General Skating Chat

[FlyingCamel]

12 hours ago, sallycinnamon said:

It's fair there won't be virtual competitions, and I hope it won't return as an option in case they won't be able to organize the GP series. Many Americans were hoping for virtual comps which I disagree with, it is too risky in terms of judging in my opinion and the format wouldn't make much sense. To record programs at the place skaters practice wouldn't be called competitions and the scores could be easily manipulated.

So I've just read Chen thought there would be virtual comps and I disagree with him too (I haven't read the NBC article itself).

 

ISU's decision raised more questions but I sort of understand they don't want to cancel all international competitions in the fall. Skaters need competitons after such a long time and not everyone will be able to compete at domestic events. Some big federations would have it maybe easier, but small feds that don't even have regionals, would be in trouble.

I don't know how they will handle some things (Skate America in general, Osaka, GPF being in China), but I guess we will know more by the end of the month.

It seems all the skaters don’t know any details as well... When asked about the upcoming season, Evgenia also answered “I know just as much about next season as you do.”

 

[Songster01]

Ah, Las Vegas, sounds like a wonderful place to drag skaters and their teams (and volunteers etc): https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1289756365506797568?s=21 

Quote

So you guys may be spreading cases throughout the country?
“It doesn’t matter anyway?”
Why?
“We are never closing again. Under any circumstances.”
Because?

“We had the lowest unemployment rate in the country before the pandemic. Then we had the highest.”
So screw the rest of the country?
“Well, yes I can see how how you could look at it that way.”

 

To clarify, that health person being interviewed sounds like a poor excuse of a STEM worker, beholden to the economic interests of Vegas.  Don't expect the local authorities to shut SkAm down, because they clearly don't care if visitors bring COVID-19 or or take it back home.  No way should USFS hold something there; but I doubt they'd move it

[Fay]

38 minutes ago, Songster01 said:

Ah, Las Vegas, sounds like a wonderful place to drag skaters and their teams (and volunteers etc): https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1289756365506797568?s=21 

 

To clarify, that health person being interviewed sounds like a poor excuse of a STEM worker, beholden to the economic interests of Vegas.  Don't expect the local authorities to shut SkAm down, because they clearly don't care if visitors bring COVID-19 or or take it back home.  No way should USFS hold something there; but I doubt they'd move it

There’s a reason why many nations shun the US now. I apologise to American satellites. 

[Veveco]

 

[fyere0]

1 hour ago, Veveco said:

 

 

Tracy's middle name must be Xerox because she's always delivering the fax

[Sombreuil]

Tracy cutting it down to the real bottom line.  

[Veveco]

I don't think there's anything new.

 

 

[sallycinnamon]

Roman uploaded a video in which he shared his opinion about the GP Series this fall. I am posting this here not the Canada thread because the subject is more general.

 

 

[FlyingCamel]

1 hour ago, sallycinnamon said:

Roman uploaded a video in which he shared his opinion about the GP Series this fall. I am posting this here not the Canada thread because the subject is more general.

 

 

It’s interesting to hear his opinion and I am curious what other skaters think too. Actually, just as he hoped, I do feel safer about the event now. What does everyone think?

[Lunna]

18 минут назад, FlyingCamel сказал:

What does everyone think?

I generally agreed with this opinion before. Skaters are training in groups, so they can compete in small groups too. There can be different entrances for skaters and judges, minimum press and other stuff. The main question is how it will be organized in different countries, especially US, and if final should be held (but that's another question about arena test).

Rules are pretty different in different places now, so it's hard to speak for others, but in Russia they will hold domestic comps which will be a mandatory for skaters, so I don't see why CoR will not take place too.

[SitTwizzle]

2 hours ago, Lunna said:

I generally agreed with this opinion before. Skaters are training in groups, so they can compete in small groups too. There can be different entrances for skaters and judges, minimum press and other stuff. The main question is how it will be organized in different countries, especially US, and if final should be held (but that's another question about arena test).

Rules are pretty different in different places now, so it's hard to speak for others, but in Russia they will hold domestic comps which will be a mandatory for skaters, so I don't see why CoR will not take place too.

I would go even further. I don't see the least problem with pairs and ice dance, because they skate with only one partner, who becomes like family, allowing contact and breathing near.

In ballet for instance, where duet classes and ballet performances usually imply changing partner rather often, I suppose they have/had to set new plans so that each dancer have a partner for months. But this is not the case with pairs and ice dance skating.

I suppose you can set training partners in judo, karate, fighting etc in order to be able to train a bit and not lose everything.

It doesn't compare with many team sports where teams have large numbers, and where they meet different teams if they compete.

[Veveco]

The main positive take I get from his video is that Skate Canada seems to be taking things with a lot of caution. I was hoping that the fact that they're taking their time commenting about the situation meant that they're considering everything carefully before making any announcement, and it seems to be the case. So, good if they learned their lesson after the fiasco that was the management of worlds.

 

But overall, I find him very optimistic. Good for him to be in a country that is doing well and can "afford" to have competitions (I'm not being sarcastic, I mean it, I'm glad for every country/skater who is in a position to have competitions). I can agree with domestic competitions if safety can be assured. That can't be generalized though. I'll keep coming back with Skate America that should not be held in Las Vegas. 

