- Joined
- Sep 24, 2003
NEWS
ADULT WORLDS 2005?
from 32 Degrees Magazine
The ISU's president, Ottavio Cinquanta reportedly is very supportive of expanding adult skating on an international front. "I think this is going to happen as soon as 2005. We may well see an ISU adult figure skating event," says Rhea Schwartz, chair of the special exploratory committee on the internationalization of adult figure skating. "The event would be under the auspices of the ISU - they will help support it, promote it and run it. They are ready and we are ready."
There is already a rule with the ISU's bylaws called the Interclub Competition Rule, which allows for events such as the Mountain Cup (France) to happen. "Now there is a new rule," says Schwartz, "that says international master-level speed skating and adult figure skating events may be proposed and approved by the ISU's council."
"The ISU Congress and their council meet in June and we'll be there with a proposed competition for their approval," said Schwartz. "The event will not exactly follow our USFSA structure. It will likely feature freeskating, pairs, and dance events, but no interpretive event. Jump limits will help us sort out levels," she said. "There are lots of questions to resolve, like can we get other countries to adopt the US testing system," she said.
If the ISU passes the new Code of Points judging system, for example, we could use those point tallies to determine a skater's level. Skaters with 60-70 points, for example, might be considered Bronze, while skaters with 80-90 points considered Silver, etc. An initial round or the previous year's event might be used for determining a skater's point total. Lots of interesting possibilities exist."
But why is the ISU and Cinquanta interested in adults skating, when so little interest existed before? "Cinquanta knows there is an ever-growing population that he wants to bring into the ISU fold. This is his new baby. He is very on top of this and he has given this a lot of thought. I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by all my meetings with him," says Schwartz.
USFSA's Phyllis Howard initially brought the idea to the ISU and Cinquanta. "Howard kept the issue in front of him and when he focused on it, he realized that the had no connection with this group of skaters. Speed skating had adult (master level) events on an international scope for years. He wanted to create the equivalent for the figure skating branch of the ISU," Schwartz said. "He asked how fast it can happen," she said. "2005.
ADULT WORLDS 2005?
from 32 Degrees Magazine
The ISU's president, Ottavio Cinquanta reportedly is very supportive of expanding adult skating on an international front. "I think this is going to happen as soon as 2005. We may well see an ISU adult figure skating event," says Rhea Schwartz, chair of the special exploratory committee on the internationalization of adult figure skating. "The event would be under the auspices of the ISU - they will help support it, promote it and run it. They are ready and we are ready."
There is already a rule with the ISU's bylaws called the Interclub Competition Rule, which allows for events such as the Mountain Cup (France) to happen. "Now there is a new rule," says Schwartz, "that says international master-level speed skating and adult figure skating events may be proposed and approved by the ISU's council."
"The ISU Congress and their council meet in June and we'll be there with a proposed competition for their approval," said Schwartz. "The event will not exactly follow our USFSA structure. It will likely feature freeskating, pairs, and dance events, but no interpretive event. Jump limits will help us sort out levels," she said. "There are lots of questions to resolve, like can we get other countries to adopt the US testing system," she said.
If the ISU passes the new Code of Points judging system, for example, we could use those point tallies to determine a skater's level. Skaters with 60-70 points, for example, might be considered Bronze, while skaters with 80-90 points considered Silver, etc. An initial round or the previous year's event might be used for determining a skater's point total. Lots of interesting possibilities exist."
But why is the ISU and Cinquanta interested in adults skating, when so little interest existed before? "Cinquanta knows there is an ever-growing population that he wants to bring into the ISU fold. This is his new baby. He is very on top of this and he has given this a lot of thought. I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by all my meetings with him," says Schwartz.
USFSA's Phyllis Howard initially brought the idea to the ISU and Cinquanta. "Howard kept the issue in front of him and when he focused on it, he realized that the had no connection with this group of skaters. Speed skating had adult (master level) events on an international scope for years. He wanted to create the equivalent for the figure skating branch of the ISU," Schwartz said. "He asked how fast it can happen," she said. "2005.