Coronavirus and the new season

Harriet · May 26, 2020

I saw James Min posted on Instagram recently how much he was missing skating: he could be back on the ice from next Monday if the rink has a surface and a COVID-safe plan ready, because SA has brought forward Phase 2 of eased restrictions to 1 June.

ETA:

RemyRose said:
JGP Canada canceled
https://www.isu.org/figure-skating/...-figure-skating-richmond-can?templateParam=15

Not surprised to read this - doesn't BC still have quarantine requirements for people crossing the provincial border, never mind international travel? - but very glad.

karne · May 26, 2020

Harriet said:
I saw James Min posted on Instagram recently how much he was missing skating: he could be back on the ice from next Monday if the rink has a surface and a COVID-safe plan ready, because SA has brought forward Phase 2 of eased restrictions to 1 June.
.

The ACT may have followed suit; I saw something today that gyms and indoor sports venues in Canberra would be allowed this weekend.

Alex D · May 26, 2020

I would rather wait until we have a vaccine - missing a year's worth of skating competitions will see really unimportant compared to the health and well-being of our favourite athletes.

That´s also my thinking, however, the big danger without competitions is a financial collapse of the venues, sports clubs and federations. That´s also why in Germany the "Bundesliga" has resumed, without it, some clubs would have been bankrupt. It´s a sport, that happens without fans and unless you have pay TV, you won´t even see a single match of it, as Eurosport had to pull out.

To have a chance, the ISU most likely needs to send some money to the federations / venues, to keep them alive, but if that is a realistic scenario I don´t know. That´s the big issue that many spoke about for years in regards of sports. It has become a buisness and without money, no buisness can survive.
All those little girls and boys, the love couples, parents and grandparents that skate just for fun, are not there right now, but they are so important for each club and with ice hockey often being a priority, the incoming money might not go to the skating first, either.

karne · May 26, 2020

Alex D said:
That´s also my thinking, however, the big danger without competitions is a financial collapse of the venues, sports clubs and federations. That´s also why in Germany the "Bundesliga" has resumed, without it, some clubs would have been bankrupt. It´s a sport, that happens without fans and unless you have pay TV, you won´t even see a single match of it, as Eurosport had to pull out.

And also why the NRL in Australia has restarted without crowds, also. (Well, will restart. On Thursday.) They were saying six of the sixteen clubs were on the verge of collapse, and the whole administration could have gone down.

Harriet · May 27, 2020

Skae Ontario has its Return to Skating protocols up on its website for download now. Very detailed and careful, which is sensible given that Ontario is still the second worst hit province in Canada at the moment (though seemingly Toronto is the big problem for them right now). It will take different clubs and rinks a bit of time to get everything in order, I suppose, but it's interesting to see how they're making this work while the city's daily case numbers are still higher than some countries'!

If Quebec's numbers keep trending downwards as they have been, we might see Montreal at al getting the okay to go back on the ice in a couple of weeks' time too.

Supernovaimplosion · May 28, 2020

Harriet said:
Skae Ontario has its Return to Skating protocols up on its website for download now. Very detailed and careful, which is sensible given that Ontario is still the second worst hit province in Canada at the moment (though seemingly Toronto is the big problem for them right now). It will take different clubs and rinks a bit of time to get everything in order, I suppose, but it's interesting to see how they're making this work while the city's daily case numbers are still higher than some countries'!

If Quebec's numbers keep trending downwards as they have been, we might see Montreal at al getting the okay to go back on the ice in a couple of weeks' time too.

Roman's back on the ice, as per his last video. Only 4 skaters on the ice is rough. I wonder when the cricket club will open

TallyT · May 28, 2020

Supernovaimplosion said:
Roman's back on the ice, as per his last video. Only 4 skaters on the ice is rough. I wonder when the cricket club will open

I think I read somewhere else on the forum that it's expected to open in the next few days. Of course, the international skaters may not be able to cross borders for a while: as I understand it, Jason is in the US, Evgenia is still in Japan, Jun is probably in Korea and Yuzuru... ummm.

Andrea82 · May 28, 2020

RemyRose said:
Aymoz will start skating again tomorrow
https://mobile.twitter.com/kevin_aym/status/1264503995017629696

According to L'Equipe, Kevin Aymoz along with Maïa Mazzara, Cléo Hamon/Denys Strekalyn and Adelina Galyavieva/Louis Thauron went indeed back on ice in Courchevel this week. Léa Serna and Adam Siao Him Fa will join them next week.

