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Post by Admin on Aug 16, 2021 20:30:21 GMT
The International Skating Union (ISU) announced the cancellation of the Grand Prix of China figure skating event on Monday. The event was scheduled to take place from Nov. 4-7 in Chongqing. "Unfortunately, in view of the very limited international flights in all inbound cities in China and the relevant prevention restrictions in COVID-19, the concept of a 'competition bubble' can not be realized," the ISU said in a press release. "The ISU regrets that the hosting of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating – Cup of China is no longer viable and thanks the Chinese Figure Skating Association for their continued effort and support." In order to maintain the six events of its figure skating series, the ISU has invited members who would be interested in hosting the event on the originally planned date. The ISU was informed of the cancellation of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating – Cup of China, that was scheduled to take place from November 4-7, 2021 in Chongqing (CHN). Unfortunately, in view of the very limited international flights in all inbound cities in China and the relevant prevention restrictions in COVID-19, the concept of a "competition bubble" can not be realized. The ISU regrets that the hosting of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating – Cup of China is no longer viable and thanks the Chinese Figure Skating Association for their continued effort and support. In order to maintain the 6 Events of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, leading to the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, which will take place in Osaka (JPN), on December 9-12, 2021, the ISU invited ISU Members who would be interested in hosting this event on the originally planned date (November 4-7, 2021), to apply for the event. Further information will be provided in due course.
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Post by Admin on Aug 16, 2021 22:03:03 GMT
The International Skating Union is in search of a new location for one of its six Grand Prix events for this coming figure skating season. The skating federation announced on Monday (16 August) that Cup of China, set for 4-7 Nov. in Chongqing, China, will not be held there, due to "very limited international flights in all inbound cities in China" among other concerns. The ISU has now begun the process to move the event, opening up the option to ISU Member nations to apply to be said host. The ISU said that Chongqing was also no longer an option due to "the concept of a 'competition bubble'" that "cannot be realized," it said in a statement. Top-level skaters who were scheduled to compete in China included Kagiyama Yuma, Mikhail Kolyada, Jin Boyang, reigning world champion Anna Shcherbakova, Bradie Tennell, past world champion pair team Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, ice dance duo Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, and four-time ice dance world champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. Papadakis and Cizeron, the French team, has not competed since January 2020. The Grand Prix Series begins 22nd October in Las Vegas at Skate America, with subsequent events in Canada, France, Russia and Japan. The Grand Prix Final is set for early December in Osaka, Japan, weeks before the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Figure skating saw the cancelation of the 2020 World Championships at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the 2020-21 season heavily impacted by further lockdowns and pandemic protocols limitations. The 2021 World Championships were held, however, in Stockholm, Sweden, amid a strict competition bubble.
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Post by Admin on Aug 17, 2021 6:35:54 GMT
A Covid outbreak first discovered in the Chinese city of Nanjing has spread to five provinces and Beijing, with state media calling it the most extensive contagion after Wuhan.
Almost 200 people have been infected since the virus was first detected at the city's busy airport on 20 July.
All flights from Nanjing airport will be suspended until 11 August, according to local media.
Officials also began city-wide testing amid criticism for their "failure".
All 9.3 million of the city's residents - including those visiting - will be tested, said state-controlled Xinhua news.
Posts on social media show long lines of people queuing, and authorities have reportedly urged people to wear masks, stand one metre apart and avoid talking while they wait.
Officials said the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus was behind the infections, adding that cases had spread further because of how busy the airport is.
Ding Jie, a health official in Nanjing, told reporters the cases were linked to cleaners who worked on a flight from Russia that arrived in the city on 10 July.
The cleaners did not follow strict hygiene measures, Xinhua News reported.
The airport management has been rebuked, with a senior disciplinary body of the Communist Party saying it had "problems such as lack of supervision and unprofessional management".
Testing has shown that the virus has now spread to at least 13 cities including Chengdu and the capital Beijing.
However, experts quoted by the Global Times said they believed the outbreak was still at an early stage and could be controlled.
Local officials in Nanjing said that seven of those infected were in critical condition.
The new spike in cases has led some on Chinese social media to speculate about whether the Chinese vaccines were working against the Delta variant.
It is unclear if those infected were vaccinated.
A number of South East Asian countries relying on Chinese vaccines have recently announced they will use other jabs.
China has so far managed to keep the virus largely under control by closing borders and moving quickly to stamp out local outbreaks.
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Post by Admin on Aug 26, 2021 21:45:22 GMT
Following the cancellation of the Cup of China - third stage of ISU Grand Prix 2021-22 initially scheduled in Chongqing, China, from 4 to 7 November -, also considering the invitation of the International Skating Union to all member countries to to offer its availability to host the event in question, the Italian Ice Sports Federation has officially applied to organize the third stage of the international circuit at the Palavela in Turin on the dates already established. A commitment and a responsibility important, more so in view of the difficulties closely linked to the pandemic of Covid 19 and the short time available between now and November 4, in which the FISG however, has not wanted to escape, reiterating so again their active participation and the will to play an increasingly important role on the international stage of ice sports. "Since 2017 we have been organizing major events on our territory continuously, demonstrating capacity, generating value and with important feedback from all points of view - the president of the FISG, Andrea Gios explains -. We did not hold back last season, in full pandemic, by organizing the Italian Grand Prix in complete safety, and so we want to give our availability also on this difficult occasion in which to get involved, given the circumstances, involves greater risks. We intend to do so, once more, to support our athletes, to allow them to compete on such a prestigious stage and in a stage that will certainly be crucial in their approach to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games. We now look forward to the answer with confidence. of the ISU".
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Post by Admin on Aug 27, 2021 15:17:33 GMT
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