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Post by Admin on Mar 17, 2021 22:50:48 GMT
With that in mind, the ISU’s choice in June 2018 of Stockholm as 2021 host has turned out to be a stroke of good luck.
It is among few host cities in the world that could provide a main arena (Ericsson Globe), two practice arenas and a hotel for skaters and meet officials all so close to each other that no bus transport is needed. Everyone will be able to get from one place to the other on dedicated indoor walkways. The only time athletes will need a bus is to get to and from the airport.
No one without particular level accreditation for the event will be allowed into the official hotel, and everyone who asked for a single occupancy room received one, Ulrika Molin, project manager for the World Championships, said in a Monday email. All media interviews and press conferences will be virtual.
On COVID-19 safety plans, there are five ISU documents that cover everything from the federation’s general approach to having events during the pandemic to specific details about the way the Stockholm bubble will work.
The “bubble group” of accredited “Level 1” and “Level 2” participants, including skaters, ISU meet officials, ISU officials, team staff and organizing committee staff, are to arrive Saturday or Sunday. Official practices start Monday, and competition runs from March 24 through 27, with the exhibition gala the 28th.
To enter Sweden, each person must have evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 48 hours of arrival. A second PCR test will be given at the official hotel before accreditation is issued, and another test is mandatory no later than four days after that.
Molin said there had been no consideration by the ISU or the organizing committee of an earlier arrival to allow a quarantine of at least a week.
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Post by Admin on Mar 18, 2021 4:57:01 GMT
The Swedish organizing committee is paying for competitors’ lodging and meals beginning with dinner Saturday and ending with lunch Monday, March 29.
World championships in 12 winter sports – all but two outdoors – have been held this year without such quarantines, 10 in Europe, one in Asia, one in the United States. Because of government health and entry regulations, the Australian Open tennis tournament imposed a 14-day quarantine period for all players coming into the country.
Team officials and coaches are “recommended” to leave as soon as their singles skater(s) or pair/dance team(s) have finished. Competition officials (judges, technical panel, data/replay officials) have been given specific departure dates.
While there are 25 more athletes entered than there were at the last figure skating worlds, in 2019 (167 from 43 nations to 192 from 40 nations), the total number of accredited personnel should be significantly smaller. The 2021 quotas include only one coach per skater/team; one official per national federation; no chaperones, guests or observers; and no ISU officials or office-holders who do not have a direct working connection to the event.
The ISU successfully pulled off a five-week-long bubble for long track speed skaters at Heerenveen, Netherlands, in January and February. It included 196 athletes who competed in four separate events – two World Cups, a European Championships and a World Championships. The ISU reported zero positives among the 2,000 PCR tests administered during the bubble.
The most potentially problematic area is whether those within the bubble follow general COVID-19 guidelines on masking, social distancing and socializing, and specific ones about forbidden behaviors in the bubble.
“Number one is making sure everyone is being responsible about wearing masks and social distancing, about taking this seriously,” Chen said. “I’d like not to name names, but I’ve seen how events have been run in the past year.
“As long as everyone’s staying proactive and being responsible about the requirements and what they’re supposed to do, as well as having, you know, having repercussions for not wearing masks or doing other things, I think that’d be better.”
The Russian Figure Skating Federation was called out within the skating community for its laissez-faire attitude toward mask wearing and social distancing at the Rostelecom Cup Grand Prix event in November. Several top Russian skaters contracted COVID not long after that event. Subsequent events in Russia also have seen disregard for the health rules in the “Guidelines for ISU Events During the Covid-19 Pandemic,” issued Aug. 31, 2020.
The final section of those guidelines covers sanctions for not following them, including loss of accreditation and potential disciplinary proceedings according to the ISU Constitution.
In a Dec. 4 email responding to my question of whether the Russian Figure Skating Federation should be sanctioned, ISU President Jan Dijkema acknowledged learning “the regrettable news about the situation involving positive test results for COVID-19 of certain Russian Skaters.” He said the ISU did not have enough information because the usually international Grand Prix competitions had become domestic-run events during the pandemic.
A follow-up email to Dijkema that day noting the violations were publicly visible on broadcast video and social media posts went unanswered.
