2020–21 ISU Challenger Series explained

2020–21 ISU Challenger Series
Comptype:ISU Challenger Series
Startdate:September 9
Enddate:December 5, 2020
Skatingseason:2020–21
Previouscomp:2019–20 ISU Challenger Series
Nextcomp:2021–22 ISU Challenger Series

The 2020–21 ISU Challenger Series was scheduled to be held from September 9 to December 5, 2020. It was the seventh season that the ISU Challenger Series, a group of senior-level international figure skating competitions, was held. Originally meant to be a series of ten events, the 2020–21 Challenger Series ended up featuring only two individual events, when eight events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The International Skating Union announcement on April 22, 2020 for the 2020–21 ISU Challenger Series issued the following caveat regarding the scheduling of the events:

On May 1, 2020, the International Skating Union established a working group, chaired by ISU Vice-president for Figure Skating Alexander Lakernik, to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Its responsibilities included determining the feasibility of holding events as scheduled, possibly behind closed doors, during the first half of the season, and the financial impact of any potential cancellations.[1] The ISU announced that a host federation must make a decision regarding potential cancellation of their event at least twelve weeks prior to the event.[2]

On May 16, the Slovak Figure Skating Association informed the ISU that it had cancelled all upcoming events that it was scheduled to host due to the ongoing pandemic, including the 2020 Nepela Memorial in Bratislava.[3]

On July 13, the ISU announced that the 2020–21 Challenger Series events would be regarded as separate individual competitions, rather than as a series; as a result, no Challenger Series ranking would be determined and no prize money would be distributed at the end of the series. However, skaters competing would still earn Challenger Series-level points for their world rankings, as long as the competition met ISU guidelines to qualify as a Challenger event.[4] The decision was later revised by the ISU council on August 3, announcing that world standing and ranking points would not be awarded for the sake of fairness due to the limited nature of the competitions.[5]

On July 13, the Japan Skating Federation announced that it would not assign any skaters to the Challenger Series, assuming the competitions proceeded as scheduled.[6]

On August 25, the German Ice Skating Union confirmed that 2020 Nebelhorn Trophy would be held as scheduled, but without spectators and would include extensive social distancing guidelines and procedures for the athletes and coaches in attendance.[7]

On August 28, the ISU removed the maximum entry limit of skaters or teams per country.[8]

Competitions

The series was intended to include the following events this season.[9] However, all but two competitions were ultimately cancelled.

On May 16, the ISU announced that the Slovak Figure Skating Association had cancelled the 2020 Nepela Memorial.[3] As of May 26, the event schedule announced for the 2020 Asian Open Trophy had been withdrawn.[10] On August 20, the Finnish Figure Skating Association cancelled the 2020 Finlandia Trophy.[11] On September 1, the 2020 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge was cancelled.[12] On November 3, Skate Austria cancelled the 2020 Cup of Tyrol.[13] On November 6, the ice dance portion of the 2020 Warsaw Cup was cancelled,[14] and on November 10, the Polish Figure Skating Association cancelled the Warsaw Cup entirely.[15] On February 13, the 2020 Autumn Classic International, originally described as having been "postponed", was removed from the official Skate Canada calendar.[16]

DateEventLocationNotes
September 9–13 2020 Asian Open TrophyCancelled
September 16–19 2020 Nepela Memorial
September 17–19 2020 Autumn Classic International[17]
September 23–26 2020 Nebelhorn TrophyOberstdorf, GermanyDetails
October 8–11 2020 Finlandia TrophyCancelled
October 15–17 2020 Budapest TrophyBudapest, HungaryNo pairsDetails
October 29 – November 1 2020 Denis Ten Memorial ChallengeCancelled
November 12–15 2020 Warsaw Cup
November 25–28 2020 Cup of Tyrol[18]
December 2–5 2020 Golden Spin of Zagreb[19]

Medal summary

Men's singles

CompetitionGoldSilverBronzeResults
Nebelhorn TrophyDetails
Budapest TrophyDetails

Ladies’ singles

CompetitionGoldSilverBronzeResults
Nebelhorn TrophyDetails
Budapest TrophyDetails

