2020-21 Grand Prix- when will get assignments, if at all? | Page 4 | Golden Skate

2020-21 Grand Prix- when will get assignments, if at all?

Supernovaimplosion

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
Skate Canada's recent webinar went into that - they did well last year in ticket sales, if I understood the economic jargon. TV rights is the other earner, I imagine, and it's going to be hard to persuade any media except Japan and Russia (and maybe China depending on which skaters? Canada? Korea?) to pay good money and give decent coverage to empty rinks in a foreign country for a whole grand prix. Then there are the financial benefits - or not - of hosting the whole circus once, let alone six times. Kelowna businesses were apparently very happy with the flow on benefits last year, but no or limited audiences means no flow on.

And to be cynical here, given that home advantage is pretty much a given anyway, somewhat deflected by different homes in a normal year, are the federations really going to want to trust one with all of it?

I may be wrong and rather too sadsacky, but I do think if the ISU were to go for that idea, they need to do it in a country where the curve is not just flattened but right down, the virus is pretty much under control, there are no signs of a second wave, they can allow for accommodation and sufficient practice rinks for everyone concerned within a reasonable radius for the whole shebang and they can offer at least some socially distant seating. It possibly can be done, but it does mean thinking outside the box.

I'm not sure a country exists :laugh: New Zealand? No home court advantage then. Call me a pessimist but I think the whole season will be cancelled
 

IndiaP12

iliabot wakabot gumennikbot team korea stan
Final Flight
Joined
Apr 29, 2018
Country
New-Zealand
I'm not sure a country exists :laugh: New Zealand? No home court advantage then. Call me a pessimist but I think the whole season will be cancelled

Yess pls do it in my country [emoji1181] COVID is basically eliminated for us. The only thing is idk when we’ll open our borders
 

TallyT

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
I'm not sure a country exists :laugh: New Zealand? No home court advantage then. Call me a pessimist but I think the whole season will be cancelled

There are travel bubbles being slowly developed, and while some countries like Greece are planning to open borders to countries like the UK and US who are still high risk, they have to quarantine. Which, even if the competitions go ahead in a low-risk country, brings another point. A skater from one country will be able to travel there at the normal, just before the competition time or go early and use a local rink for practice; another might be required to do a 14 day quarantine with no practice possible.
 

TallyT

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
I am all for New Zealand.

Hey, me too! Especially given that their Prime Minister is only likely to let Aussies and maybe Pacific Islanders in any time in the foreseeable future, so between us we could sweep the podiums :laugh:
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Hey, me too! Especially given that their Prime Minister is only likely to let Aussies and maybe Pacific Islanders in any time in the foreseeable future, so between us we could sweep the podiums :laugh:

Brendan makes his first GPF!
 

Kelly Lynn

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
I’m afraid there will not be a skating season. We have a world wide tragedy occurring and it’s unlikely that travel or audiences will be rational for the next year.or even two. I hope I’m wrong. Even a mini season would be appreciated but not at the risk of life.
 

Skatesocs

Final Flight
Joined
May 16, 2020
Legendary writer Philip Hersh recently commented on Twitter:

asked @ISU_Figure if there was date for making Grand Prix assignments, usually done by now. Reply: "Due to the unprecedented times, a date has not yet been fixed. . .but we can expect the announcement to be later this year.” Aug. 1 deadline for viability of Skate Am, GP opener
 

StitchMonkey

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
I am going to toss out that maybe the ISU should be trying to save the Challenger Series and not the GP.

GP skates... well most are already in a good place. While i am not trying to discount their hard work and sacrifice... getting to the grand prix is kinda "made it" status. Few GP skaters need the minimum TES for worlds.

If we keep scrambling to save the GP at the expense of other events... we are going to have a lot of skaters with very little opportunity to get that minimum TES.

Add to that this upcoming worlds is largely how Olympic spots are determined. How many little feds are not even going to get the chance to fight for a spot?