The ISU also did not answer an email question this week about how the guidelines will be enforced in Stockholm.
“Ultimately, I will be there to compete, but I still have my worries about getting sick,” Chen said. “I don’t want to get sick. I don’t want anyone else to get sick. Bottom line is, I want everyone to stay healthy during this competition.”
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Post by Admin on Mar 18, 2021 20:45:12 GMT
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, the 2015 world figure skating champion, is set to make her first appearance at a World Championships since her triumph that year after being named to the Figure Skating Federation of Russia (FSR) team for the 2021 championships in Stockholm. The 24-year-old has had a mixed season, winning the Rostelecom Cup Grand Prix in a somewhat surprising result before struggling with coronavirus and performing under-par at the Russian national championships. However, she finished fourth at the weekend's domestic Russian Cup Final – the highest-placed ladies' singles skater who was eligible for Worlds selection – and has beaten out Alena Kostornaia for the last spot on the FSR team. She is joined by national champion Anna Shcherbakova as well as Alexandra Trusova in the team. Rika KIHIRA Training for the Worlds 2021 A short compilation of Rika KIHIRA's (紀平梨花) recent training videos! Countries finalise nominations Elsewhere, US Figure Skating announced a late change to their nominations for the World Championships, with Ashley Cain-Gribble / Timothy LeDuc being added to the U.S. pairs squad to replace Jessica Calalang / Brian Johnson. The rest of the American team is set with national champion Nathan Chen, Jason Brown, and Vincent Zhou making up the men, Karen Chen and U.S. champ Bradie Tennell the ladies, Alexa Scimeca Knierim / Brandon Frazier joining Cain-Gribble and LeDuc in the pairs competition, and Madison Chock / Evan Bates, Kaitlin Hawayek / Jean-Luc Baker, and Madison Hubbell / Zachary Donohue in the ice dance. France also confirmed its lineup, headlined by singles skaters Kévin Aymoz and Maé-Bérénice Méité. Ice dance reigning world champions Gabriella Papadakis / Guillaume Cizeron had already announced they would skip this year's tournament. Last week, Canada and South Korea were among the teams to announce their entries, with the latter opting to follow the results of their recent national championships in sending Cha Jun-hwan in the men's and Kim Ye-lim / Lee Hae-in in the ladies' competitions. Japan's entries were announced in December, with Hanyu Yuzuru and Kihira Rika leading the way. The World Championships are set to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, from 22–28 March (with competition beginning on 24 March). The International Skating Union is expected to make a final decision on the status of the Worlds, including its standing as an Olympic qualifier for Beijing 2022, this week.
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Post by Admin on Mar 19, 2021 3:50:13 GMT
Where to Watch | Stockholm 2021 | #WorldFigure
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Post by Admin on Mar 19, 2021 20:00:34 GMT
Russian figure-skating star Elizaveta Tuktamysheva has spoken of her joy at being selected for the national team on the grandest stage, revealing how it drives her on and provides extra motivation to grow as an elite athlete. The 24-year-old, who will return to the major international figure skating event following a six-year break, said she was overwhelmed with joy and happiness after learning that she'd earned her place in one of the three sports on the national women’s team to take part in the world championship. http://instagram.com/p/CMSMDG7nixS Tuktamysheva was officially included in the team after finishing fourth at the Cup of Russia final, right behind junior skaters who are not yet age-eligible to participate in senior competitions. “It was such a joy. I believed that it could be possible [to progress to the national team] if I delivered clean skating at the Cup of Russia final," the skater said. http://instagram.com/p/CH8KzlaHWUS "But when this really happened, I was overwhelmed with emotions – even more than I had expected,” “The worst thing that might happen to a professional athlete is a lack of motivation. But when you know that you have a big start lying ahead and you are getting ready for the world championship, you have sense of purpose to live because you are a professional athlete who has dedicated her entire life to sport.” The 2015 World and European champion also expressed regret that the upcoming world championship in Stockholm will be held without spectators, explaining that an athlete has a serious adrenaline rush when performing in front of the crowd. “I think all athletes will be calmer while participating in the worlds because, when you skate in front of the huge audience, it raises pressure and adrenaline," she said. "But when everything is quiet and calm, you're not that nervous."
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