Ban on Carolina Kostner Over

When I was looking for the Julia Antipova thread the other day, I noticed that this thread was also on the final page of the forum. And seeing it again started me wondering if there was any more news on Carolina's situation.

Well, last night, she appeared on the RAI1 chat show "Porta a Porta".

I have to say, massive kudos goes out to the makers of this programme. Let's face it, how often does a mainstream programme on the main TV channel in a country dedicate a whole half-hour to figure skating?!

For those that can speak Italian (and those that just want to see her!), here is the link to the programme on RAI's On Demand service (not geo-blocked in th UK):

http://www.rai.tv/dl/replaytv/repla...y=2015-06-29&ch=1&v=533935&vd=2015-06-29&vc=1

Caro's segment of the programme starts at 1h 24m 30s, and lasts to the end of the programme.

Thanks to Wolfie at the IceSkating&Ritmica Forum for the link. It is so good to see Caro again!

For those (like me!) that don't speak Italian, another member of that forum has very kindly done a summary in English of what Caro said. Here is the direct link to that post:

http://skating-ritmica.forumfree.it/?t=42525234&st=825#entry576204811

Thank you so much to AllieLex for doing the translation. We really appreciate it!

CaroLiza_fan

This is a thread I never like seeing new posts appearing in. Because, more often than not, the news is something fans of Carolina don't want to hear.

The Facebook page for International Figure Skating magazine has posted a link to this article in Italian newspaper La Repubblica:

http://www.repubblica.it/rubriche/t...3/news/kostner_giustizia_buonsenso-120913568/

Now, the person from IFS has tried translating it using Google Translate, but says it does not come out very clear. But, they think that the gist of it is that WADA are looking to extend Carolina's suspension because she has done a show.

Clelia Boscarato, an Italian living in Australia, commented on the IFS post and explained that the problem has arisen because one of the sponsors of the show in question is connected to CONI. And because of this, the show is being treated as a "sporting event".

I just don't know what to say any more! :disapp:

This saga is getting beyond ridiculous. You couldn't make it up!

Thank you to IFS magazine, and to Clelia Boscarato, for letting us know about the latest twist in this sorry saga.

CaroLiza_fan

CaroLiza_fan, here is the article auto translated by my computer. I can read and understand it, so I think the translation is correct:

Kostner case: justice against common sense (and the right to work)
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August 13, 2015



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Kostner case: justice against common sense (and the right to work)
Carolina Kostner (loop)
So the situation is this: Carolina Kostner, who has made ​​his skating life, can do just that, and thanks to that campa, faces a new suspension because as disqualified for doping without ever having doped, has dared to participate in one ice show. A show. Not a competition, even a garetto country, no vote, no cup. One show, for which probably received a salary, that is the money to live of his work. Instead he could not: the company organizing the event is affiliated with a promotion agency, which is affiliated with the promotion agency cones. So, from a formal point of view, bureaucratic, by rubber-stamping, we are talking about sports and entertainment. You can believe? Believe us, it is this: is this enough to configure an infringement to the rules of CONI and Wada. So, Carolina had to abstain. Not more and not only from the race: from performing, from work and maybe even from existing. So the enduring CONI anti-doping prosecutor immediately opened a new file on you. There is nothing more annoying in sports, dell'infierire on losers. But there is not anything more than normal, sensible, in a world that growls and bites those who can not harm in any way and caresses rather bogus myths, the superstars of chemistry that dozens have raged for decades and anywhere - and God only knows what they continue to do so. The story of Carolina and its sin - for love, for distraction, for stupidity, for intent: everyone has made ​​his idea and if the keep well - is becoming a wonderful metaphor of going around in circles in the fight against doping in Italy: Champion beautiful and good falling out of favor to cover the boyfriend cheat and evil; sports justice that does not forgive, squalificandola yes, but very delayed reaction and after waiting that she would bring home the last Olympic medal; the punishment that borders nell'accanimento, with national and international appeals against the alleged softness (one year and four months of suspension) of the sanction; the paradoxical extension of the stop not only to race, but to any form of performance on the ice, otherwise the reset of the months of pain already discounted. More or less as if Carolina had a prisoner who tried to escape from jail. The story would already hard to swallow that. But instead it becomes unbearable if you think and remember everything else. The controls bypassed for years by athletes, officials and executives of the federation that covered them, the waiting rooms are always full of physicians traffickers epo, international codes become suddenly more you granted, statistics degrading the effectiveness of the controls, their manifest uselessness, the great, grotesque mess of the reorganization of the matter trumpeted by CONI doping and never implemented. Everything tolerated, but Carolina shoes to make some money and maybe to rediscover the pleasure of doing it in front of an audience smiling and admired no, this is intolerable. It can not, they say the rules, the chicanery, the paperwork. Another face, Carolina, go to the sea, aspects, disappear. Both his medals won them: now, yes you can punish immediately, an hour after the end of his work. So no use to anyone.

