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Communication No. 1083: Essent Speed Skating World Cup 2000/2001 |
1. General Conditions
a) The Speed Skating World Cup 2000/2001 will be organized according to Rule 274 in the ISU Special Regulations for Speed Skating as a series of International competitions subject to the specific regulations stated in this ISU Communication. The Speed Skating World Cup is an ISU Event, and relevant parts of the ISU General Regulations apply, in particular Rules 105 and 106.
b) In accordance with a sponsorship agreement between ISU and the Dutch company Essent the Speed Skating World Cup 2000/2001 will be presented under the title Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating and a specific logo.
c) International TV rights and advertising rights for the Speed Skating World Cup belong to ISU. Organizers of competitions are obliged to respect commercial and TV contracts entered into by ISU. Before concluding any commercial agreements the organizers should consult the ISU General Secretary in order to prevent conflicts with ISU contracts.
d) A Memorandum, specifying contractual obligations and guidelines for the organization of Speed Skating World Cup competitions, is issued by ISU. The Memorandum will be made available to the hosting ISU Members and the organizing committees.
e) For each competition the ISU Speed Skating Technical Committee assigns an ISU Representative, who shall observe that the competitions are organized and conducted in accordance with the regulations laid down in this Communication.
2. Basic competition rules
a) The Speed Skating World Cup is organized as competitions in single distances over the following four distances (distance categories):
Ladies Men 500 meters 500 meters 1000 meters 1000 meters 1500 meters 1500 meters Long distances: 3000 and 5000 meters Long distances: 5000 and 10000 meters.
Each distance (category) will be skated in 5 different World Cup competitions, and all races from those 5 competitions will count for the final World Cup ranking of the distance.
b) The competitions are organized in a format where the skaters compete in two divisions. The competitors with the currently best World Cup ranking in the distance compete in Division A, which normally consists of 20 skaters. However, in the first competition for the distances 500, 1000 and 1500 metres all skaters compete together (in Division A). Each competition day has a core session consisting of the races for Division A for all the distances included in the program.
c) The competitions are open to all ISU Speed Skating Members. Entry quotas are determined based on the final World Cup ranking 1999/2000 and the results from the 2000 World Speed Skating Championships Single Distances.
d) Prize money, as determined by ISU, is awarded to the 6 best skaters in each competition and to the 12 best skaters in the final World Cup ranking.
3. Speed Skating World Cup Competitions 2000/2001
November 18 - 19, 2000 Berlin GER 1500 m, 3000 m Ladies
1500 m, 5000 m Men
November 25 - 26, 2000 Heerenveen NED 1500 m, 5000 m Ladies
1500 m, 10000 m Men
December 9 - 10, 2000 Seoul KOR 2 x 500 m, 2 x 1000 m Ladies and Men
December 16 - 17, 2000 Nagano JPN 2 x 500 m, 2 x 1000 m Ladies and Men
January 27 - 28, 2001 Helsinki FIN 2 x 500 m, 2 x 1000 m Ladies and Men
February 2 - 4, 2001 Heerenveen NED 2 x 500 m, 2 x 1000 m Ladies and Men
1500 m, 3000 m Ladies
1500 m, 5000 m Men
February 17 - 18, 2001 Hamar NOR 1500 m, 3000 m Ladies
1500 m, 5000 m Men
March 2 - 4, 2001 Calgary CAN 2 x 500 m, 2 x 1000 m Ladies and Men
1500 m, 3000 m Ladies
1500 m, 5000 m Men
4. Entry rules
4.1 Entry quotas
For each distance an ISU Member may enter 2 competitors plus as many as the number of skaters from this Member that were placed either among the 24 best in the final World Cup ranking 1999/2000 or among the 20 best in the 2000 World Speed Skating Championships Single Distances. The maximum entry quota per distance is 5 skaters. The hosting ISU Member is granted this maximum quota for the competition it is hosting. Otherwise, the entry quotas for the season 2000/2001 are as follows:
Ladies 500m 1000m 1500m 3000/5000m Men 500m 1000m 1500m 5000/10000m AUT 3 3 3 3 AUT 2 2 2 2 BEL 2 2 2 2 BEL 2 2 2 3 BLR 3 3 2 2 BLR 2 2 2 2 CAN 4 5 5 5 CAN 5 5 5 4 CHN 4 4 3 3 CHN 3 2 2 2 FIN 2 2 2 2 FIN 3 3 2 2 FRA 2 2 2 2 FRA 2 3 3 3 GER 5 5 5 5 GER 3 4 3 5 HUN 2 3 2 2 HUN 2 2 2 2 ITA 3 3 3 2 ITA 3 3 3 3 JPN 5 5 5 5 JPN 5 5 5 5 KAZ 2 2 3 3 KAZ 2 3 3 2 KOR 2 2 2 2 KOR 5 4 2 2 NED 5 5 5 5 NED 5 5 5 5 NOR 3 3 3 3 NOR 3 4 5 5 POL 2 2 2 3 POL 4 3 2 3 RUS 4 4 4 5 RUS 4 2 5 3 SUI 2 2 2 2 SUI 2 2 2 3 SWE 2 2 2 2 SWE 3 2 3 2 USA 5 5 5 3 USA 4 5 4 3
Other ISU Speed Skating Members may enter maximum 2 competitors in each distance. Members are requested to enter only skaters of a good international standard.
