ISU Council looking ahead to 2020-2021 season - UPDATED potential & confirmed delays/cancellations

[Elizabeth]

Sections relevant to figure skating from: https://isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communic ... -2020/file

Communication No. 2320

Decisions of the Council

The ISU Council met on April 28, 2020 via an online meeting to replace the cancelled meeting that was scheduled for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, Canada. The following were among the decisions taken by the Council during the meeting.

...

2. Planning Season 2020/21

The Council confirmed 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.

The Council decided on the following time frame/deadline for cancellations ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating events:
Latest by June 15, 2020 for the first event (CAN August 26-29, 2020) which means latest 10 weeks before the event. This ten-week deadline will also apply for subsequent ISU Junior Grand Prix events.

ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating events:
Latest by August 1, 2020 for first event (Skate America, October 23-25, 2020) which means 12 weeks before the event. This twelve-week deadline will also apply for subsequent ISU Grand Prix events.

A Working Group has been created consisting of:
- Mr. Alexander Lakernik, ISU Vice President Figure Skating
- Mr. David Raith, Executive Director US Figure Skating acting as liaison to the six ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating ISU Members
- Mr. Wieland Lüders, ISU Figure Skating Event Coordinator
- Ms. Patricia Mayor, ISU Sport Manager Figure Skating
- Ms. Christine Cardis, ISU Anti-Doping Manager acting as liaison to the ISU Medical Commission.

The objective of the Working Group is to work out and monitor, in consultation with the concerned organizing ISU Members and the Athletes Commission, the following:
a. Safety/health protection measures to be implemented at all events;
b. Evaluate any cancellations which could become necessary due to the sanitary situation in the host city and around the World, travel/meeting restrictions, perceived threat/fear to travel and the necessary ice time for Skaters around the World to prepare for the event;
c. Evaluate postponements and/or replacements of cancelled events;
d. Evaluate and decide upon possibly holding certain events without spectators;
e. Evaluate solutions related to consequences of multiple cancellations of events of a series (ISU Junior Grand Prix, ISU (senior) Grand Prix, Challenger Series) and working out options/solutions in order to maintain and/or adapt the respective ranking and allow the holding of the final event;
f. Evaluate the financial consequences of cancellations, postponements and replacements and working out (creative) solutions in order to ensure that all events that can possibly be held are ensured of the necessary ISU support regardless on whether the ranking of the series can be maintained or not.
g. Submit proposals on the above issues to the ISU Council for a final ISU Council decision.

....

3. ISU Skating Awards Season 2019/20

The ISU Skating Awards Figure Skating for the season 2019/20 were unfortunately cancelled alongside the 2020 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal. The Council therefore decided that instead, a digital/virtual Awards show will be held in order to honour the nominated Skaters and Award winners. Further details will be provided in due course.

The Council furthermore agreed to pursue this initiative with a season 2020/21 edition. The Council will evaluate different options and will take a decision as soon as possible.

[Elizabeth]

A key component of any sort of international event will not only be the opening of borders but also the availability of flights - this article is relevant: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/air-ca ... -1.5551402

[Elizabeth]

According to IFS Magazine on Twitter:

Slovak Republic has cancelled the JGP (Sep. 2-5) and the CS Nepela Memorial (Sep. 16-19) due to the COVID-19 crisis. The ISU Working Group is evaluating the consequences of these cancellations re the JGP and Challenger Series. Update on evaluation will be published asap.

[Elizabeth]

Confirmation from the ISU

[Elizabeth]

From the ISU today: https://www.isu.org/figure-skating/news ... teParam=15

Cancellation of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating, Richmond - August 26 - 29, 2020.

Skate Canada informed the ISU that due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, it was decided to cancel the above-mentioned event.

The ISU Working Group in charge of monitoring the Figure Skating season planning is currently evaluating the consequences of this cancellation on the conduct of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Any Council follow-up action based on such evaluation will be published as soon as possible.

[happyheini]

As everywhere, situations are changing day by day. Keep well everyone.

[Elizabeth]

The Council met on June 15th and the results are reported in a separate thread.

One result is that the revised ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series currently will be as follows:

• 1st event - September 9-12, 2020 - Budapest / HUN
• 2nd event - September 16-19, 2020 - Yokohama / JPN
• 3rd event (incl. Pair Skating) - September 23-26, 2020 - Ostrava / CZE
• 4th event (incl. Pair Skating) - Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2020 - Tashkent / UZB
• 5th event - October 7-10, 2020 - Ljubljana / SLO
• 6th event (incl. Pair Skating) - October 14-17, 2020 - Riga / LAT

[kittykins]

Thanks for the info. and we'll sure be happy to see live skating again. Hopefully they will be a GO.

[Elizabeth]

The Japanese federation has announced the cancellation of their JGP event in Yokohama, the second of the planned (revised) series.

With the borders of the European Union closed to travellers from the USA, one wonders about the viability of any events.

[Elizabeth]

Official announcement from the ISU regarding the JGP event in Japan:

03 July 2020

Lausanne, Switzerland

Cancellation of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating, Yokohama (JPN) - September 16-19, 2020

Japan Skating Federation informed the ISU that due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, it was decided to cancel the above-mentioned event.

The ISU Working Group in charge of monitoring the Figure Skating season planning is currently evaluating the consequences of this cancellation on the conduct of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Any Council follow-up action based on such evaluation will be published as soon as possible.