 

As for comparing with other sports, the USTA is now asking tennis players who wants to play at the US Open to sign a waiver declaring they "voluntarily assume full responsibility for any risk including serious illness or death". So call me cynical if you want but I hardly believe that all sport governing bodies have the best interest of athletes at heart when there are monetary implications. The ISU hardly has the best track records in the matter. I don't I need to remind anyone here that they were heavily promoting packing 1K people indoors for a pointless social event mere days before worlds was cancelled (which showed that they basically had no safety protocol whatsoever) and refused to cancel the junior synchronized championships on week later (and we know that an infected person attended). We're now about 6 months into the pandemic and the ISU is still saying "we'll meet next month to discuss safety measures". How reassuring.

 

Right now things seem to be mostly under the control of national federations. So good for Roman if Skate Canada is responsible, but it takes a lot of trust to assume that every federation will "do what's best" for everyone (not just for the skaters).

[sweetwater]

8 hours ago, sallycinnamon said:

Roman uploaded a video in which he shared his opinion about the GP Series this fall. I am posting this here not the Canada thread because the subject is more general.

 

 

It is nice to be able to hear a skater's take on this matter, and since Canada seems to have been managing the situation well, he may be right about Skate Canada. I don't feel especially safer about NHK and GPF, though... since the latter is still an international event and the former will take place in a country where the internal situation at the moment doesn't look so good. I am curious about other skaters' opinions too.

[Songster01]

I am more cautious than Roman, not least because I am less trusting of SC and other institutions, which often seem to value money over people's lives.  Of course skaters want to skate and compete, so it's no surprise if many of them argue for it.  Yes, Canada has done better than some nations, but also not nearly as well as others, like South Korea, Taiwan, and New Zealand. If we get complacent, we will see more cases, though hopefully the masking rules will stay in place and the province will be open to shutting down bars and indoor dining (or more), when that happens.  Surely we've seen enough examples of how easily the virus can return if people act foolishly, or a government doesn't show leadership, to know that Canada could easily the next place with a significant spike.  There is a lot of suspicion and opposition with the current plan in Ontario for schools re-opening, which have the potential to have outbreaks, as Israel and the US have been showing us.  Multiple unions are also not pleased by UofT's plan either.  With the flu season starting during the skating season, that means more testing capacity has to be able to handle both at the same time.  Certainly kudos to our labs at upping capacity to the point where in Ontario we are in better shape than this spring!  But if cases spike enough, we may be back to rationing tests again. 

 

I've no idea if Roman has been following the growing body of research on the long-term medical ramifications of getting COVID-19, but I'd rather keep the risk of complications to an absolute minimum.  Even young and fit athletes' hearts and lungs are getting affected.  Ask American college football coaches about the number of players suffering from this and their season had not yet started.  Thankfully they are cancelling their season.  We must be the wise and unselfish ones who values athletes' long-term health over $$ and PR.  It's clear that Roman doesn't really know much about what's going on elsewhere COVD-wise, or is considering how small-fed skaters are going to be at great disadvantage, in this model.  Which is not a surprise, as elite athletes often have tunnel vision.  I don't mean that maliciously, as tunnel vision is often what makes them be successful athletes. 

 

If the ISU just let nations do domestic events and "open to domestic and international skaters" invitational events without adding in the unneeded nonsense of a GP series and a Final, I think I'd be far more confident about countries with good track records hosting these limited and fanless events (which still could be broadcast or streamed), based on their local situations.  It's the Final that has me worried the most.  I hope Canada stays firm in its resolution to not waive quarantines for people entering Canada, and I hope they don't send athletes abroad to any place that does not have a 2-week quarantine in place as well.  Too many countries have or continue to fudge or be unable to properly count their case and death numbers to just blindly send our athletic teams abroad to places that won't or can't be truthful about statistics. Such places' safety measures would also likely not be sufficient, no matter how much their PR might say otherwise.  Again, the ISU has frequently shown it clearly is more interested in money and PR than in the physical and mental well-being of their athletes.  It does sound like they are trying to pressure China to not cancel CoC despite what the Chinese government announced.  I'm not saying the Chinese government will bow to the ISU, more like the ISU shouldn't be pressuring them regardless. 

[Lunna]

8 часов назад, Songster01 сказал:

It's clear that Roman doesn't really know much about what's going on elsewhere COVD-wise, or is considering how small-fed skaters are going to be at great disadvantage, in this model.  Which is not a surprise, as elite athletes often have tunnel vision.  I don't mean that maliciously, as tunnel vision is often what makes them be successful athletes. 

I don't think it's tunnel vision, I think he's cautions to say opinion, especially on public, about situation in other countries and I totally agree with him. Because there are numbers and there's a situation you live in.

  

8 часов назад, Songster01 сказал:

If the ISU just let nations do domestic events and "open to domestic and international skaters" invitational events without adding in the unneeded nonsense of a GP series and a Final, I think I'd be far more confident about countries with good track records hosting these limited and fanless events (which still could be broadcast or streamed), based on their local situations.

Not sure how much say ISU has in domestic events, they're are mostly in hands of domestic feds and are not covered internationally.