ISU 2016 Athletes Commission Elections

cathlen · Oct 1, 2016

From ISU page:

Further to the decision of the 56th ISU Ordinary Congress 2016 in Dubrovnik, CRO, to introduce an ISU Athletes Commission and in accordance with Article 21 of the 2016 ISU Constitution, the composition, election procedure and purpose of the ISU Athletes Commission will be as follows:

1. Composition of the ISU Athletes Commission
2. Purpose of the ISU Athletes Commission
3. Elected Athletes
4. Nomination Procedure to the ISU Athletes Commission
5. Election Procedure to the ISU Athletes Commission
6. Election Procedure of the ISU Athletes Commission Chair and Vice Chair
7. Vacancy
8. Term of Election

Communication: http://static.isu.org/media/392301/2043-isu-athletes-commission.pdf

If I understand right, there will be chosen 1 athlete per Single& Pair skating and 1 per Ice Dance, so that means two members from Figure Skating

And also one from Synchro.
I really hope someone will tell ISU that limiting jumps is not the way to go.

So, who would you see in Athlete Commision?

puremagic · Oct 1, 2016

cathlen said:
From ISU page:

Communication: http://static.isu.org/media/392301/2043-isu-athletes-commission.pdf

If I understand right, there will be chosen 1 athlete per Single& Pair skating and 1 per Ice Dance

So, who would you see in Athlete Commision?

Madison Chock and Alina Zagitova!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLB98JZjhbB/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKMCSqwAwpB
Something looks the same...

cathlen · Oct 1, 2016

puremagic said:
Madison Chock and Alina Zagitova!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLB98JZjhbB/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKMCSqwAwpB
Something looks the same...

Alina is too young. The nominees must be at least 18 years old on the day of election.

puremagic · Oct 1, 2016

cathlen said:
Alina is too youg. The nominees must be at least 18 years old on the day of election.

Then Jason Brown and Elena Ilinykh. :think:

cathlen · Oct 1, 2016

puremagic said:
Then Jason Brown and Elena Ilinykh. :think:

Nice choices! :yes: Though not sure if Elena wouldn't be too passionate for some ISU members liking :biggrin:

lyndichee · Oct 3, 2016

To be honest, I think older athletes and more experienced athletes should be elected. Not to say younger athletes don't have good input, but I feel like people who have been around longer likely have a more diverse perspective and a lot more challenges.

For example, I would love to see someone like Aliona Savchenko get nominated. She has competed in both the 6.0 system and COP, switched federations, had funding issues, multiple partners, 3 Olympics and 9 world medals. Both federations she has been apart of are small which she can bring attention to ISU so that athletes from around the world can receive more supports. She seems well-liked amongst her competitors, respected and optimistic. She is also a very creative skater who can bring an interesting perspective to the PCS scores. On the other hand, while Maxim Trankov has had an even more successful career, yet I find sometimes he can't be diplomatic or objective about his criticism of his competitors. I love his skating but I would not want him nominated.

I also believe another good candidate for the pairs/singles would be Denis Ten. He is doing his MBA already and I believe people with business/organization studies are likely better at communicating ideas and being diplomatic. He has been to Olympics, Worlds, helped an Olympic bid and trains internationally. I think men's figure skating is a hot topic due to quads and I think having a men's single skater on the committee would bring good insights to ISU.

On the other hand, I am not too sure about Ice Dance as each dance team seems to have unique experiences and different struggles during their careers.

cathlen · Oct 3, 2016

For Ice Dance, I was thinking Charlie White or Nathalie Pechalat. Both have retired, are not coaching so no bias to their own students (and no one would be able to acuse of such), and striked me as nice, objective athletes with a lot of experience.

Btw. I think ISU would like for both male and female being elected, so there's huge possibility they will favour different sexes for Single/Pairs and Ice Dance.

4everchan · Oct 3, 2016

good options you propose there.

lyndichee said:
To be honest, I think older athletes and more experienced athletes should be elected. Not to say younger athletes don't have good input, but I feel like people who have been around longer likely have a more diverse perspective and a lot more challenges.

For example, I would love to see someone like Aliona Savchenko get nominated. She has competed in both the 6.0 system and COP, switched federations, had funding issues, multiple partners, 3 Olympics and 9 world medals. Both federations she has been apart of are small which she can bring attention to ISU so that athletes from around the world can receive more supports. She seems well-liked amongst her competitors, respected and optimistic. She is also a very creative skater who can bring an interesting perspective to the PCS scores. On the other hand, while Maxim Trankov has had an even more successful career, yet I find sometimes he can't be diplomatic or objective about his criticism of his competitors. I love his skating but I would not want him nominated.

I also believe another good candidate for the pairs/singles would be Denis Ten. He is doing his MBA already and I believe people with business/organization studies are likely better at communicating ideas and being diplomatic. He has been to Olympics, Worlds, helped an Olympic bid and trains internationally. I think men's figure skating is a hot topic due to quads and I think having a men's single skater on the committee would bring good insights to ISU.

On the other hand, I am not too sure about Ice Dance as each dance team seems to have unique experiences and different struggles during their careers.

