Galler-Rabinowitz & Rozot?

According to International Figure Skating, Loren Galler-Rabinowitz split with David Mitchell last season and is attempting to form a partnership with French ice dancer Jordi Rozot to represent Israel.

But the French federation refused to give their permission, and an appeal to the French National Olympic Committee was denied, too.

Does anyone have any later news?

BTW, the same article explains why we didn't see Samuel Contesti at Skate America. He was selected by the ISU to replace Lindemann when Lindemann pulled out with an injury. But the French federation refused to send him, in retaliation for Contesti wanting to skate for Monoco (this request was also disallowed by the French federation, so now I guess Contesti will just retire (?)).

Supposedly Contesti had an injury which caused him to be pulled from Skate America. Then he was withdrawn from his original assignment as well. I'm very skeptical about that.

The French federation has a very strange attitude towards its skaters. Another shocking decision: Pechalat/Bourzat, the #2 ice dance team, won't be going to Europeans. Instead, the #3 team Carron/Just is going, even though they finished behind P/B at French Nationals.

I'm not a great fan of Brian Joubert, but you have to feel for the guy, having to deal with this insane bureaucracy. He had a horrible season last year because of the pressure and expectations heaped on him and the brickbats when he didn't succeed.

I'm quite looking forward to seeing Carron & Jost skate at Warsaw, I much prefer their tuneful, happy, charming FD to Edith Piaf songs, with his cute sweater, than the monotone jagged modern dance FD of P&B this season. IMO they haven't the skills to bring off an FD of this kind, but I hope they'll be able to perform it better at Worlds.

I don't much like P&B's FD either, but there's something awful about being pushed back like that by your federation. Euros is not like 4CC: it's a big deal for the European skaters. Imagine Gregory/Petukhov being told last year that they could compete at the Olympics, but Navarro/Bommentre were going to go to Worlds instead so they could get more exposure.

I strongly suspect that DelShoes may be planning to pack in in after this year (Olivier is a new dad and has responsibilities), so it seems like a strange thing to diss your #2 team just as #1 is getting ready to exit.

chuckm said:

I strongly suspect that DelShoes may be planning to pack in in after this year (Olivier is a new dad and has responsibilities), so it seems like a strange thing to diss your #2 team just as #1 is getting ready to exit.

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I can't imagine Carron/Jost placing high enough to, with the Del/Schoes, earn three places for Euros 2008, which suggests to me that you are right, and that it would be no advantage for France to have three places (with no other up-and-coming dance teams I know of.)