Coronavirus and the new season
- Thread starter chuckm
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2007
- Country
-
Nothing in Canada is reopening yet. All the announcement from Skate Canada means is that if a certain jurisdiction allows rinks to reopen, the clubs don't need to get permission from Skate Canada to return to the ice. Previously, any club returning to the ice was in danger of being sanctioned by Skate Canada, being fined or losing their membership. Based on the news here, it is highly unlikely that any rinks outside of the prairies or the East Coast will open before mid-June. The major urban centres are expecting to return by September at the easliest.
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2019
Unless drastic, desperate, dangerous decision will be made, Moscow/Sankt Peterburg rinks will not reopen anytime soon. The risk of catching/spreading/falling ill with the virus is too great still.
Gathering the whole national teams, trainers and support staff in one place easily adds up to 50-80 people who have to live in complete isolation and still need rigorous daily health checks.
They'll think of something when by June 15, ISU decides first stage of JPG will take place without any quarantine on entry requirements. It will be a close call most likely to get the skaters with medal prospects ready in time. Kids probably regain their form faster though. The work very hard under guidance of their trainers. No summer holidays with mom and dad most likely.
Canada / BC has to open its borders and allow large gatherings for that to happen. Both seem very unlikely to me.
For the event to go ahead, governments would have to commit in just a month from now. We were just told to meet our mothers outside, from a distance of 6 feet, for Mother's Day, and not at all if they have any health issues. That's a long way from what would be required to hold the JGP.
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2018
- Country
-
On a slight tangent, the Fantasy on Ice feed is arranging messages from the skaters who were going to be there for 2020, so far Plushy, Anna and Luca, Elladj and Ashley (who I have never heard speak before, she has a very pretty voice) with presumably more to come...
https://twitter.com/Fantasy_on_Ice
https://twitter.com/Fantasy_on_Ice
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2019
USA Gymnastics has postponed all its major events to 2021: https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=25474
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2018
I'm not sure, but I think ontario Ice rinks will open for figure skating as early as May 19th? Roman Sadovsky retweeted a news story about it. I tried to find more information about it but everything is confusing?
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2011
so in other words, the gymnastics season is cancelled. how can they send athletes to worlds without qualifying competitions/selection camps?
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2019
That USAG release only speaks about 'certain premier events' and list competitions with a large audience.
It doesn't tell anything yet about training recommencing, training camps, internal closed test events, or any qualifying procedures. More information likely to follow, as the Covid-19 situation in the USA is very diverse.
Just came across a Russia Ministry of Sports release, concerning the recommencing of big sports. Only outdoor training under social distancing and hygiene rules, like in most of Western Europe. Closed premises and events with audience? Who knows when ...
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2018
I just wanted to add the sources:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...cwAA&usg=AOvVaw1YAJfDjNK8u_PpIn8E5Jcl&cf=1
https://mobile.twitter.com/Travisdh...92532.ampproject.net/2005050322002/frame.html
Apparently this is new news and it was only announced 5 day in advance
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2018
- Country
-
I really wouldn't be surprised (and this is someone from a country that has escaped VERY lightly so far) if pretty much all international sporting competition is a washout for the rest of this calendar year, or at least until Oct/Nov, simply because IMO border restrictions and going to be very reluctantly lifted and at the first sign of possible second wave slammed back down.
Maybe the different Federations should be looking contingency plans for purely domestic ones above and beyond nationals, just in case - or maybe moving the show season back where there is a show season, and keeping it domestic too.
It'd be ironic if the only major 202o-21 competition that proved possible... was the Worlds we missed last year.
Maybe the different Federations should be looking contingency plans for purely domestic ones above and beyond nationals, just in case - or maybe moving the show season back where there is a show season, and keeping it domestic too.
It'd be ironic if the only major 202o-21 competition that proved possible... was the Worlds we missed last year.
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2017
- Country
-
Yes, it was announced this afternoon Toronto time. Another source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toro...us-may-14-ontario-reopening-testing-1.5569285
You can download the full list of restrictions being lifted as a PDF at the bottom of that page. Figure skating is specifically listed as a sport that can restart under Return to Sport guidelines (which Skate Canada has on their website). Not sure what it means for ice dancers or pairs skaters, who could do individual skating training but might not be able to work on some elements due to physical distancing requirements.
Ice hockey, being a contact sport, is no go for now.
I'm worried they may be making this move too early, as their numbers are still high-ish and their testing situation isn't great, but they've been on a consistent downward trend for about two weeks now and have been trying to increase their testing, which suggests that community transmission may be dropping, and their biggest problem has always been closed environments such as aged care facilities. But if people are careful, and don't go running around like nothing has changed, it may be okay. In a place moving into the summer months, allowing ways for people to get out of the house and burn off energy in a structured environment doing something goal-oriented and fun may actually be a decent way to prevent them from giving up on social distancing altogether out of frustration and need for human contact.
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2014
- Country
-
Gymnastics doesn't have Worlds in an Olympics year typically. Next year may be an exception. No one really knows yet.
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2012
Chuckm - glad to hear your sister has recovered. I'm just hoping beyond hope that US Nationals still takes place considering we have a hotel and tickets already. With that hope comes the wish that they either find a vaccine for this horrible virus or the incidents go down to nothing before then. That's what's more important.
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2018
I wouldn't be surprised if some rinks were not open until later so they can figure out safety protocols.
I was thinking about pairs and ice dance, and I think the danger in allowing two people close contact would be quite low. We are all allowed close contact with our "household" members. It does lead to spread of the virus, but the worst spread is in large households. Adding one person to your "bubble" increases the danger of infection, but not by a whole lot.
What would be extremely problematic would be for COACHES to demonstrate pair/dance elements by doing the element with one of their skaters. That's because a coach may be interacting with many pairs/teams, so the duo's "bubble" now not only includes the coach, but all the members of all the pairs/teams the coach works with.
So, I think letting two people work closely together is acceptable, but the pairings should be strict and no one else should be allowed close to them during training. Maybe skaters need to wear color-coded shirts so people know who is allowed to be close together!
What would be extremely problematic would be for COACHES to demonstrate pair/dance elements by doing the element with one of their skaters. That's because a coach may be interacting with many pairs/teams, so the duo's "bubble" now not only includes the coach, but all the members of all the pairs/teams the coach works with.
So, I think letting two people work closely together is acceptable, but the pairings should be strict and no one else should be allowed close to them during training. Maybe skaters need to wear color-coded shirts so people know who is allowed to be close together!
