ISU World No42 October 2010 by International Skating Union

INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER

INSIDE • ISU NEWS • ISU SCHOLARSHIPS • ISU CONGRESS REVIEW • ISU EVENT CALENDAR • SEASON PREVIEW

NO 42 OCTOBER 2010

ISU COUNCIL

I am truly afraid that the disappearance of the words “amateur” and “professional” is evidence that something not precisely positive is happening in the area of competitive sport. The terrific improvement in the level of the top performances has been accurately used by expert entrepreneurs to deliver a good product for entertainment. The best vehicle to offer the products, that are at the end of the day the said high performances, is television. Now, let’s take a short step back. With the improvement of the world records it is clear that an athlete, in order to be among high caliber participants, must have more than just extraordinary natural skills to achieve the title as a champion or to stand on the podium. To get to such a dominant position an athlete is in any case committed to spend many hours every week, which has as a consequence the necessity to be almost fully dedicated to training sessions and to the competition activity. It is easy to understand that to perform such a demanding activity it is necessary to count on a solid financial base and when an athlete does not have this available from his private situation, the only resource is to find the money: practically become a professional in sport. The fact that the talents, who are at the same time the actors of the best competitions or shows, need an adequate stage, creates the condition that money is also needed to organize the representation and all this together, money for organizing plus money for the athletes, result in the fact that sport is currently held hostage to a costly financial spiral. Of course the package will then be successful on TV, with many TV viewers to follow the events, so producing the high TV ratings that are another top goal/record to be achieved. It is not difficult to understand that people want to watch television, to watch sport, but on the condition that they can easily understand what is going on. However, all of them believe that they have the right to see thrilling competitions, which is fully understandable, and the athletes/actors shall be the best. But how many sport disciplines are indeed in a position to provide the TV viewers with the product they want? We are maybe going in the area of philosophy in sport and I do prefer at this point to summarize the meaning and the role of “amateur” versus “professional”, or vice versa. It is practically impossible that all athletes are dedicated to a limited number of sports, even if it deals with sports that are the most accepted by the public. Fortunately there are sport disciplines not in a position to stand as a popular sport, but having very high technical content and educational value. The conclusion is that certain athletes, even if conscious that they cannot become rich doing a certain sport discipline, like to be part of that specific world, but the dilemma is still there: how to be the very best in a specific activity? The answer doesn’t change. Many hours of training, otherwise an athlete shall accept to remain among those that can provide a normal standard performance, but not the best one. Again, the money and the status of amateur or professional raise true questions. In my personal opinion all sports having good technical content and good reasons to exist, shall be performed and this approach can be easily translated into a word, which fortunately exists: Olympism. Ottavio Cinquanta President, International Skating Union ISU World is the official newsletter of the International Skating Union Published and produced by ISU, Chemin de Primerose 2, 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland Telephone: +41 21 612 66 66. Facsimile: +41 21 612 66 77. Editorial board: Fredi Schmid, Devra Pitt Getaz, Rodney Lajoie. Designed by www.moserdesign.ch. Front cover photograph: Seung-Hoon Lee (KOR) © Getty Images Sport Photography: © Getty Images Sport; ©Masaharu Suguwara / JapanSports, ©Popperfoto, ©AFP, © RIA Novosti

At its June meeting on the occasion of the 53rd ISU Congress in Barcelona (ESP) the ISU Council announced the definitive allotment of the 2011 ISU Championships and provisional allotment of pending 2012 and 2013 Championships. The Council also decided to maintain again this season the Junior World Cup Speed Skating circuit which was successfully inaugurated during the 2008/2009 season. Other decisions, including the ratification of 2009/2010 World Records in Speed Skating and in Short Track Speed Skating, are published on the isu.org website under Communication 1622. The Autumn ISU Council meeting 2010 will take place in Munich (GER) from October 15-17, 2010. Readers, interested in keeping up with important ISU Communications can subscribe to an RSS feed via the front page of the isu. org website.

