2020-21 ISU Grand Prix season - Assignments Announced | Golden Skate

2020-21 ISU Grand Prix season - Assignments Announced

gsk8

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Country
United-States
The ISU Council met on August 3, 2020 via an online meeting to discuss the 2020/21 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series among other topics.

Considering the continued critical COVID-19 developments involving many travel and other restrictions and especially risks around the World, the Council reiterated its basic policy decided during its April 28, 2020 Council meeting (ISU Communication 2320), namely that the health and safety of the participants of international ice skating events remains the number one priority. Mindful of the concern for health and safety related to COVID-19 but also the need to give Skaters the best possible opportunities to compete internationally, the ISU will give its utmost support to ISU Members in order to stage all international competitions that can safely be held during the season 2020/21.

Considering the above mentioned exceptional circumstances, the basic ISU policy and with the objective to limit COVID-19 risky international traveling to the minimum, the Council considered a proposal received from the six organizing ISU Members of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series (Canada, China, France, Japan, Russia, USA). In line with the powers granted to the Council as per Article 17.1.q) of ISU Constitution, the Council agreed in principle to the proposal that each individual ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event of the season 2020/21 becomes a domestic run event. The Council agreement in principle remains subject to the ISU and each of the six organizing ISU Grand Prix Members reaching a detailed agreement.

The participation in each individual ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event would be limited to
  1. Competitors and Officials of the host country and
  2. Competitors regularly training in the respective host country and
  3. Competitors from other ISU Members who will be assigned to a Grand Prix of Figure Skating event in the respective geographical area, always subject to the applicable travel, entry and sanitary restrictions of the concerned countries.
All relevant details such as applicable disciplines included in each ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event, number and criteria/ conditions/restrictions of invited Competitors’ entries, qualification criteria for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, cost responsibilities, qualification and number of Officials, ISU financial & other assistance including Prize Money to the organizing ISU Members, will be worked out by a dedicated ISU Council appointed Working Group in cooperation with the six organizing ISU Members of the individual Grand Prix events and, subject to Council approval, will be published as soon as possible.

Each ISU Grand Prix event will be organized in accordance with the host country’s national health/sanitary requirements. Unless being in conflict with such national health/sanitary requirements, the ISU Guidelines to hold ISU Events during the COVID-19 Pandemic shall basically also apply. These Guidelines are currently being prepared and will be published as soon as possible.

For the sake of fairness, no World Standing/Ranking points will be awarded and the scores obtained by the Competitors shall not count towards the Minimum Total Elements Scores applicable for ISU Championships (Point 3 below to be considered in this respect).

The ISU Grand Prix events will in principle be broadcasted by the usual right holding media partners of the ISU respectively the organizing ISU Members.

The staging of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, time being planned to be held on December 10-13, 2020 in Beijing as Test Event for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, will be discussed with the ISU’s Chinese counterparts in order to conclude whether and when the Final can be held and under which conditions. The ISU will update the stakeholders as soon as a conclusion can be confirmed.

The ISU Council also discussed the ISU Challenger Series and the Minimum Technical Scores for ISU Championships. For further information please refer to the Decisions of the ISU Council in ISU Communication 2339.
 
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drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I believe that Ash Barty and Nick Kyrgios have set the standard for how sportspersons should respond to this sort of foolishness.

I'm inclined to agree, but there's still plenty of time to cancel the events if it turns out not to be safe to proceed in October.
 

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 3, 2014
Country
United-States
I believe that Ash Barty and Nick Kyrgios have set the standard for how sportspersons should respond to this sort of foolishness.

Who are they?
What did they do?
 

4everchan

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 7, 2015
Country
Martinique
Who are they?
What did they do?

australian tennis players... barty is number 1 in the world and nick well.. everyone knows him :) they both decided not to take part in the us open later this month in NYC .... due to health risks.

i am pretty sure that athletes with strict traveling restrictions will no bother... any canadian going would have to stay in quarantine for 14 days upon returning which means that unless they had the first Gp of the season and the last one, it would be quite difficult to train on a regular basis...

as much as i love skating, i hope GP won't happen until there is a way to control the virus
 

surimi

Onward and forward, Sota!
Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
I am puzzled as to how they are proposing to go about the safety adjustments. Okay, assuming that the organizing countries are willing to host and pay, that audeience may not be allowed, that skaters and their coaches (or assistants) are willing to come wearing respirators wherever possible. But there still won't be quarantine exceptions for, say, US athletes, will there? Or some super fast and super reliable tests that allow people to not quarantine if they test negative? Or does ISU have insider info that the public don't?
Or maybe they just want to give skaters a glimmer of hope, and plan to cancel last minute. But that would be more expensive... I am confused.
 

eaglehelang

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 15, 2017
Well, the badminton Thomas Cup & Uber Cup is scheduled to be held in Denmark 3 to 11 Oct 2020. Its a team event that counts towards Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifications.
The draw was done yesterday, 3 Aug

For Summer Olympic sports, they have to start competing to gets ranking points for Tokyo Olympics. With or without audience.

