Off Ice Drama Down Under turning ugly.
Australia's National Ladies' Champion will leave Australia without news whether or not she will represent Australia. Chantelle Kerry is arguing that Brooklee should not be eligible for the Olympic spot for violating ISA policy.
The case has been taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, the highest authority for deliberating and mediating disputes related to sports. The hearing will begin next week.
It is expected that we will know our representative by Christmas.
Ice Skating Australia Will Defend Brooklee Han at next week's CAS Hearing.
Here is the Full Article
Bittersweet result for Sochi skate selection
THERE was both delight and disappointment for Australia's premier figure-skating family as the first members of the Australia's Winter Olympic team were named in Melbourne yesterday.
Figure skater Brendan Kerry was named in the team for Sochi but his younger sister Chantelle, 17, is contesting the decision to select Brooklee Han as Australia's representative in the women's event.
Her appeal against the national federation's decision to nominate US-based Han is expected to be heard in the Court of Arbitration for Sport next week.
The women's singles spot was consequently left vacant yesterday as Brendan Kerry and ice dancing pair Danielle O'Brien and Greg Merriman were officially confirmed in the Olympic team.
The Kerry siblings are the children of Monica MacDonald, who represented Australia at the 1988 Olympics as an ice dancer and now coaches her offspring.
Brendan earned his place in the team when he defied a broken wrist to record a fine 12th place at the Olympic qualifying event in Germany in September, while Chantelle finished 10th at last year's Youth Winter Olympics.
However, she has been in dispute with Han over the Olympic position for some months. In August she unsuccessfully appealed Ice Skating Australia's decision to send Han to the Olympic qualifying event. Han competed and secured a quota place for Australia in September but Kerry will argue that Han is ineligible for Olympic selection because she competed at a US event without the approval of the national federation. Ice Skating Australia is defending Han's position.
Winter Olympic team chief Ian Chesterman said he was looking for a fast resolution to the dispute. "The sooner it's resolved the better," he said. "The worst thing for everyone will be to have it drag on."
He hopes to confirm the successful contender's place in the team before Christmas.
Meanwhile, the 15-year partnership of Sydney duo O'Brien and Merriman, once coached by MacDonald, received its reward yesterday with their official selection, four years after their first attempt to qualify for the Olympics was scuppered by misfortune.
They were preparing to compete at the Olympic qualifying event for the 2010 Vancouver Games when Merriman began experiencing chest pains. He was diagnosed with pericarditis, an infection of the sac around the heart, which prevented him from competing.
They were unsure if they would continue to compete in 2011 but decided to re-commit to their Olympic dream and chose to train full-time in Detroit, where many of the world's best skaters are based.
O'Brien said they hoped to secure a top-20 finish in Sochi.
All will compete at the Australian figure skating championships at Melbourne's Ice House this week."
Article Written by Nicole Jeffrey for The Australian (New Limited)
Published on December 5, 2013
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...skate-selection/story-e6frg7mf-1226775450193#
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