SPORTS DIRECTORATE

Further to the significant changes introduced by the 53rd ISU Congress in Barcelona this summer, the Sports Directorate has consequently updated various announcements and documents for International Competitions in the 2010/2011 season. In Figure Skating the Global Frankfurt Seminar was also successfully carried out in the pre-season period, with a special focus on Ice Dance and the implementation of the new Short Dance with instructions to the coaches, judges and technical panels. In Speed Skating the Junior World Cup is ready to start its third consecutive season and is of particular importance this season ahead of the Youth Olympic Games 2012 in Innsbruck. In Short Track work has been carried out to evaluate and enhance television exposure and event presentation. A first meeting has taken place with the Organizing Committee of the Youth Olympic Games 2012 in order to define sports related items and organizational aspects.

ISU TECHNICAL COMMITTEES Single & Pair Skating

Technical Committee activities in this early part of this sporting year have focused on preparatory work for the season. In July the main focus of the Committee was the annual Global Seminar in Frankfurt, Germany and the composition of the new Technical Panel Handbooks for Single and Pair Skating. In September two ISU Recognized Seminars were conducted in Eindhoven, Netherlands and Beijing, China. During September and October Technical Committee Members served as Technical Controllers at several Junior

ISU NEWS and Senior Grand Prix Events. The Nebelhorn Trophy 2010 in Oberstdorf, Germany hosted the annual Examination for qualification of ISU Championship Judges (Single and Pair Skating and Ice Dance) on September 23-26 with 21 candidates taking part.

Ice Dance

The ISU Congress in Barcelona approved that all Ice Dance Competitions shall consist of two parts. For Junior and Senior these two parts will be the Short Dance and Free Dance and for Novice the two parts will be Pattern Dance(s) and Free Dance. This brings in a new era of Ice Dance competitions with the Short Dance being successfully presented in the Junior Grand Prix competitions. ISU Communications were prepared by the Technical Committee and distributed immediately after the Congress so that skaters and coaches could prepare their programs. Training for the Technical Panels was provided at the Frankfurt Global Seminar where an Ice Dance Seminar was held for many Technical Controllers, Technical Specialists and Referees assigned in the competitions this season. Training modules were also developed for the Judges and designed to be presented to all panels through the season by the Event Referees or Technical Committee members.

A Judges Seminar was held in Beijing, China in September and another is scheduled for November in Dortmund, Germany.

Synchronized Skating

During the post Congress period the new Synchronized Skating Technical Committee met in London with the Chair of the ISU Sport Directorate to discuss the development of the discipline, methods for aiding entry level coaches to help expand participation at grass roots level as well as the recruitment and training of officials. This was combined with the identification of key components for the formulation of a medium and long term strategic plan for further development of Synchronized Skating.The meeting was followed by the ISU Global Coaches Seminar with 27 coaches from 14 countries taking part. The two day seminar provided an update of the rules for the upcoming season, a program component session, strategy discussions and some specialized sessions on safe lifting technique for the coaches.

Speed Skating

Following its meetings on the occasion of the ISU Congress in Barcelona the Committee has completed the detailed regulations for the Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating and the

ISU Junior World Cup for the coming season. The Committee reviewed the nominations submitted by ISU Members as the basis for the decision on the list of ISU Referees and ISU Starters 2010/11. The bi-annual ISU course for Referees was held in Stockholm during September 30 - October 3, with the Congress adopted changes in Regulations and Technical Rules as the main topic. On this occasion also the first Committee meeting with all the newly elected and appointed members was held.

Short Track

The Short Track Speed Skating Technical Committee recently conducted an Officials seminar in Moscow mainly discussing the new rules which were approved at the most recent Congress. The new rule changes are the first major change to the sport in over 30 years. There will now be an Assistant Referee who will observe the video replay system during all races throughout all ISU Events and report his observations to the Referee. The upcoming season will have events hosted in new cities, showing the growth and expansion of Short Track Speed Skating around the world.