For 5000 meters Ladies and 10000 meters Men a maximum of 44 participants will be admitted in each event. Entry quotas for these two distances will be determined by the current World Cup ranking for the long distances.
4.2 Entries of competitors.
Entries must be sent to the organizer before the deadline given in the announcement for the competition, and must indicate the distances to be skated by each entered competitor. The individual entries for a distance may be changed not later than two hours before the draw for the distance. Entries of a substitute in replacement of an injured or ill skater may be accepted if the Referee has been duly informed at least two hours before the start of the distance.
5. Competition format
For each distance the entered skaters compete in two separate divisions, with the currently best ranked skaters competing in Division A and the remaining skaters competing in Division B. However, in the first competition over the distances 500, 1000 and 1500 meters (including both races over 500 and 1000 metres) all skaters compete together (in Division A).
5.1 Number of skaters in Division A.
a) All skaters shall compete in Division A if not more than 24 skaters have been entered, and also in the first competition for the distances 500, 1000 and 1500 meters.
b) If more than 28 skaters have been entered, Division A shall consist of 20 skaters.
c) If the number of entered skaters is between 25 and 28, Division A shall consist of 16 skaters.
Exceptions to b) and c) above may be made for the second race over 500 and 1000 meters in a competition with two races over these distances, as explained in paragraph 5.2 c).
5.2 Selection of skaters for Division A.
a) In the first competition for the long distances (3000 meters for Ladies and 5000 meters for Men), entry quotas for Division A are determined by the final World Cup ranking 1999/2000. These entry quotas and the ranking of the entered skaters, as submitted by the respective team leaders before the opening draw, determines which skaters will compete in Division A (see paragraph 6.1).
b) In all other competitions, the selection for Division A is based on the current World Cup ranking of the skaters. Normally the 20 (or 16) best ranked of the entered skaters shall compete in Division A. However, the lowest ranked of those skaters shall be moved to Division B, if this is necessary in order to include the following skaters in Division A:
c) In the second 500 or 1000 meters race in World Cup competitions with two races over these distances, a skater competing in Division A in the first race remains in Division A for the second race. The number of skaters in Division A may be increased beyond 20 (or 16, respectively) as far as this is necessary in order to avoid odd pairs, considering that all skaters shall change their starting lane in the second race (Rule 226). Division A for the second race of a sprint distance shall therefore include the following skaters (if entered):
5.3 Scheduling of races - Division A as one block of races.
a) For each day of a World Cup competition the races of Division A for all distances shall be scheduled as one block (session) of races. The starting time for this core session of the competition shall be stated in the announcement.
b) The races of Division B should be skated on the same day as the races of Division A for the distance concerned before and/or after the block of Division A races. The time schedule for the races of Division B shall be announced at the draw meeting. The intermission between the block of Division A races and the sessions of Division B races should be as short as possible.
5.4 Quartet starts.
Quartet starts may be used for the long distances, but normally not in Division A.
5.5 Exhibition events.
In consultation with the ISU Speed Skating Technical Committee the organizer of a World Cup competition may add exhibition events, e.g. team pursuit races, to their program. The intention to organize such events should be declared in the announcement.
6. Drawing/Composition of pairs and starting order of pairs
A draw meeting shall take place before each day of competition, in order to announce the distribution of skaters between Division A and Division B, and to determine or draw the composition and starting order of pairs. A team leaders' meeting should be held before the draw meeting, with the purpose to confirm the final entries.
