Ice Skating community needs to regain control of our sport - Petition to remove Cinquanta | Page 3 | Golden Skate

Ice Skating community needs to regain control of our sport - Petition to remove Cinquanta

YLFan

Match Penalty
Joined
Apr 3, 2014
Personally as a casual fan I think the judging has been fine.

Sotnikova had a huge homefield performance. Kostner also got a much bigger score than she ever had which is never really mentioned.

In the Worlds Kostner got overscored again.

Mao Asada wins every event in Japan. Including given highest score ever in the FS at Worlds.

Yet all the venom is because Sotnikova finished ahead of Kim. Even if she hadn't got a bit of a homefield boost (just as other girls have) she still would have finished a close second.
 

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
A good 'modest' blog article from Jeremy Abbott's parents. I agree with several points particularly on the relevance of music in a sport that involves choreography. Musicality is among key reasons I have always like Jeremy's skating and his programs, even if he might not the most consistent competitor. I will remember his Muse FS from Sochi, even without Quads.

http://ontheedgeofskating.blogspot.ca/2014/04/from-life-lived-on-edge-modest-proposal.html
 

Anna K.

Medalist
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
As I recall, the World Skating Federation never tried to organize any skating events. They put their entire effort into legal challenges to the ISU on the grounds of monopoly and restraint of trade. When these legal challenges failed, the organization was through. The ISU banned the WSF organizers and went on with business as usual.

Was it one of those cases when both parties rather care for discrediting each other than for achieving any pragmatic goals? If so, it definitely didn’t help the FS popularity in the US.

The WSF made a number of mistakes. They coaxed the USFSA into issuing a statement saying that they agreed with the principles on which the WSF was organized -- fair judging, etc. -- then they advertised, misleadingly, that the USFSA was supporting their move to replace the ISU as the sanctioned figure skating organization in the IOC. This put the WSA on the outs with the leadership of the USFSA.

Well, it was the very point, to persuade skating federations to choose WSF instead of ISU. It doesn’t seem that WSF had any other reason for existence; unless we consider this strategy itself a mistake which it apparently was because the existing federations proved to be not persuaded at all.

Also it came out that almost all the skaters who supported the WSF were represented by IMG. It was widely believed that IMG bankrolled the whole protest in order to advance the fortunes of the agency and its clients. The WSF never denied or responded to these charges and refused to say where the money was coming from to pay the lawyers, etc.

Why didn’t IMG sue the ISU on the ground of monopoly and restrain of the trade? They were in position to do it and they’d have much better chance to win. They represented skaters. They could provide facts that would prove that their trade had been restrained. They might try to get money out of the ISU or achieve some worthy compromise.
WSF wanted to represent everyone but seems that they ended up representing no one when the hour came. A bit too big bite and too much risk I’d say.
 

KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
As I recall, the World Skating Federation never tried to organize any skating events. They put their entire effort into legal challenges to the ISU on the grounds of monopoly and restraint of trade. When these legal challenges failed, the organization was through. The ISU banned the WSF organizers and went on with business as usual.

The WSF made a number of mistakes. They coaxed the USFSA into issuing a statement saying that they agreed with the principles on which the WSF was organized -- fair judging, etc. -- then they advertised, misleadingly, that the USFSA was supporting their move to replace the ISU as the sanctioned figure skating organization in the IOC. This put the WSA on the outs with the leadership of the USFSA.

Also it came out that almost all the skaters who supported the WSF were represented by IMG. It was widely believed that IMG bankrolled the whole protest in order to advance the fortunes of the agency and its clients. The WSF never denied or responded to these charges and refused to say where the money was coming from to pay the lawyers, etc.

That is really the problem with these petitions. Money talks, petitions walk. If the million people who signed the various petitions each sent in ten bucks, Mr. Cinquanta might be compelled to take notice.

I was at the WSF initial announcement meeting in DC and asked Dick Button how much $$$$ the newly formed organization had - he said $200,000. Knew right then, it would fail.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
Everything revolving around money and titles is truly a primitive state of being. It needs to be about the work and the ideas. The rest is worthless in the end.

The ISU is now at a point where they can't coast on luxury, so real change should be far more possible.
 

Alba

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
WSF wanted to represent everyone but seems that they ended up representing no one when the hour came. A bit too big bite and too much risk I’d say.

Did they try to have the support of the skating in general, like speed skating, or just the figure skating?
 

wolkenschloss

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 7, 2010
Signed.

I'm afraid Cinquanta and other people at ISU and IOC won't respond to this protest at all, but still it's better trying anyway than not doing anything.
 

Ven

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Signed.

I'm afraid Cinquanta and other people at ISU and IOC won't respond to this protest at all, but still it's better trying anyway than not doing anything.

The only way figure skating will ever be changed is if another sanctioning body is created and usurps the ISU.

...with Cinquanta etc. and all of the current federation heads banned for life.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
ISU is almost bankrupt so a new organization should be taking over shortly. I look forward to it. I wonder if they will go bankrupt before his term even runs out in 2 years time.
 

