I don't expect anyone here to care about figure skating, but I'm hoping at least one person will care that the International Skating Union is planning on holding the 2021 World Championships, for which athletes will be traveling from all over the world, in the middle of a pandemic. The event is scheduled to take place in Stockholm from March 22–28. I could go on a tangent about FS culture and the alarming precedent for competing through injury and illness, but it is important to note that this event is a qualifier for the Beijing Olympics. Participating countries will be allotted Olympic spots based on how their athletes perform at this competition, so there is huge pressure to compete. Athletes from several countries have already competed internationally this season, and for most of them there is no question of missing Worlds.
The second thing you need to know is that the ISU is a deeply and dangerously incompetent organization. The 2020 WC (intended to be held in Montreal) were cancelled only at the last minute when the local government stepped in. Now the pandemic is way worse and the protocols in place to prevent infection are abysmal. The ISU is attempting a poor imitation of a sports "bubble", which only works if it doesn't have a million holes in it. What little info they've provided so far is full of wishy-washy language and "recommendations" that will not be enforced.
The third thing you need to know is that the Russian skating federation has completely ignored the epidemiological situation and held several major competitions with spectators. At all these competitions you may observe athletes, coaches, officials, and fans flouting health protocols. The consequence is that almost the entire Russian national team has been infected with COVID. A WSJ journalist consulted a friend of mine who is keeping a spreadsheet of all Russian skaters who have contracted illness this season. It's difficult, because officials are covering up COVID diagnoses by telling the media it's "just a cold/pneumonia" and that the athlete tested negative. Weeks later, we'll learn that the athletes did have the virus. So far, one skater has retired and at least two have had serious lung damage resulting from COVID. That's not the half of it, but RusFed's mishandling of the virus could fill an encyclopedia.
Fans on twitter are attempting to generate as much negative PR as possible under the hashtag #NoQuarantineNoWorlds. The hashtag also features explanations of the ISU's health protocols and contacts for event sponsors. Someone also started a petition. I personally don't have any hope we can get it cancelled, but it's worth trying. They shouldn't be able to quietly carry this out and infect god-knows how many people all over the world as athletes travel to and from Stockholm.
20 Feb 2021, 10:36 am