CONI prosecutors are investigating on a possible infringement of the ban.
But Ghiaccio Spettacolo (affiliated to CONI) already said that they had not organized the shows in Corvara and Pinzolo.
Another problem seems to be that also Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise were in the shows so according to WADA rules Carolina could not skate with them.

http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invern...indaga-violato-codice-wada-120927882131.shtml
http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invern...sso-rischia-altra-sanzione-120920331673.shtml
http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invern...riprova-via-pinzolo-on-ice-120895658511.shtml

deneb said:

CONI prosecutors are investigating on a possible infringement of the ban.
But Ghiaccio Spettacolo (affiliated to CONI) already said that they had not organized the shows in Corvara and Pinzolo.
Another problem seems to be that also Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise were in the shows so according to WADA rules Carolina could not skate with them.

http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invern...indaga-violato-codice-wada-120927882131.shtml
http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invern...sso-rischia-altra-sanzione-120920331673.shtml
http://www.gazzetta.it/Sport-Invern...riprova-via-pinzolo-on-ice-120895658511.shtml

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This is getting out of hand. Carolina shouldn't have been given a ban from competing in the first place, because it was not her that was doping (as I've always said, she should have been given a big fine for lying).

It has been obvious for a long time that CONI have it in for Carolina. And that this ban is the result of that.

It was bad enough when it was preventing Carolina from competing. But, it is even more unfair that this ban is starting to affect non-competitive events, as well as other skaters.

This ban needs to be overturned sooner rather than later.

But, as long as CONI have this grudge against her, I can't see that happening. :disapp:

CaroLiza_fan

How can she possibly be this stupid?! Any rink or club that has skaters is going to be affiliated with the national body in some way! That's how clubs get their insurance, duh!

Trying to figure out if she's just really stupid or if she's so arrogant she thinks she can dictate the terms of the ban...

Seems like it is some kind of purposeful baiting of Carolina. And Schwazer's doping is just an excuse...

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CaroLiza_fan said:

This ban needs to be overturned sooner rather than later.

Click to expand...

CAS has updated the list of hearings just today: no Carolina's case till October (at the least).

http://www.tas-cas.org/en/general-information/news-detail/article/list-of-hearings-1.html

karne said:

How can she possibly be this stupid?! Any rink or club that has skaters is going to be affiliated with the national body in some way! That's how clubs get their insurance, duh!

Trying to figure out if she's just really stupid or if she's so arrogant she thinks she can dictate the terms of the ban...

Click to expand...

It's ice show, not competition. Why skaters who don't compete (whether they are allowed or not) shouldn't do ice shows? It's their money income. Banning them from competing is one. But even from doing ice shows? That is extreme.

deneb said:

CAS has updated the list of hearings just today: no Carolina's case till October (at the least).

http://www.tas-cas.org/en/general-information/news-detail/article/list-of-hearings-1.html

Click to expand...

This is disturbing. I'm beginning to lose faith in the CAS. Postponing the hearing is prolonging her ban, because I think her chances are very good. I've never seen this happen before (the CAS was always very swift in the cases that I followed ... ).

psusanne said:

This is disturbing. I'm beginning to lose faith in the CAS. Postponing the hearing is prolonging her ban, because I think her chances are very good. I've never seen this happen before (the CAS was always very swift in the cases that I followed ... ).

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CAS is swift in cases where it needs to be. In this case, there is no urgency. Therefore, it is lower priority for them than a case, say, where an athlete is challenging selection, perhaps for an event that is coming up soon. An athlete suspended under provisions for lying to doping authorities who is arguing (what, exactly? She lied.) against the suspension is not as urgent, particularly when the athlete has indicated they do not intend to return to competition any time soon.

Carolina Kostner is a beautiful skater, and a beautiful person inside and out. It's such a shame that this is happening to her. It's really not fair at all.

I hate WADA. Officially. Now.

I'm sorry, but they banned her from competition and not shows for the God's sake! It there any justice? Carolina, don't give up!

