General Skating Chat

[rockstaryuzu]

47 minutes ago, Veveco said:

Are judges supposed to evaluate from one single camera (as in, skaters will barely be visible when further away)? Or are skaters expected to set up multiple cameras in the rink (so easy and reasonable for everyone, especially skaters with less resources, right? )

 

I get wanting to organize *anything* this year, be it different from usual, but I don't trust the ISU to think of even the most obvious logistic implications. Doing it for fun is one thing, but if there is a prize money or of it counts for rankings in any way.... Let's see but I don't have much hope.

The real open question is the fairness and transparency of judging in such a set up. 

[SparkleSalad]

Welp, GP series is going ahead...

[Fay]

6 minutes ago, SparkleSalad said:

Welp, GP series is going ahead...

I wonder how they are going to make it work, though. 

[SparkleSalad]

5 minutes ago, Fay said:

I wonder how they are going to make it work, though. 

 

Wait for feds to pull their skaters out and for each government to shut it down again?

[Fay]

5 minutes ago, SparkleSalad said:

 

Wait for feds to pull their skaters out and for each government to shut it down again?

How exciting, what fun! Will they ever think how this is going to affect the athletes? 

[SparkleSalad]

12 minutes ago, Fay said:

How exciting, what fun! Will they ever think how this is going to affect the athletes? 

 

Sorry, they can't hear you over the KACHING 

[Sombreuil]

People all over the world have been finding ways to work around the virus.  Obviously it’s not the same as being able to move around and associate freely, and there are limits to what can be achieved, but people working in public and private sectors have used ingenuity, technology, and flexible thinking to get round some of the challenges imposed by the situation.  Nothing is quite as weird as watching a football match where there is no crowd noise and every comment by players and coaches comes across loud and clear ( with the accompanying apologies for bad language from the commentators), but I am assured that it’s better than no football at all.

 

I would love to think that the ISU was ingenious and flexible enough to come up with a novel solution to put on some kind of GPS but even while typing the words I am snorting with incredulity at the idea.  The organisation is the antithesis of flexible, incapable of coping with quite rudimentary technological advances,  and I’m afraid whatever half baked concept they come up with will not be better than no skating at all.  You only have to look at the people they go to for ideas - Zakarian’s ridiculous awards ceremony for example?  I would love to be proved wrong but I’m not expecting to be.

[river]

The ISU is making a bad decision? I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you. 

[Veveco]

So they had a meeting.... decided to go ahead... but postponed making any actual planning to an unknown later date.

 

I'd be fired if I acted like that at work. 

[rockstaryuzu]

It's at times like these that I'm forced to remember that the ISU is, in essence, a volunteer organization, and like all volunteer organizations, is not run by the best people for the job, or the smartest, but by the ones who want the job bad enough...who are usually people with a vested interest in certain outcomes. So decisions are made accordingly. 

 

That being said, just because they decide to go ahead with it doesn't mean the skaters are going to participate. 

 

[Neenah]

To be fair to the ISU, there is no good and fair solution that would be best for everyone. The issue with the pandemic has been on going for months with no end in sight and many countries and organisations are trying to find ways to work around it.

Aside from the pandemic, we have the problem of all the people whose livelihood depends on these sports and events taking place on schedule. There is also the skaters who need those competitions for experience, points, and even money. This sport is very expensive. I am sure there also a lot of things we don't know about that got affected because of the cancellations of the events.

Someone somewhere will be screwed over with whatever solution they come up with. It is inevitable. So, I think it is better to wait and see what they come up with. Maybe this will be the push they needed to finally embrace technology and evolve  

I know you guys don't trust the ISU, I don't either. But the last few months have pushed as all out of our comfort zone into doing thing differently just to get by. The ISU will have to adapt. It could be a good thing. Change is needed for them.

[EisElle]

16 hours ago, sallycinnamon said:

 

 

 

On 7/10/2020 at 6:55 PM, LadyLou said:

If judges aren't all at once in the same place, under public scrutiny, how to be sure they aren't on some The merry companionship of the ISU chatgroup, exchanging tips? Should we trust the word of one or two officials eventually there to "watch over" them? (who might as well be those suggesting how to score?)

 

Chatgroup it is, then 

(Not surprised someone like P*il would think judging from home would be a good idea. Also...work on what kind of software? 'Cause you can't just go on play store, download the one ISU uses on your laptop and just... score with it)

 

I'll wait for ISU to kindly give a more official(and detailed) statement, 'cause everything sounds way too vague, but if there's gonna be some kind of virtual comp, than I really hope that 

1) they solved the issue of how to make sure everyone has same equipment, same camerawork, rink conditions (including also things from rink size to ice quality, to audio quality)

Or

2) these "comps will be used ONLY to give skaters some training and feedback about their programs., but no ranking points, no official PB, no prize money.

 

If they go on with making official stats without conditions being remotely as reproducible as when everyone competes in the same venue, with judges all watching whole comp from the same position etc, ISU might as well start including Nats scores in their stats (and kiss goodbye to what remains of their credibility)

[sallycinnamon]

 

[Paskud]

1 hour ago, sallycinnamon said:

 

Quote

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

• Competitors and Officials of the host country and
• Competitors regularly training in the respective host country and
• 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.

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.

 

[Fay]

So basically, it”# a a set of ISU approved domestic competitions?! Why call it GP Series then?