Pairs

CompetitionGoldSilverBronzeResults
Nebelhorn TrophyDetails

Ice dance

CompetitionGoldSilverBronzeResults
Nebelhorn TrophyDetails
Budapest TrophyDetails

Medal standings

Challenger Series rankings

Out of fairness to skaters impacted by travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ISU Council decided there would be no Challenger Series ranking this season.[10]

Top scores

Men's singles

! scope="col"
SkaterNationScoreEvent
1Deniss Vasiļjevs233.082020 Nebelhorn Trophy
2Daniel Grassl233.042020 Budapest Trophy
3Gabriele Frangipani231.652020 Nebelhorn Trophy
4Nikolaj Majorov218.07
5Maurizio Zandron217.65
! scope="col"
SkaterNationScoreEvent
1Daniel Grassl82.272020 Budapest Trophy
2Paul Fentz81.862020 Nebelhorn Trophy
3Gabriele Frangipani79.13
4Matteo Rizzo77.15
5Maurizio Zandron74.61
! scope="col"
SkaterNationScoreEvent
1Deniss Vasiļjevs159.832020 Nebelhorn Trophy
2Gabriele Frangipani152.52
3Daniel Grassl150.772020 Budapest Trophy
4Nikolaj Majorov145.532020 Nebelhorn Trophy
5Lukas Britschgi143.53

Ladies' singles

! scope="col"
SkaterNationScoreEvent
1Loena Hendrickx198.872020 Budapest Trophy
2Eva-Lotta Kiibus184.27
3Alexandra Feigin172.68
4Alexia Paganini168.852020 Nebelhorn Trophy
5Júlia Láng166.552020 Budapest Trophy
! scope="col"
SkaterNationScoreEvent
1Loena Hendrickx72.182020 Budapest Trophy
2Eva-Lotta Kiibus65.37
3Alexia Paganini63.602020 Nebelhorn Trophy
4Nicole Schott61.21
5Alexandra Feigin60.902020 Budapest Trophy
! scope="col"
SkaterNationScoreEvent
1Loena Hendrickx126.692020 Budapest Trophy
2Eva-Lotta Kiibus118.90
3Alexandra Feigin111.78
4Júlia Láng108.35
5Jenni Saarinen106.622020 Nebelhorn Trophy

Pairs

! scope="col"
TeamNationScoreEvent
1Rebecca Ghilardi / Filippo Ambrosini154.612020 Nebelhorn Trophy
2Annika Hocke / Robert Kunkel154.26
3Cléo Hamon / Denys Strekalin144.06
4Elizaveta Zhuk / Martin Bidař143.03
5Coline Keriven / Noël-Antoine Pierre130.27
! scope="col"
TeamNationScoreEvent
1Minerva Fabienne Hase / Nolan Seegert63.972020 Nebelhorn Trophy
2Annika Hocke / Robert Kunkel60.55
3Rebecca Ghilardi / Filippo Ambrosini58.32
4Cléo Hamon / Denys Strekalin51.27
5Elizaveta Zhuk / Martin Bidař51.20
! scope="col"
TeamNationScoreEvent
1Rebecca Ghilardi / Filippo Ambrosini96.292020 Nebelhorn Trophy
2Annika Hocke / Robert Kunkel93.71
3Cléo Hamon / Denys Strekalin92.79
4Elizaveta Zhuk / Martin Bidař91.83
5Coline Keriven / Noël-Antoine Pierre88.26

Ice dance

! scope="col"
TeamNationScoreEvent
1Alexandra Nazarova / Maxim Nikitin178.972020 Budapest Trophy
2Katharina Müller / Tim Dieck164.99
3Natálie Taschlerová / Filip Taschler163.62 2020 Nebelhorn Trophy
4Sasha Fear / George Waddell152.342020 Budapest Trophy
5Darya Popova / Volodymyr Byelikov148.602020 Nebelhorn Trophy
! scope="col"
TeamNationScoreEvent
1Alexandra Nazarova / Maxim Nikitin71.752020 Budapest Trophy
2Natálie Taschlerová / Filip Taschler64.28 2020 Nebelhorn Trophy
3Sasha Fear / George Waddell62.692020 Budapest Trophy
4Katharina Müller / Tim Dieck62.23
5Darya Popova / Volodymyr Byelikov61.552020 Nebelhorn Trophy
! scope="col"
TeamNationScoreEvent
1Alexandra Nazarova / Maxim Nikitin107.222020 Budapest Trophy
2Katharina Müller / Tim Dieck102.76
3Natálie Taschlerová / Filip Taschler99.34 2020 Nebelhorn Trophy
4Sasha Fear / George Waddell93.29
5Darya Popova / Volodymyr Byelikov87.05