I can't translate it now, but here a good sum up of the latest events. I'm away from home and couldn't follow it closely, but from this article it's quite a mess...
http://www.neveitalia.it/sport/figu...ate-tra-equivoci-e-superficialita-da-appurare

karne said:

CAS is swift in cases where it needs to be. In this case, there is no urgency. Therefore, it is lower priority for them than a case, say, where an athlete is challenging selection, perhaps for an event that is coming up soon. An athlete suspended under provisions for lying to doping authorities who is arguing (what, exactly? She lied.) against the suspension is not as urgent, particularly when the athlete has indicated they do not intend to return to competition any time soon.

Click to expand...

I disagree, there's always an urgency to clear one's name. And she's only allowed to participate in certain shows, so she's limited in her opportunities to earn money. Convicted criminals who are let out on parole are allowed to work and she isn't. If she gets cleared I'm pretty sure she can sue for compensation.
And we discussed the question wether she lied or not in this thread already. I still think that they cannot prove that she knew about her spouse's doping. So she lied only because she didn't want to cause him trouble because he told her seconds before that he wasn't were he was supposed to be. If there's justice she will be cleared. She's probably guilty of not cleaning her fridge as thoroughly as she should, but that's it.

karne said:

CAS is swift in cases where it needs to be. In this case, there is no urgency. Therefore, it is lower priority for them than a case, say, where an athlete is challenging selection, perhaps for an event that is coming up soon. An athlete suspended under provisions for lying to doping authorities who is arguing (what, exactly? She lied.) against the suspension is not as urgent, particularly when the athlete has indicated they do not intend to return to competition any time soon.

Click to expand...

I know we are never going to agree when it comes to this saga. So, it is no surprise that I disagree when you say there is no urgency in hearing an appeal.

psusanne is right in saying that there is "always an urgency to clear one's name". We all know that Caro didn't dope herself. But, I am sure there are many people out there who would hear that she was banned by WADA, and would just assume that she was. They wouldn't bother reading any further than the headline.

But, I also disagree that Carolina is unlikely to return to competition any time soon. On the contrary, Italian figure skating needs Caro to return, and soon.

No disrespect to Roberta Rodegheiro, Giada Russo, Micol Cristini et al., but I cannot see them challenging for Top 5 finishes on the international stage. Apart from Carolina, the only Italian skater that could have kept Italy in that bracket was Valentina Marchei. But she has cleared off to Pairs (very successfully!)

Although Valentina developed into a genuine contender late in her career, I have my doubts as to whether the same will happen with Roberta. So, until the younger skaters reach the stage that they are more competitive on the international stage, Italy needs Carolina to carry on, and keep them in the reckoning.

Of course, if Nikol Gosviani does opt to switch to Italy, that would change the situation completely. But, at the moment, that is just conjecture.

So, yes there is an urgency for Carolina's appeal to be heard. Not just for herself, but for the wellbeing of Italian figure skating over the current Olympic cycle.

CaroLiza_fan

Alchamei said:

I hate WADA. Officially. Now.

I'm sorry, but they banned her from competition and not shows for the God's sake! It there any justice? Carolina, don't give up!

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It's CONI and yes, you're banned to partecipate in shows which are organized by affiliates of CONI. However, in this case the whole issue is not clear, as Neveitalia article clearly (sounds like an irony) explains. The whole thing is a mess. So, I guess we have to wait for official sources.

This is really annoying me. Being banned from competition when she doesn't deserve to be is already bad enough, but now it's ice shows? Poor Carolina...

Yes, she lied to the police, and that is bad - we all have to know that. But this has all gone way too far. Actually it was already unfair from the start. She didn't do the actual doping herself and she was Italy's heroine in ladies figure skating: winning World medals and an Olympic Bronze (should have been at least a silver IMO but I won't say anything more). A small punishment is enough, but they seem to be putting down their own heroine. This just saddens me.

randomfan said:

This is really annoying me. Being banned from competition when she doesn't deserve to be is already bad enough, but now it's ice shows? Poor Carolina...

Yes, she lied to the police, and that is bad - we all have to know that. But this has all gone way too far. Actually it was already unfair from the start. She didn't do the actual doping herself and she was Italy's heroine in ladies figure skating: winning World medals and an Olympic Bronze (should have been at least a silver IMO but I won't say anything more). A small punishment is enough, but they seem to be putting down their own heroine. This just saddens me.

Click to expand...

She lied not to the police, but to the doping-testing officers (were they from WADA or italian NADA I dunno)...

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hevari said:

she lied not to the police, but to the doping-testing officers (were they from wada or italian nada i dunno)...

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They were WADA inspectors.