For figure skating, its not really that urgent so I'm anticipating more cancellations & postponement.
 

nussnacker

one and only
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 16, 2019
I am puzzled as to how they are proposing to go about the safety adjustments. Okay, assuming that the organizing countries are willing to host and pay, that audeience may not be allowed, that skaters and their coaches (or assistants) are willing to come wearing respirators wherever possible. But there still won't be quarantine exceptions for, say, US athletes, will there? Or some super fast and super reliable tests that allow people to not quarantine if they test negative? Or does ISU have insider info that the public don't?
Or maybe they just want to give skaters a glimmer of hope, and plan to cancel last minute. But that would be more expensive... I am confused.

I read that PCR Tests also show 30% false-negative result, due to virus moving further down the passage/throat (so at approximately day 5-7+ of the infection).
That’s why quarantine is still the best strategy to keep everyone safe, so I’m not sure where we are going with this right now.
Seems like they’re giving athletes false hopes.
 

kolyadafan2002

Fan of Kolyada
Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
I am puzzled as to how they are proposing to go about the safety adjustments. Okay, assuming that the organizing countries are willing to host and pay, that audeience may not be allowed, that skaters and their coaches (or assistants) are willing to come wearing respirators wherever possible. But there still won't be quarantine exceptions for, say, US athletes, will there? Or some super fast and super reliable tests that allow people to not quarantine if they test negative? Or does ISU have insider info that the public don't?
Or maybe they just want to give skaters a glimmer of hope, and plan to cancel last minute. But that would be more expensive... I am confused.

Likely they will hold them in safer countries with no audience, and hold multiple events in one country.
 

Harriet

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Country
Australia
Who are they?
What did they do?

Australian tennis players - Ash Barty is the current world no 1 - whose reply to the US Open was, in essence, 'Thank you for the invitation, but for reasons of public safety I shan't be coming.'
 

Alex D

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2013
I'm inclined to agree, but there's still plenty of time to cancel the events if it turns out not to be safe to proceed in October.

I am not so sure about that.

If you organize an event, you want it to happen, as you have invested a lot of money into it. If there is no event, you must pay back a lot of money to sponsors, TV stations, merchandise manufacturers and the like. Needles to say, you might have booked a venue that has no more use for you, yet must be paid for.
This ultimately leads to bankruptcy, therefore you will force the event, no matter what.

There have been events with positive corona tests, yet were not stopped or cancelled in advance. Luckily, so far nothing super bad has happened, but you never know, especially with crowds or lots of athletes being involved. If your event becomes a super cluster, you might need to pay damages as well, hosting an event is like a dance with the devil, you might make it out alive or you will be turned to ashes. :devil:
 

MaHa75

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
I am very pleased and happy! All sports has started and why shouldnt figure skating? All you, who wishing that isu will cancel all events, think for athletes...they have been working hard for years and if isu will cancel all it will kill the motivation of this generation. For what they should train? And all you who is thinking that there shouldnt be competition before vaccine then you should know that it takes time at least 3-4 years at least all the world will get it...so it is not reasonable to stop living for next 4 years. We should learn to cope with this virus and start live with new sircumstanses! I belive all athletes are happy about this news! They will have season and reason...yippikajee!!!!
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
not true. USA is not letting people in and it has the most cases worldwide.

well, we still are though. i don't know what the current US international travel restrictions are, but i pay pretty close attention to air travel/plane tracking, and there are MANY international passenger flights coming into major airports all over the country.
 

Gabby30

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 8, 2019
not true. USA is not letting people in and it has the most cases worldwide.

I wonder why... * looking at protests in the middle of a pandemic* .....

Anyway, we can't hide forever. Other sport events moved on, people go on vacation, to work, kids go to school. Only your immune system is going to protect you from viruses, waiting for a vaccine is a waste of time.
 

Gabby30

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 8, 2019
But the safer countries are safer because they aren't letting people in!

Our south neigbours brought to us the second wave, after we announced the end of the epidemy, yet people can still cross the border- but have to stay in quarantine for 14 days.
 
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