2020–21 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final

The 2020–21 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and ISU Junior Grand Prix Final was scheduled to be held from December 10–13 at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China.[1] The combined event was to be the culmination of two international series — the Grand Prix of Figure Skating and the Junior Grand Prix; however, there was no Junior Grand Prix Final, as the Junior Grand Prix was cancelled.[2] Medals were to be awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dance on the senior and junior levels. It was originally intended as a test event for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

2020–21 Grand Prix Final
Type:Grand Prix
Date:December 10 – 13
Season:2020–21
Location:Beijing, China
Host:Chinese Skating Association
Venue:Capital Indoor Stadium
Defending champions
Men's singles:
Nathan Chen (S)
Shun Sato (J)
Ladies' singles:
Alena Kostornaia (S)
Kamila Valieva (J)
Pair skating:
Sui Wenjing / Han Cong (S)
Apollinariia Panfilova / Dmitry Rylov (J)
Ice dance:
Gabriella Papadakis / Guillaume Cizeron (S)
Maria Kazakova / Georgy Reviya (J)
Previous:
2019–20 Grand Prix Final
Next:
2021–22 Grand Prix Final
Previous GP:
2020 NHK Trophy
Next GP:
2021 Skate America

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was first postponed and then removed from being hosted in China altogether.[3] The International Skating Union tried searching for a replacement host and alternative dates, before definitively cancelling the event on December 10, 2020.[4][5]

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

On July 9, the General Administration of Sport of China announced that no international sporting events would be held in China in 2020, except for 2022 Winter Olympics test events.[6] The Chinese Skating Association was scheduled to host several events during the season, including the Grand Prix Final; the Grand Prix Final, to be hosted in Beijing, was the only event exempt from the Chinese government's ruling, due to its status as the test event for the Olympic Games.[7]

On July 20, the ISU officially cancelled the Junior Grand Prix series.[2] On August 4, the ISU confirmed that the Grand Prix series would proceed as scheduled during the fall, but each event would mainly invite skaters located domestically in an effort to limit travel during the global pandemic.[8][9] At the time, no modified qualification procedure for the Grand Prix Final was announced.

On September 30, the ISU announced the postponement of the Grand Prix Final. It believed that hosting the competitions on the scheduled dates (near year-end holidays and national championships) would have impacted a number of participants, given global travel restrictions and the potential need to quarantine on returning to their home country.[3]

On November 13, a joint adapted sports testing program developed by the Beijing 2022 planning committee, the IOC, the IPC, and various winter sports federations, including the ISU, replaced all scheduled Beijing test events. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the ISU announced that it would evaluate the possibility of finding alternative locations outside China and dates to replace the Grand Prix Final.[4]

On December 10, the ISU announced the definitive cancellation of the Grand Prix Final, alongside that of the 2021 European Championships.[5]

References
  1. "ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and ISU Challenger Series announced" (Press release). International Skating Union. March 27, 2019.
  2. "ISU Junior Grand Prix Series 2020/21 cancelled". International Skating Union. July 20, 2020.
  3. "Cancellation / Postponement of ISU Events season 2020/21". International Skating Union. September 30, 2020.
  4. "Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games – Adapted Sports Testing Programme". International Skating Union. November 13, 2020.
  5. "Update on ISU Event Calendar season 2020/21". International Skating Union. December 10, 2020.
  6. huaxia, ed. (July 9, 2020). "No international sport events in China this year except for Beijing 2022 trials". Xinhua News Agency.
  7. Zhukov, Vladislav (July 9, 2020). "Финал Гран-при по фигурному катанию не попадает под запрет о проведении турниров в Китае" [Figure skating Grand Prix Final does not fall under ban on tournaments in China] (in Russian). TASS.
  8. "Figure skating: ISU Grand Prix series to go ahead as planned in fall". Kyodo News. August 4, 2020.
  9. The Associated Press (August 4, 2020). "Grand Prix figure skating series downsized to localized events". CBC.
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