TallyT · May 28, 2020

Further information that brings up worry mentioned before and now confirmed: Roman Sadovsky's vlog on youtube from yesterday? - where he was going to the rink for the first time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knZotrQ9zMU

On the way, he mentions the increased price of ice time on private rinks, all that are available at the minute :sad46: which, added to the restrictions on the number of people who can use the rink at any time is going to put added pressure on clubs and skaters/families. As it stands, it's going to be tough for those who don't have solid funding and/or endorsements, or whose families have the money, to get going at the same time as those who do have these. And the federations/ISU are already going to be feeling the pinch, so additional funding for the skaters of the future may be limited as well.

I know the really driven and ambitious will manage it (hell, look at how the Japanese skaters did it after the 2011 earthquake, different circumstances, equally grim) but it is sad that we may lose younger up and coming or beginning skaters to this. And I do hope people like Roman get through okay and get their karmic rewards later.

Harriet · May 28, 2020

TallyT said:
Of course, the international skaters may not be able to cross borders for a while: as I understand it, Jason is in the US, Evgenia is still in Japan, Jun is probably in Korea and Yuzuru... ummm.

Some of those skaters at least will have other options available to them. For example, Switzerland will reopen its borders with Germany on June 15 if all continues on its current path, and Oberstdorf is open, so Noemie could hop across the border and train with Michael Huth for the whole summer instead of half as usual. And aren't there supposed to be various isolated training camps opening in Russia for national team members if Medvedeva can get there from Japan? I'd be surprised if the other high-level skaters at TCC who are at home right now couldn't find a temporary coach to liaise with the Cricket Club coaches virtually until Canada starts allowing more international travellers to enter, too.

Amei · May 28, 2020

TallyT said:
I think I read somewhere else on the forum that it's expected to open in the next few days. Of course, the international skaters may not be able to cross borders for a while: as I understand it, Jason is in the US, Evgenia is still in Japan, Jun is probably in Korea and Yuzuru... ummm.

And once they are able to cross borders they are likely going to have to quarantine for 2 weeks before they can go to the rink. Perhaps if there are multiple skaters coming from other countries they can be grouped together to train?

NanaPat · May 28, 2020

I hope someone at the TCC can pull some strings to get their international skaters into the country. There isn't a lot of danger, provided they do the self-isolation very strictly.

The US has agreed to let NHL players cross the US/Canada border with no isolation requirements! Unless Canada does the same, no Canadian cities will be considered for the rest of the season. The Alberta premier is gung-ho for it, BC not so much.

See:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-pitch-nhl-hub-city-public-health-1.5577472
and
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-b-c-nhl-hub-city-1.5588030

Amei · May 28, 2020

NanaPat said:
I hope someone at the TCC can pull some strings to get their international skaters into the country. There isn't a lot of danger, provided they do the self-isolation very strictly.

The US has agreed to let NHL players cross the US/Canada border with no isolation requirements! Unless Canada does the same, no Canadian cities will be considered for the rest of the season. The Alberta premier is gung-ho for it, BC not so much.

See:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-pitch-nhl-hub-city-public-health-1.5577472
and
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-b-c-nhl-hub-city-1.5588030

Wanna compare the financial/economic impact of the NHL vs. figure skating?

TallyT · May 28, 2020

Amei said:
Wanna compare the financial/economic impact of the NHL vs. figure skating?

True, but once a precedent has been set in the biggest sports... it might work as a thin edge of the paper-thin wedge.

el henry · May 28, 2020

TallyT said:
True, but once a precedent has been set in the biggest sports... it might work as a thin edge of the paper-thin wedge.

I tend to agree, I'm not sure the financial impact would be determinative. Brian Orser, I hope, commands some respect with the Canadian sporting cognoscenti. We are not talking lots and lots of hockey players from who knows where. We are talking about Yuzuru, biggest star in the figure skating world, Zhenya, Jun, Jason, Katya and maybe others (Utashin), but less than ten total.

And will there be a difference for skaters coming from Japan as opposed to Moscow and the US? (although it is unfair to congregate suburban Chicago with the remainder of the US, I have no idea how their rates compare).

Interesting questions :think:

Harriet · May 28, 2020

el henry said:
We are not talking lots and lots of hockey players from who knows where. We are talking about Yuzuru, biggest star in the figure skating world, Zhenya, Jun, Jason, Katya and maybe others (Utashin), but less than ten total.

