Canada might not compete at the world figure skating championships — if they happen

TORONTO — If the world figure skating championships do go ahead in a bubble in March in Sweden, there is a good chance Canada won’t be there.

The Swedish Figure Skating Association hopes to hold the March 22-28 event in a “bubble” in Stockholm, the organization said on its website.

But COVID-19 has created a wildly uneven playing field this season, with protocols varying from country to country. Keegan Messing, a men’s singles skater who lives in Alaska, is the only Canadian who’s even competed since last February.

“That is one of our concerns, and we have talked about that with our athletes and coaches, given all the challenges we’ve had across Canada,” said Mike Slipchuk, Skate Canada’s high performance director.

Slipchuk pointed out rinks are closed again in COVID-19 hot spots such as Toronto.

“So, it’s been very hard for the athletes to be on a consistent training program,” he said. “And then readiness, even if we do get to a real championship this year, we just don’t feel that our athletes will be in a (state of) readiness that they would normally be in a normal season — which when you’re trying to qualify for Olympic spots is important.”

The world championships determine how many positions each country will have per event at the 2022 Olympics.

“The World Cup organization in Sweden is working intensively together with ISU to carry out a grand championship in a different way,” the Swedish federation said (translated to English) on its website. “The stars are on site and through TV and digital solutions, those interested will be able to take part in the battle for the medals.”

Canada’s COVID-19 protocols that require a 14-day quarantine once returning home would be an issue

“How ready can athletes be if they have to miss two weeks of training? Is that realistic?” said Slipchuk.

The Canadian team — other than Messing, who won bronze at Skate America a month ago — has been sidelined since the world championships last March in Montreal were cancelled, one of the first global sporting events erased by the pandemic.

The first lockdown in Canada last spring kept many skaters off the ice for months. Pairs and dance teams were particularly hard-hit as safety protocols prevented them from touching even when they were able to return to the rink. In some areas, touching was prohibited until August.

“So just trying to prepare has been hard ... this never happens in a normal year, we would have been competing already,” said Slipchuk.

Skate Canada International, scheduled for October, was cancelled.

The International Skating Union has canvassed national federations, asking if they would attend if there was a junior world and world championship. The world junior championships in China have since been cancelled, along with the Four Continents Championships in Australia.

Skate Canada Challenge, the qualifying event for the Canadian championships, will be held virtually. Athletes will perform their programs at their home rinks with a videographer, then submit them to Skate Canada. Judges won’t see the programs until they’re streamed altogether in a virtual show format in early January.

ASkate Canada official will be at each session to ensure skaters follow competition rules, such as a six-minute warmup, etc.