I keep thinking of Donovan Carrillo. He was .2 points shy of qualifying for worlds this year. So not that crazy to think he could qualify this year.... but will he even get the chance to try? Maybe a 4CC but shouldn't skaters get more chances than that? I hate the idea of him not even getting the chance to try to get to worlds to try to qualify for the Olympics. And I am sure there are many many more like him.

the GP may be exciting... but i think other events would serve the sport/skaters better in the long run.

The other option is to go back to a qualifying round at worlds... let skaters like Donovan at least try to get through a qualifying round.
 

Jeanie19

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 20, 2017
Country
United-States
I am going to toss out that maybe the ISU should be trying to save the Challenger Series and not the GP.

GP skates... well most are already in a good place. While i am not trying to discount their hard work and sacrifice... getting to the grand prix is kinda "made it" status. Few GP skaters need the minimum TES for worlds.

If we keep scrambling to save the GP at the expense of other events... we are going to have a lot of skaters with very little opportunity to get that minimum TES.

Add to that this upcoming worlds is largely how Olympic spots are determined. How many little feds are not even going to get the chance to fight for a spot?

I keep thinking of Donovan Carrillo. He was .2 points shy of qualifying for worlds this year. So not that crazy to think he could qualify this year.... but will he even get the chance to try? Maybe a 4CC but shouldn't skaters get more chances than that? I hate the idea of him not even getting the chance to try to get to worlds to try to qualify for the Olympics. And I am sure there are many many more like him.

the GP may be exciting... but i think other events would serve the sport/skaters better in the long run.

The other option is to go back to a qualifying round at worlds... let skaters like Donovan at least try to get through a qualifying round.

Lower the minimums back to 2019 minimums.
And have more challengers. Change some of the senior B's to challengers.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Even if the season doesn't begin until the Nationals events in December, the ISU could still have a shortened season with Euros/4CC and Worlds. That might actually work out, as Nationals involves only a little international border crossing (i.e. Evgenia going from Canada to Russia), so those events would generally comply with travel restrictions.
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
^ If there is a shortened season starting with the new year, I do hope there are more B winter/spring events than usual, all given the Challenger status. Because in countries with a lot of competition, some quality skaters would be blocked from getting the much needed ranking points as it would be the same team, or mostly the same team, sent to Euros/4CC and Worlds.
 

haribobo

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
I wonder if they would consider doing a totally modified version of the GP, lets say 2-3 events (CHN, JPN, FRA), with singles fields of 18 or 24 skaters. Every skater does 1 event, and the medalists make the GPF.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I wonder if they would consider doing a totally modified version of the GP, lets say 2-3 events (CHN, JPN, FRA), with singles fields of 18 or 24 skaters. Every skater does 1 event, and the medalists make the GPF.

Anyone who thinks skaters will actually want to go to China is dreaming. Everyone is going to be (rightly) skittish of going to the literal source of the outbreak, not to mention they've got another outbreak right now they're struggling to control. China's off the table. Japan is going to be more concerned with stomping the curve in an attempt to host the Olympics next year. France is also not doing great.

The only GP that is a maybe at the moment is Canada. Nowhere else.
 

TeamGubanova

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 11, 2019
I think we could see

SP South Korea Seoul, South Korea
GP Germany Obersstodrf, Bavaria, Germany
GP Canada Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
GP Australia Sydney, Australia
GP Finland Espoo, Finland
GP USA Lake Placid, New York, United States

GP Final Linz, Austria
 

SkateSkates

Medalist
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I think we could see

SP South Korea Seoul, South Korea
GP Germany Obersstodrf, Bavaria, Germany
GP Canada Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
GP Australia Sydney, Australia
GP Finland Espoo, Finland
GP USA Lake Placid, New York, United States

GP Final Linz, Austria

But isn’t the final the Olympic test event? I would think if they hold the series, they will definitely want to do the final in Beijing. Otherwise, they would need to move 4CC or Worlds to China for the Olympic test event which I don’t see happening (maybe 4CC which would be a shame, but worlds seems unlikely) Unless somehow GPF and 4CC could come up with a deal to switch event locations, although I’m not sure if the situation is bad enough in December if it will be better by February. Plus who knows about venue availability.
 
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