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Morgan . Liam . May 1, 2020 . ISU creates COVID-19 working group for figure skating . Inside the Games.
  2. Web site: April 30, 2020 . Communication No. 2320: Decisions of the Council . International Skating Union.
  3. Web site: Cancellation ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating, Kosice (SVK) and Challenger Series Nepela Memorial 2020, Bratislava (SVK). International Skating Union. May 16, 2020.
  4. Web site: Communication No. 2335: Decisions of the Council. International Skating Union. July 13, 2020.
  5. Web site: Communication No. 2339: Decisions of the Council. International Skating Union. August 3, 2020.
  6. 1282586238646509568. skatingjapan. 新型コロナウイルス感染症の情勢を考慮し、フィギュアスケートのISU ジュニアグランプリ大会およびチャレンジャーシリーズ大会への派遣中止を決定いたしました。. Considering the new coronavirus infectious disease situation, we have decided to stop dispatching figure skaters to ISU Junior Grand Prix competition and Challenger Series competition.. Japanese. Japan Skating Federation. Japan Skating Federation. July 13, 2020.
  7. Web site: 52nd Nebelhorn Trophy 2020 – Oberstdorf: Information Guideline. German Ice Skating Union. August 25, 2020.
  8. Web site: Communication No. 2345: Decisions of the Council. International Skating Union. August 28, 2020.
  9. Web site: Figure Skating Challenger Series events season 2020/21 – Decisions of the ISU Council . April 22, 2020 . International Skating Union.
  10. Web site: Challenger Series General Announcement 2020/21 . May 26, 2020 . International Skating Union.
  11. Web site: Finlandia Trophy Espoo is canceled; The Finnish Figure Skating Association wants to organize the competition virtually. Finnish Figure Skating Association. August 20, 2020. August 22, 2020. August 20, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200820203125/https://www.finlandiatrophy.com/en/2020/08/20/finlandia-trophy-espoo-perutaan-suomen-taitoluisteluliitto-haluaa-jarjestaa-kilpailun-virtuaalisesti/. dead.
  12. Web site: Denis Ten Memorial Challenge. International Skating Union. September 1, 2020.
  13. Web site: ‼️Cup of Tyrol 2020 & 25. Eiscup cancelled ⛸❌ . https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/CHIBnk5prm0 . 2021-12-24 . registration. Skate Austria . . November 3, 2020 .
  14. Web site: ISU CS Warsaw Cup 2020: Ice Dance (cancelled as of Nov. 6, 2020). November 6, 2020.
  15. Web site: ISU Challenger Series Warsaw Cup 2020: CANCELLED. Polish Figure Skating Association. November 10, 2020. https://archive.today/20201110161746/http://www.pfsa.com.pl/. November 10, 2020. dead.
  16. Web site: Event Schedule: Hosted Events . July 21, 2020 . Skate Canada.
  17. Web site: [ICE TIME] Exclusive: Legendary Choreographer David Wilson Calls for New Leadership at Skate Canada]. Jack. Gallagher. Japan Forward. February 13, 2021. Following the cancellation of last year’s world championships in Montreal...Skate Canada proceeded to cancel the Junior Grand Prix in British Columbia in August, the Autumn Classic International in Oakville, Ontario, in September, and Skate Canada International in Ottawa in October, before pulling the plug on the nationals..
  18. Web site: Cup of Tyrol. International Skating Union. October 13, 2020.
  19. Web site: 53rd Golden Spin of Zagreb . November 4, 2020 . International Skating Union.

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