MR. TORE B. RAMTON

It is with deep sorrow that the ISU learned of the death of the former president of the Norwegian Skating Association and ISU Referee Mr. Tore B. Ramton on 20 September 2010 at the age of 64. Mr. Ramton was President of the Norwegian Skating Association from 1980 - 1985. He was Assistant Referee/Referee at three Olympic Winter Games namely in 1988, 1994 and 2006. The ISU pays tribute to Mr. Ramton’s devoted service to the ISU. We will remember him with great affection.

MR. JUAN ANTONIO SAMARANCH

It was with profound sadness that the ISU learned of the passing of former International Olympic Committee President and Honorary International Olympic Committee President Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch on 21 April 2010. Mr. Samaranch was a great friend and a supporter of skating and over the years attended several important ISU events. He was a visionary with an exceptional passion and dedication to Olympic values. The ISU pays tribute to Mr. Samaranch’s outstanding contribution to sport and will remember him with affection

Ms. Maria-Teresa Samaranch, President of ISU’s Spanish Member passing in front of a memorial to her father Juan Antonio Samaranch

ISU WEBSITE: WWW.ISU.ORG

ISU CONGRESS REVIEW

The 53rd ISU Ordinary Congress which took place in Barcelona (ESP) on June 14-18 was attended by over 250 delegates from over 70 ISU Member federations from all continents. Among key decisions were the following: In Speed Skating the Congress decided to implement several format changes to the ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships and ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships and also voted in favor of a better definition of the role of Corner Judges at each curve. In the area of safety and protection a number of updates to incorporate “stateof-the-art” safety measures and padding solutions were approved. Deliberate kicking out of a skate at the finish line, which entails a safety risk, would now lead to disqualification. In Short Track several proposals to better regulate the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup were passed. Further as of the season

ISU OFFICE HOLDERS Elections for all office holding positions took place in Barcelona in accordance with ISU regulations. Following the Congress, in line with the (new) 2010 ISU Constitution, the Council also appointed one skater and one coach to each Technical Committee. The composition of the ISU Council and ISU Committees is as follows: COUNCIL President: Ottavio Cinquanta First Vice President: FIGURE SKATING David M. Dore

Italy

Canada

successfully inaugurated in April 2009) has been integrated into the General Regulations as an ISU Event. The Council, Sports Directorate, Single and Pair Skating and Ice Dance Technical Committees proposed several changes to make the rules consistent across disciplines; this harmonization of the rules was unanimously approved.In Synchronized Skating adjustments to the required elements for the Short Program and Free Skating were approved. Several changes to the deductions were passed including an increase in the severity of deductions for costume and makeup transgressions (among other deduction changes). A series of proposals were put forward and then approved to clarify the current rules and to harmonize with other Figure Skating disciplines. For additional information also see Communications 1619, 1621, 1625 and 1637.

TECHNICAL COMMITTEES SINGLE AND PAIR SKATING Chair: Alexander Lakernik Russia Members: Fabio Bianchetti Italy Rita Zonnekeyn Belgium Susan Lynch Australia Patrick Meier Switzerland

Jae-Seok Choi Christian Breuer

appointed Skater

David Paul Kirby appointed Coach

ICE DANCE Chair: Halina Gordon-Poltorak Members: Robert Joseph Horen Gilles Vandenbroeck Alla Shekhovtsova Sylwia Nowak-Trebacka appointed Skater

John Dunn

appointed Coach

Vice President: SPEED SKATING Jan Dijkema

Netherlands

Members: FIGURE SKATING Marie Lundmark Junko Hiramatsu Phyllis Howard Tjasa Andrée-Prosenc

Finland Japan U.S.A Slovenia

SPEED SKATING György Martos German Panov Li Lan Roland E. Maillard

2011/2012 the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships will no longer be held. Additionally the Congress decided that one of the referees shall monitor the video replay where applicable. In the area of protection the Congress approved the Short Track Technical Committee proposals to update safety measures and padding solutions.In Single and Pair Skating and Ice Dance the much discussed new Ice Dance format of competition consisting of two parts/segments: a Short Dance and a Free Dance (as opposed to a Compulsory Dance, Original Dance and Free Dance) was approved. Congress also passed a change to implement a qualifying procedure to effectively reduce the number of entries at Championships and has also accepted a reduction of the number of skaters in the Free Skating. The ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating (which was