To be honest, I'd rather Ontario and Canada as a whole continued to prioritise getting the virus within their borders under control for some time before even starting to think about letting international sportspersons in, especially as Toronto and Montreal are both having serious trouble with community transmission and with what international travellers they have bringing more cases in too.

It's nice that some countries have been able to get on top of that and skaters in those countries have been able to start training again. It's a shame that others haven't. It's nice that in some places, some border restrictions and quarantine requirements are being eased. But a pandemic is a public health emergency and not being able to travel to train for or compete in a sport isn't.

Here in South Australia we've just seen how even a tiny slip-up when you grant tiny compassionate concessions for border crossings can have consequences: one person who was allowed out of quarantine in Victoria to come here early and wasn't met correctly at the airport has led to over twenty others having to self-isolate and be monitored in case they're the start of a cluster. In Western Australia they're seeing it on a larger scale, and we just have to hope that cargo ship doesn't turn into a new Ruby Princess on them. Ten skaters (more than ten, actually: there's the the seven you listed plus at least two Mexican girls, the Bodensteins, Victoria Alcantara if she went back to Australia, and a few others as well if the full international contingent is hauled back) is ten times the number of mistakes waiting to be made. Ontario shouldn't risk it.

And for those skaters who are still minors, I should hope their parents wouldn't risk it either.

NoviceFan · May 28, 2020

el henry said:
I tend to agree, I'm not sure the financial impact would be determinative. Brian Orser, I hope, commands some respect with the Canadian sporting cognoscenti. We are not talking lots and lots of hockey players from who knows where. We are talking about Yuzuru, biggest star in the figure skating world, Zhenya, Jun, Jason, Katya and maybe others (Utashin), but less than ten total.

And will there be a difference for skaters coming from Japan as opposed to Moscow and the US? (although it is unfair to congregate suburban Chicago with the remainder of the US, I have no idea how their rates compare).

Interesting questions :think:

I thought this actually depends on what kind of visa the skaters are holding. I think those with work or student visas are allowed to enter Canada, subject to certain conditions and to mandatory quarantine. I assume foreign skaters training at TCC do not just hold a tourist visa?

Here is the source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...workers-students.html#restrictions-exemptions

TallyT · May 28, 2020

el henry said:
We are talking about Yuzuru, biggest star in the figure skating world, Zhenya, Jun, Jason, Katya and maybe others (Utashin), but less than ten total.

It does occur to me that Yuzuru, at least, wouldn't be at TCC much at this time of year would he? Along with quite a few of the other Japanese stars who train overseas, he'd be doing shows and heaps of them :sad21:

Ladskater · May 29, 2020

Interesting comments about any hopes of competitive skating or Hockey taking place in Canada in 2020. While Vancouver, BC is still sort of in the running to host Hockey our Top Dr. - Bonnie Henry says "she is not bending the rules for anyone" and she is a hockey fan. All skaters coming to BC shores will have to be quarantined for 14 days. The NHL is not in favour of this so it's looking doubtful for the hockey season here. As for figure skating, nothing has been said yet. Our premiers don't even want us to travel Province to Province. Oh joy...

Amei · May 29, 2020

Ladskater said:
Interesting comments about any hopes of competitive skating or Hockey taking place in Canada in 2020. While Vancouver, BC is still sort of in the running to host Hockey our Top Dr. - Bonnie Henry says "she is not bending the rules for anyone" and she is a hockey fan. All skaters coming to BC shores will have to be quarantined for 14 days. The NHL is not in favour of this so it's looking doubtful for the hockey season here. As for figure skating, nothing has been said yet. Our premiers don't even want us to travel Province to Province. Oh joy...

For countries that are looking to maintain this required quarantining for 14 days upon re-entry, if coaches with elite level skaters will need to look at alternative training options where they train their athletes in a less restrictive country. They need to start looking at options for if the GP series is going to happen, they are going to have to travel internationally and they cannot effectively train multiple elite skaters if their coaching staff has to quarantine for 2 weeks after they travel with 1 skater.

Coronavirus and the new season

Harriet

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

Alex D

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

Harriet

Supernovaimplosion

TallyT

Andrea82

TallyT

Harriet

Amei

NanaPat

Amei

TallyT

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.

Harriet

NoviceFan

Triple Something-Triple Looping

TallyT

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

Amei

Similar threads

Connect with us