This is not directly related to skating, but I want to share newer movements among a couple Sports Associations in Japan, which can have influence on other sports including skating.
The SAJ (Ski Association of Japan?) has announced that the athletes cannot get national financial support or attend the Olympics unless they sign the agreement form that bans hair dye and piercing etc.
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100324-00000121-jij-spo
This new policy reflects an incident in which an Olympian snowboarder was heavily criticized by the public for dressing the official uniform casually at the airport going to the recent Olympics.
The left pic was seen as "problematic":
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100308-00000009-san-l04.view-000
The incident resulted in the Olympian being banned from attending the Opening Ceremony and a couple officials resigning from their positions.
The Japanese Swimming Association had also started a similar policy.
I am hoping that the Japanese Skating Federation will not join this movement. I speculate that Speed Skating would have no problem with this policy. But FS has a totally different culture as a sport.
Miki will be surely out with that long decorative nail:sheesh: Only Oda and Mao can stay.
The SAJ (Ski Association of Japan?) has announced that the athletes cannot get national financial support or attend the Olympics unless they sign the agreement form that bans hair dye and piercing etc.
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100324-00000121-jij-spo
This new policy reflects an incident in which an Olympian snowboarder was heavily criticized by the public for dressing the official uniform casually at the airport going to the recent Olympics.
The left pic was seen as "problematic":
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100308-00000009-san-l04.view-000
The incident resulted in the Olympian being banned from attending the Opening Ceremony and a couple officials resigning from their positions.
The Japanese Swimming Association had also started a similar policy.
I am hoping that the Japanese Skating Federation will not join this movement. I speculate that Speed Skating would have no problem with this policy. But FS has a totally different culture as a sport.
Miki will be surely out with that long decorative nail:sheesh: Only Oda and Mao can stay.
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