Hungary Russia China Switzerland

U.S.A

Cathy Dalton appointed Coach

SPEED SKATING Chair: Tron Espeli Members Nick Thometz Alexander Kibalko

Jildou Gemser Netherlands appointed Coach SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING Chair: Andy Gabel U.S.A Members Stoytcho G. Stoytchev Bulgaria Reinier Oostheim Netherlands Ji-Hoon Chae Republic of Korea Satoru Terao Japan appointed Skater

Poland U.S.A France Russia Poland Spain

SYNCHRONIZED SKATING Chair: Christopher Buchanan Great Britain Members: Mika Saarelainen Finland Karen Wolanchuk U.S.A. Philippe Maitrot France Helena Johansson Sweden appointed Skater

appointed Skater

Republic of Korea Germany

Nathalie Lambert appointed Coach

Canada

DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION Chair: Volker Waldeck Germany Members: Allan Böhm Slovak Republic Susan Petricevic New Zealand Egbert Schmid Austria Fred Benjamin U.S.A NEWLY ELECTED HONORARY MEMBERS The following persons were elected Honorary Members of the ISU in recognition of their outstanding service: Gerhard Zimmermann Germany (Honorary Vice President)

Canada

Courtney J.L. Jones O.B.E. Myong-Hi Chang Ulf Lindén Gerhardt Bubník James L. Hawkins

Great Britain Republic of Korea Sweden Czech Republic U.S.A

Norway

TREASURER Ulrich Linder

Switzerland

LEGAL ADVISOR Beatrice Pfister

Switzerland

U.S.A. Russia

ISU SCHOLARSHIPS 2010 / 2011 FIGURE SKATING

SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING

Ladies

1. Polina Agafonova

RUS

2. Julia Pfrengle

GER

3. Svetlana Issakova

EST

4. Sila Saygi

TUR

5. Alina Milevskaia

UKR

6. Alina Fjodorova

LAT

7. Mimi Tanasorn Chindasook

THA

1. Marina Valcepina 2. Elise Christie 3. Paula Bzura 4. Wei Lin 5. Inna Somonova 6. Tatiana Bodova 7. Maria Amelina

ITA GBR POL TPE KAZ SVK RUS

8. Patricia Toth

HUN

Men 1. Artur Dmitriev

RUS

2. Abzal Rakimgaliev

KAZ

3. Javier Raya

ESP

4. Jorik Hendrickx

BEL

5. Stephen Li-Chung Kuo

TPE

Pairs 1. Ksenia Stolbova / Fodor Klimov

RUS

2. Klara Kadlecova / Petr Bidar

CZE

3. Anna Khychenkova / Mark Magyar

HUN

4. Natalja Zabijako / Sergei Muhhin

EST

Ice Dance 1. Ksenia Monko / Kiril Khaliavian

RUS

2. Anastasia Galyeta / Alexei Shumski

UKR

3. Dora Turoczi / Balazs Major

HUN

4. Sara Hurtado / Adria Diaz

ESP

5. Nikola Visnova / Lukas Csolley

SVK

6. Justyna Plutowska / Dawid Pietrzynski POL

SPEED SKATING Ladies 1. Karolina Erbanova

CZE

2. Hege Boko

NOR

3. Jekaterina Ajdova

KAZ

4. Kajtlin McGregor

SUI

Men 1. Sverre Lunde Pedersen

NOR

2. Tommi Pulli

FIN

3. Jonas Pflug

GER

4. Valentin Antonio Anghel

ROU

5. Andrej Ivanjuk

KAZ

Polina Agafonova (RUS)

Men 1. Jack Welbourne 2. Ansis Robs 3. Tommasso Dotti 4. Sebastian Lepape 5. Vojta Loudin 6. Bence Beres 7. Wojciech Krasnicki 8. Matthias Stelzmueller 9. Edin Brankovich

GBR LAT ITA FRA CZE HUN POL AUT BIH

SPEED SKATING

SINGLE AND PAIR SKATING / ICE DANCE

August 25- 28