6.1 Drawing at the first World Cup competition on the distance.
a) Respecting the applicable entry quotas (as given in paragraph 4.1) the Referee determines the number of skaters from each ISU Member in each drawing group in accordance with the final World Cup ranking 1999/2000.
b) The entered skaters are placed in five groups. Group 1 and Group 2 shall consist of 6 skaters each; Group 3 and Group 4 of 8 skaters each. Remaining skaters shall be placed in Group 5.
c) The number of skaters for an ISU Member in Group 1 corresponds to the number of skaters from the Member among the 6 best in the final World Cup ranking 1999/2000, and similarly for Group 2, 3 and 4.
d) At least two hours before the draw meeting the team leaders must starting lanes are to be determined according to Rule 226. These rules apply to both Division A and Division B.
b) The top 6 ranked skaters in Division A shall be grouped together, and a draw shall determine the composition of the 3 last pairs. For the second race of a sprint distance during the same World Cup competition, this group shall consist of the top 3 ranked skaters among those who have been designated the inner and outer starting lane, respectively.
c) Skaters in Division B with no World Cup points (unranked skaters) shall be grouped together. The pairs drawn from this group shall start first. If there is an odd number of skaters, the first pair shall consist of a single skater. In the case of an odd number of ranked skaters, the lowest ranked skater shall be paired with the last drawn skater from the group of unranked skaters.
d) For the second 500 meters or 1000 meters race in a World Cup competition, the composition of pairs must take into account that the skaters shall change their starting lanes from the first race. Moreover, unranked skaters shall be paired according to their ranks from the first race. Skaters in Division A, who did not compete in the first race, shall be designated starting lanes in such a way that the need for increasing the number of skaters beyond 20 (or 16, respectively) will be minimised. In Division B starting lanes for such skaters should be designated so that odd pairs can be avoided as far as possible.
e) In case of withdrawals after the draw, the pairs shall be rearranged according to Rule 229, paragraph 4. Substitutes shall be placed in the Division and the pair corresponding to their individual World Cup ranking, and necessary rearrangements be made accordingly. However, for withdrawals made later than two hours before the start of the Division concerned, adjustment of pairs may be made according to Rule 229, paragraph 3.
6.3 Quartet starts
In the case of quartet starts the four best ranked skaters shall form the last quartet (see Rule 275). Only the first quartet may be incomplete.
7. Speed Skating World Cup points system
7.1 Points scoring tables.
a) World Cup points are awarded based on the results of Division A, as follows:
1st =100 points 7th = 40 points 13th = 18 points 19th = 6 points 2nd = 80 points 8th = 36 points 14th = 16 points 20th = 4 points 3rd = 70 points 9th = 32 points 15th = 14 points 21st = 2 points 4th = 60 points 10th = 28 points 16th = 12 points 22nd = 1 point 5th = 50 points 11th = 24 points 17th = 10 points 6th = 45 points 12th = 21 points 18th = 8 points
b) The top 8 skaters of Division B are awarded World Cup points as follows:
1st = 25 points 3rd = 11 points 5th = 5 points 7th = 2 points 2nd = 17 points 4th = 7 points 6th = 3 points 8th = 1 points
c) As there will be no skaters in Division B in the first competition for 500, 1000 and 1500 meters, the points table for Division A for these competitions will be adjusted for skaters placed 11th and onwards as follows:
11th = 26 points 16th = 16 points 21st = 10 points 26th = 5 points 12th = 24 points 17th = 14 points 22nd = 9 points 27th = 4 points 13th = 22 points 18th = 13 points 23rd = 8 points 28th = 3 points 14th = 20 points 19th = 12 points 24th = 7 points 29th = 2 points 15th = 18 points 20th = 11 points 25th = 6 points 30th = 1 point.
7.2 Points for tied ranks.
If two or more skaters have obtained the same rank in the classification of Division A or B, each skater receives the full points score for this tied rank.
8. Speed Skating World Cup ranking rules
The World Cup ranking for each distance is determined by the number of points the skaters accumulate during the season. All races count for the final World Cup ranking. In the final ranking, as well as in the intermediate ranking during the season, a tie between skaters with the same total of World Cup points will be resolved according to the following criteria:
If neither of these criteria resolves the tie, the skaters shall have the same World Cup rank.
9. Prize Money
For each distance (category) prize money will be awarded for each individual competition and for the final classification of the Speed Skating World Cup 2000/2001 at the end of the season. For the individual competitions prize money is awarded to the top 6 skaters of Division A. For the final World Cup ranking prize money is awarded to the top 12 skaters.
