- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
There is a interesting report in Spotlight on Skating ( 
-- to subscribe, click on their ad at the top of this page, where it says "sponsors," LOL) about French Nationals, reported by Klaus Reinhold-Kany.
First, the President of the French Federation, Norbert Tourne, did not attend, citing obligations of his real -- i.e., paying -- job. In his absence, none other than Marie-Reine Le Gougne, took the opportunity of announcing that she would run in oppostition to him for President of the federation next summer.
They used the New Judging System (evidentally for the first time in this event), but they accidentally programmed it to include the scores of the referee as well as the judges. Celine Lacour was awarded the ladies silver medal at the event, but a week later, after the mistake was discovered, they took it away from her and gave it to Laura Dutertre instead.
In the men's competition, Samuel Contesti finished second (to Joubert). But he was not sent to Europeans (necessary to go the Olympics), even though France had three spots. Instead they sent third place finisher Alban Preaubert and fourth place finisher Frederic Dambier. This decision was based on a point total system which included results from the previous season....
"But more to the point, (Contesti) does not have a politically connected coach, and trains with Didier Lucine in Annecy, far from Paris."
The other two "are pupils of renown coach Annick Dumont (nee Gailhauget!) and train in Paris."
Lucine officially protested to the French National Olympic Committee. The Committee ordered an additional test competition among Contesti, Preaubert and Dambier. Contesti won again.
But Dambier, who finished last, went to his local court in Paris , which overturned the results of the test competition and sent Preaubert and Dambier on to the big competitions.
-- to subscribe, click on their ad at the top of this page, where it says "sponsors," LOL) about French Nationals, reported by Klaus Reinhold-Kany.First, the President of the French Federation, Norbert Tourne, did not attend, citing obligations of his real -- i.e., paying -- job. In his absence, none other than Marie-Reine Le Gougne, took the opportunity of announcing that she would run in oppostition to him for President of the federation next summer.
They used the New Judging System (evidentally for the first time in this event), but they accidentally programmed it to include the scores of the referee as well as the judges. Celine Lacour was awarded the ladies silver medal at the event, but a week later, after the mistake was discovered, they took it away from her and gave it to Laura Dutertre instead.
In the men's competition, Samuel Contesti finished second (to Joubert). But he was not sent to Europeans (necessary to go the Olympics), even though France had three spots. Instead they sent third place finisher Alban Preaubert and fourth place finisher Frederic Dambier. This decision was based on a point total system which included results from the previous season....
"But more to the point, (Contesti) does not have a politically connected coach, and trains with Didier Lucine in Annecy, far from Paris."
The other two "are pupils of renown coach Annick Dumont (nee Gailhauget!) and train in Paris."
Lucine officially protested to the French National Olympic Committee. The Committee ordered an additional test competition among Contesti, Preaubert and Dambier. Contesti won again.
But Dambier, who finished last, went to his local court in Paris , which overturned the results of the test competition and sent Preaubert and Dambier on to the big competitions.
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