the only bidder for 2021 Junior Worlds, and the ISU once had said that it would announce decisions for 2021 Junior Worlds and 2021 Four Continents at the same time -- after the October meeting of the ISU Council.
But after the ISU Council meeting, the ISU announced Harbin, China, for 2021 Junior Worlds -- and made no announcement for 2021 Four Continents.

Only my speculation, but I wonder whether giving 2021 JW to China had anything to do with China not holding its GP and JGP this season. And whether not giving 2021 JW to Taipei affects its chances for 2021 Four Continents. Only my wondering.

:popcorn:

Ee gads I didnt see
Sorry about that.
Thanks for your thoughts.
 

jersey1302

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Country
Canada
Its very interesting that they chose such a small arena to host it. Melbourne Arena has held hockey previously and they have give ore take 10,000 people. Are they worried they couldnt get a large crowd in Australia for skating? Its not like they dont have skaters. Kailani Crane, Brendan Kerry, and their pairs team would likely all be there. I think TPE has hosted too many times and isnt appealing to me for my personal taste. I like the fact skating is branching out to other countries like how it did with the GPF in Spain previously.
 

Noxchild

Medalist
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Country
Canada
Not to mention Australia's proximity to Japan means they'd certainly get a lot of Japanese fans... no?
 

Harriet

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Country
Australia
Its very interesting that they chose such a small arena to host it. Melbourne Arena has held hockey previously and they have give ore take 10,000 people. Are they worried they couldnt get a large crowd in Australia for skating? Its not like they dont have skaters. Kailani Crane, Brendan Kerry, and their pairs team would likely all be there. I think TPE has hosted too many times and isnt appealing to me for my personal taste. I like the fact skating is branching out to other countries like how it did with the GPF in Spain previously.

They may not have been able to get another arena at the required time. And I think you're overestimating how much interest in figure skating there is among the general public in Australia, even regarding our own skaters! It is an extremely niche sport here, even in Melbourne which is one of the few capital cities with more than one ice rink, so they'd definitely be relying on international attendees to fill up the bleachers.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Not to mention Australia's proximity to Japan means they'd certainly get a lot of Japanese fans... no?

We are very convenient to Europe, so yes, you'd think we could haul in some of the Japanese fans.

The more I think about this the more glum and gloomy I feel about it. As I've said before, I would not like to be in that arena with 2000 other people and I really think we'd need a bigger stadium.
 

LazarusPitHotTub

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 29, 2018
I don’t know what happened with the arena and possibly getting a bigger one but I am holding out and really hoping that they get a bigger arena because having Australia host would make me so happy:hap85:and I’d hate for Australia to miss out on this opportunity because they couldn’t wrangle together one of the many many arenas in Melbourne.

Many Aussie fans can’t afford to travel overseas because all the comps are so far away so having a big skating event in Australia would be amazing!!!
 

largeman

choice beef
Medalist
Joined
Mar 15, 2014
I’m confused. Why isn’t 2021 four continents being held in Beijing at the 2022 olympics venue?
It’s been the tradition since the very beginning of four continents hasn’t it?
2001 SLC
2009 Vancouver
2017 Pyeongchang
 

ArenaWings

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 2, 2018
I’m confused. Why isn’t 2021 four continents being held in Beijing at the 2022 olympics venue?
It’s been the tradition since the very beginning of four continents hasn’t it?
2001 SLC
2009 Vancouver
2017 Pyeongchang

Didn’t they just snached the Junior Worlds from Taiwan? Out of nowhere. :noshake:
They will probably snatch another one once they have their minds cleared on whatever that issue they previously had with the ISU. Their desire to host the two events could also be the reason why the decisions were delayed.
 

jersey1302

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Country
Canada
They may not have been able to get another arena at the required time. And I think you're overestimating how much interest in figure skating there is among the general public in Australia, even regarding our own skaters! It is an extremely niche sport here, even in Melbourne which is one of the few capital cities with more than one ice rink, so they'd definitely be relying on international attendees to fill up the bleachers.

Well you sure would get that influx of Japanese fans FORSURE haha. They pretty much bought out the lower bowl in Finland haha. I just think 2,000 is a bit small. I think even Australia could do more than that. 6-8K I think would be perfect. Thats just my guessing, I really have absolutely not idea about skating popularity in Australia.
 

skatenewbie

Medalist
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
I’m confused. Why isn’t 2021 four continents being held in Beijing at the 2022 olympics venue?
It’s been the tradition since the very beginning of four continents hasn’t it?
2001 SLC
2009 Vancouver
2017 Pyeongchang
its possible to test the arena in other event like GPF a la Sochi Olympic
 

essence_of_soy

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
The ISU aren't exactly beacons of transparency.

I would say with the sneaky switch of the 2021 Junior World Championships from Taipei City to Harbin, that Taiwan was offered a deal to host Four Continents instead

It would have been nice for Melbourne to host, given how Brisbane was screwed over and still smarting from the 2000 World Championships debacle.

The idea of using a smaller facility such as the O'Brien Group Arena was a good one. Especially, as both JGP events in Brisbane were very well attended.

- - - Updated - - -

its possible to test the arena in other event like GPF a la Sochi Olympic


2021 Cup O' Noodles, maybe?
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Applications still are being accepted for 2021 Four Continents, if I understand ISU Communication No. 2231, published today (Feb 21) correctly.

I. Applications for the following ISU Championships season 2020/21:
ISU Members are invited to submit applications for the following ISU Championships for the year 2021 which have not yet been allotted, as listed below.

ISU Four Continents Short Track Speed Skating Championships (January 8-10, 2021)
ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships (January 15-17, 2021)
ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships (January 29-31, 2021)
ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships (February 8-14, 2021)
ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships (March 12-13, 2021)
ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships (April 8-10, 2021)…​

https://www.isu.org/figure-skating/rules/fsk-communications/20188-isu-communication-2231/file
 

frida80

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
I’m surprised that China won’t be using it as the test skate event for Beijing. Maybe they’ll use GPF as a test event instead like Sochi.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
*glum expression* This almost makes it seem like they're desperate to give it to anyone but us. "Please keep bidding so we don't have to give it to Melbourne."
 
Top