Pound Calls Figure Skating a "nightmare" sport

Here is an interesting comment from an Olympic official about Figure Skating and judging:


http://www.ctvolympics.ca/figure-skating/news/newsid=25506.html#pound+figure+skating+nightmare+sport

:frown2: I can sympathize with Ted Barton , I'm sure the changes made were made with the best intentions and against some pretty strong opposition. I know the people involved worked very hard. And I do think there's been an improvement.

At the same time , I totally agree with Pound that anonymous judges remain a big problem. I've heard people say that anonymity ( coupled with the random draw of scores) protects judges from being pressured to score a certain way...Trouble is , it also provides cover for those who may be being bribed , or have some other agenda of their own.

Though it's harder to cheat with CoP, it's still possible to pump up a skater's marks , particularly through PCS. And I've heard that some experts have said that even the random selection could still be rigged...maybe not easily, but it's possible. ( This was in a TV report..maybe Fifth Estate ?..can't remember details..maybe someone else's memory is better than mine.)

Many of the suspect officials from the past are still with us.

I hope not , but might take another scandal to provoke further change.

Dick Pound is an....okay I can't use a word here that isn't offensive, I just can't. With all that he has said and done over the years, I have no respect for this guy.

The point of CoP judging is so that the judges aren't afraid of what will be done to them if they don't vote for their own country's skater. Let's not forget, one of the stories in 2002 (though, there was so much backpeddling & sensationalization, who knows what was true) was that the Russian mafia was involved in the deal. Judges shouldn't have to be afraid of that. The ISU still knows which judges are which and the portocols are public. It's obvious when one judge is 'out to lunch' and it's up to the ISU to keep an eye on that.

Oh, I wasn't defending Dick Pound's character, or his choice of words.. it's just that I'm not sure enough has been done yet to address his point for good.

And I haven't forgotten the mafia allegations, either . All the same , nothing discourages mildew like good strong sunlight. Nowadays, it would do no unsavoury character ( or unscrupulous federation) much good to have a judge go totally out to lunch in their efforts. If that judge lost his / her position , the puppetmaster would be out of luck. But one or two judges taking a light snack at the expense, or to the benefit, of a skater here or there, up and down the ranks, can still have an effect. Gamblers aren't always betting the winner. An unscrupulous federation might not be trying for gold ,but be positioning a lower ranked skater for bronze, or next year's prize.

Pound may not be a friend to figure skating but the IOC may be quite OK ,even pleased to have him playing bad cop..just to let the ISU know all is not forgiven.

Good point about having him play 'bad cop' Colleen to let the ISU know, "we're watching...." I tend not to be able to read Dick Pound comments unbiasedly after some of his past words/actions.

Yeah...man has a way with words...like nails on a blackboard .