Meoima

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
ISU is almost bankrupt so a new organization should be taking over shortly. I look forward to it. I wonder if they will go bankrupt before his term even runs out in 2 years time.
Do you have any source about their finances?
 

Petitefleur

Spectator
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
What do you want , a new angelic organization ? 2 figure skating associations with 2 world championships such as Miss Monde and Miss Univers ? :biggrin:
The best would be to remove any competition in figure skating ...figure skating could be confined to galas... this is what many viewers think , who do not understand the figure skating complexity but love to see beautiful programs.
 

Petitefleur

Spectator
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
I do not understand this kind of petition. Of course, fans, opponents or not opponents have the right to express their ideas.
The decision belongs to the federation members, and nothing proves that they will agree at the next Congress with what is at this stage only proposals to be discussed !
Is a "decision" has been taken ?
When you read Cinquanta , he wrote " I therefore feel -committed to make a summary of proposals already expressed ... those interested can have the opportunity to give consideration in case they wish to do so. Allow me to state first of all that it deals with personal opinions."
A proposal and a personal opinion are not decisions , we can not condemn someone to make suggestions and express an opinion , and more demand his resignation !
Of course, I obviously hope the skaters, coaches, skating clubs , first discuss the proposals and then communicate their opinion to their federation.
It is unhealthy lobbying that goes through petitions whose "a part of the content" goes far beyond a simple response to proposals and openly turns to condemnation. Makes you wonder if these opponents do not have other reasons and another goal ...
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Do you have any source about their finances?

Everything points to a serious contraction in the financial health of the organization, which has steadily declined for more than a decade now. We know for sure that television revenue for the ISU has all but dried up everywhere except Japan. Prize money has been considerably reduced and in particular the end-of-the-year bonus for top skaters had been eliminated altogether. The number of judges at the Olympics was reduced this year (by executive fiat, even though constitutionally the change required a vote of the Congress).

Most telling, though, is the list of proposals that outgoing (in 2016) president Cinquanta is offering for consideration. Eliminate the short program in figure skating. This would save money. Combine junior and senior worlds. This would save money. Eliminate some of the distances in speed skating. This would save money. Make speed skating tracks smaller. All of these proposals would save money at the cost of diminishing ice sports generally.

petitefleur said:
I do not understand this kind of petition. Of course, fans, opponents or not opponents have the right to express their ideas.
The decision belongs to the federation members, and nothing proves that they will agree at the next Congress with what is at this stage only proposals to be discussed !

There are two different petitions. This one says that Mr. Cinquanta should resign because overall he is a bad fellow. The other petition zeros in on the most recent proposals, especially the suggestion to sacrifice the short program. I do not see how this particular proposal can possibly fly. Cinquanta's argument is that other sports do not have short programs and we could always put more required elements in the long program and kill two birds with one stone. (Why subject audiences to so much skating? ;) )

This rationale is so silly that there must be a real reason -- no money. I suppose conceivably Cinquanta might convince the Congress that, indeed, there is no money and hence no choice.
 

Petitefleur

Spectator
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
this is exactly what I said previousl and I couldn't sign because it was biased: in this change.org petition, there are 2 different requests :
- a critical part of the proposed changes
- and another, in the conclusion, calls for his resignation.
You have to read all along. The two do not go together ethically, because you no longer have the choice! you can be against the proposals made by Cinquanta, but not be willing to ask for his resignation. I get all change.org petitions I sign almost all petitions for animals ... I could sign it if it was not biased.
You will have a answer for the first part of the petition only. The resignation is another matter of fact
 

Sara

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 6, 2013
It could have been formulated in a better way, that's true. But is there really someone actually in favour of him continuing as president??


this is exactly what I said previousl and I couldn't sign because it was biased: in this change.org petition, there are 2 different requests :
- a critical part of the proposed changes
- and another, in the conclusion, calls for his resignation.
You have to read all along. The two do not go together ethically, because you no longer have the choice! you can be against the proposals made by Cinquanta, but not be willing to ask for his resignation. I get all change.org petitions I sign almost all petitions for animals ... I could sign it if it was not biased.
You will have a answer for the first part of the petition only. The resignation is another matter of fact
 

Petitefleur

Spectator
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
no one is perfect nor irreplaceable , I am not against or for Cinquanta, and what he did is not too bad
- Creation of the ISU Grand Prix figure skating.
- Creation of the World Championships Single Distance Speed ​​Skating .
- Four Continents Championships Figure Skating
- World Championships Synchronized
- Introduction Male 1500m and 1500m speed skating women's short track .
- Implementation of the new scoring system in figure skating (I agree personaly)
- Introduction of the pursuit by male and female staff in the program of the Olympic speed skating
- Creation of the World Championships Figure Skating Team (I do not agree personaly)
- Introduction to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in a team event in figure skating. (I do not agree personaly)
 
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