If there are two 500 or two 1000 meters skated in the same competition, prizes are given with half the amount for each of the two races. In case of a tie, the prize money will be the average of the amounts (according to the table below) assigned for the relevant ranking positions.
Prize money for final ranking Prize money for each competition Place Amount (for each distance) Place Amount (for each distance) 1. US $ 14.000,- 1. US $ 1.500,- 2. US $ 9.000,- 2. US $ 1.000,- 3. US $ 5.000,- 3. US $ 750,- 4. US $ 3.500,- 4. US $ 600,- 5. US $ 3.000,- 5. US $ 550,- 6. US $ 2.500,- 6. US $ 500,- 7. US $ 2.250,- 8. US $ 2.000,- 9. US $ 1.750,- 10. US $ 1.500,- 11. US $ 1.300,- 12. US $ 1.200,-
The prize money for the final World Cup ranking is transferred from ISU to the respective ISU Members on conditions that apply for ISU Championships (see ISU Communication No. 1028). The payment of prize money for each individual competition is handled by the organizer.
10. Cancellation of competitions
If a World Cup competition has to be (completely or partly) cancelled, the organizer must urgently give the reasons in writing to the ISU Secretariat to permit ISU to authorise the cancellation. The Speed Skating Technical Committee decides if cancelled distances shall be rescheduled for another date and/or another venue.
11. Requirements for the organization of Speed Skating World Cup competitions
a) The organizer is responsible for publishing the announcement for the competition, in accordance with Rule 110 and guidelines given in the Memorandum.
b) The Referees and the Starters are appointed by the ISU President, based on nominations made by the organizing Member in consultation with the ISU Speed Skating Technical Committee. The Referee and at least one Starter must be on the current ISU list of Officials for ISU Championships.
c) Automatic timekeeping as defined in Rule 246 is compulsory (Rule 242, paragraph 2). The timekeeping system should be connected to a scoreboard displaying split times, final times and results. Interface between the timekeeping system and a TV signal must be provided.
d) Doping tests must be performed according to the ISU Medical Code and Anti-Doping Rules, as given in the current Communication "Medical Code - Doping Rules".
e) The organizer is responsible that appropriate accommodation is available for participants and team leaders, officials, sponsors and media. The organizer is responsible for covering expenses for board and lodging from dinner the evening before until breakfast on the morning after the competition for (up to) 5 skaters and 1 team leader from each Member and for the ISU representative.
f) The organizer must provide a transportation service for the teams during the period of the competitions and the announced training sessions. Convenient means of transportation between the competition site and the nearest international airport must be available.
g) The organizer must provide ice-training possibilities for at least 3 hours per day during the last four days prior to the competition.
h) The organizer is responsible for the payment of prize money for the competition according to procedures and financial terms agreed with ISU.
i) The organizer is obliged to forward to ISU complete results of all races and classifications, on paper and in appropriate digital form. The organizer is responsible that results are forwarded to international press and news service agencies (see also Paragraph 12 below).
A Memorandum issued by ISU contains more details on the obligations of the organizers as well as guidelines for various aspects of the organization of a Speed Skating World Cup competition.
12. Distribution of results
The organizer of the competitions must immediately send complete results for the races (complete ranking lists with finishing times) of Division A and B, as well as the updated World Cup ranking for each distance skated, by telefax to:
and by electronic mail to:
The organizers are expected to post the results on a suitable Internet web site.
The official protocol of results must be sent without delay by air mail in 10 copies to the ISU General Secretary and in 2 copies to the ISU World Cup Coordinator.
13. Speed Skating World Cup Coordination
Any questions concerning the rules and conditions given in this Communication or concerning the organizing of Speed skating World Cup competitions 2000/2001 should be addressed to:
ISU Secretariat Tel. +41 21 612 6666 Att.: Pierre Eymann Fax: +41 21 612 6677 Chemin de Primerose 2 E-mail: eymann@isu.ch or info@isu.ch CH - 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland
or to the Speed Skating World Cup Coordinator:
Tron Espeli Tel. private: + 47 22 56 13 60. Majorstuveien 20 Tel. office: + 47 22 03 73 13 N-0367 Oslo Telefax: + 47 22 03 73 07 Norway E-mail: tron.espeli@forskningsradet.no
Milano Ottavio Cinquanta, President
August 1, 2000
Lausanne Fredi Schmid, General Secretary