What will ISU decide about Trophee Eric Bompard
The GP event Trophee Eric Bompard was canceled. Workers are demounting the ice at the arena in Bordeaux, skaters are going home. So, the event is officially ended and the possibility to continue it after the three days of mourning is not even considering. Of course figure skating seems so small in comparison to what happened, and all my deepest condolences to France, but I think we should discuss the possible solutions to this situation with TEB 2015. So, what can be done? Here are some options:
1. Leave it like it is and count the points for GP Final according to standings after the short programs.
Why yes: it’s the easiest option that doesn’t require any adittional expenses or actions.
Why not: it’s unfair to skaters. Figure skating is a double-event and skaters won’t have an opportunity to improve their standings after the short program. Such decision will mean that we won’t see Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Evgenia Tarasova – Vladimir Morosov, probably Patrick Chan and Cheng Peng – Hao Zhang in GP Final at Barcelona.
2. Divide the participants of TEB between Cup of Russia and NHK Trophy and let them skate the free programs hors concours. Then add those marks for their scores from SP (earned in France) and based on this sum make a TEB standings and calculate the points for GP Final.
Why yes: it’s fair for skaters because they will have chance to improve their standings and get a chance to get into the Final.
Why not: it’s will require additional costs for flights and hotels, the schedule of events will need to be changed, some visa isues can arise. It won’t be convinient for those skaters for whom TEB was the first GP event and they anyway should participate in Cup of Russia or NHK.
3. There will be a week off before the GP Final. On this week ISU can organise the skates of free programs somewhere else, where it will be the most convinient.
Why yes: again it’s fair and skaters will have a chance to improve their standings after the short program.
Why not: it’s lots of extra expenses for ISU and for skaters with their federations, possible visas problems. The shedule of preparation for the next competition for this skaters will be affected a lot and not in a positive way.
4. Into GP Final will get the skaters with best total scores (SP+FP) showed at one of the GP events. Yes, it’s a complete change of GP rules but after all it’s a force majeure.
Why yes: it’s an easy option that doesn’t require any additional costs or actions.
Why not: the judging at different events is not usually comparable and some skaters will have only one chance to show the high results while other will have two.
5. Leave it like it is. Let skaters to skate at Cup of Russia and NHK Trophy to get their season bests, prise money etc, and cancel Grand Prix Final. Hold the Final just for juniors.
Why yes: as it can’t be an equal conditions for all skater someone may think that it’s better not to have GP Final at all and continue the preparation for the main events as National Championships, Euros and Worlds.
Why not: People have already bought tickets to Barcelona, booked hotels and it will be unfair for figure skating fans and for Barcelona who already has invested money into this event.
What to do ISU will decide in tuesday (17, November) and such decision for sure won’t be easy. There is no optimal and convinient desicion and they will not choose the best from the best. Just the less worse from all possible.
What do you think about this situation? What will be the best solution?
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Here is also my small review for the short programs at TEB 2015.
Related topics: grand prix, grand prix final, junior grand prix, Trophee Eric Bompard
How about use the free skate score from their other GP competition. Some have already skated and others have yet to do so. Of course if a skater has a particularly good (or bad) free skate it will be weighted twice but it is an option.
Yes, it’s an option that also doesn’t require extra costs. But according to what most skaters and coaches say ISU is going to use only SP standings.