TGee · Oct 3, 2016

How about reaching further back in ice dance to Jane Torvill.

She's experienced the evolution of the sport as a pro as she and Christopher Dean have evolved their Bolero for exhibition. While she doesn't have experience with the post 6.0 judging system, I'm not sure that there is anyone who does who would be seen as neutral.

In do think that Denis Ten would be brilliant for freeskate. But I also am reluctant to see him further dilute his focus. I'm very much hoping that being rehabilitated after surgery will enable him to find the consistency in competition that has eluded him in recent years.

cathlen · Oct 3, 2016

TGee said:
How about reaching further back in ice dance to Jane Torvill.

She's experienced the evolution of the sport as a pro as she and Christopher Dean have evolved their Bolero for exhibition. While she doesn't have experience with the post 6.0 judging system, I'm not sure that there is anyone who does who would be seen as neutral.

If you have read (and there's not much to read) the announcement I have posted link to, you would've know that:

Skaters elected to the ISU Athletes Commissions
must

b)
have competed in (senior) ISU Events of the respective discipline within the previous
four (4) seasons before the season of election (i.e. for the first
election during the
respective 2017 ISU World Championships, the candidates must have competed in
ISU (senior) Events of the respective disciplines during at least one of the seasons
2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17)

That makes Jayne Torvill ineligible.

I'm not gonna copy the whole document here for everybody convinience, that's against GS rules. Please read document first, it's not long (only 3 pages!) and I won't have to correct suggestions all the time. (I mean it to all, not just you TGee).

4everchan · Oct 3, 2016

cathlen said:
If you have read (and there's not much to read) the announcement I have posted link to, you would've know that:

That makes Jayne Torvill ineligible.

I'm not gonna copy the whole document here for everybody convinience, that's against GS rules. Please read document first, it's not long and I won't have to correct suggestions all the time. (I mean it to all, not just you TGee).

I hadn't read either

good I didn't come up with suggestions ! I'd be whipped

thanks cathlen and too bad TGee, it's true that Jayne Torvill must have a lot of insight.

This is a tough choice. As I said, I like lyndichee's nominations

I can see a few others but I agree with TGee : would it be a distraction for them?

Men :

Misha Ge
Patrick (yes, he has strong opinions but that may be very good like, get your act together with ice conditions!!! for the safety of athletes!)
Adam Rippon

Ladies :
Kaetlyn Osmond
Mao Asada
Ashley Wagner

Pairs
Eric Radford
Valentina Marchei (might be interesting since she's competed in both singles and pairs)
Queen Sui

Dance
Tessa Virtue
Maia Shibutani (or Alex)
I don't know much about him but Chris Reed (for longevity?)

cathlen · Oct 3, 2016

4everchan said:
I hadn't read either good I didn't come up with suggestions ! I'd be whipped thanks cathlen and too bad TGee, it's true that Jayne Torvill must have a lot of insight.

Pairs
Valentina Marchei (might be interesting since she's competed in both singles and pairs)

I don't want to be harsh on anyone, but I think not reading is why there are so many misunderstandings on the board. So please do read

I lean more toward recently retired skaters, but I do think Valentina would be a great choice! And I haven't thought of her, even though she's one of my favs :hopelessness: Misha Ge might not be a bad choice either. I wonder if Feds will take seriously these Elections. I hope they will put some thought into it. Of course, the Feds with only one or two skaters eligible wouldn't have much choice... Like, pretty sure Spain will nominate Javier Fernandez for Single/Pairs and Sara Hurtado for Ice Dance.

sunnystars · Oct 3, 2016

Hmm
Yuna or Shizuka...
Or even Machida

ice coverage · Oct 3, 2016

cathlen said:
For Ice Dance, I was thinking Charlie White or Nathalie Pechalat. Both have retired, are not coaching so no bias to their own students (and no one would be able to acuse of such), and striked me as nice, objective athletes with a lot of experience. ...

Charlie White was formally mentoring the Shibs (at least in 2014-15, IIRC) ... not sure whether Charlie continues to work with them on a formal basis.
And I wouldn't rule out the possibility that he is mentoring and/or coaching any other ice dancers -- although I don't know for sure one way or the other.

That said, the ISU document (yes, I read it :yes:

) says nothing about a skater-turned-coach being ineligible, right?
If Charlie would be interested and USFS were to nominate him, then it would be up to the ice dancers to decide whether to vote for him.
And whether he currently is working with the Shibs or not, I imagine that plenty of ice dancers would be happy to vote for him.

ETA:

BTW, Charlie and Meryl have not officially retired. Whenever an interviewer refers to them as retired, they politely correct the person and say something (I'm paraphrasing) about keeping the door open for 2018. (Not that it would matter either way for the commission.)

So each ISU member gets to nominate someone for the ice dance representative? That will be a lot of nominees.
Same for nominations for the single/pair representative.

ETA:

Cool for the ice dancers that they get their own representative.
Sorta unusual for them to have that kind of first-class (so to speak) status, whereas the single and pair skaters get only one person to represent all three disciplines.

TGee · Oct 3, 2016

cathlen said:
I don't want to be harsh on anyone, but I think not reading is why there are so many misunderstandings on the board. So please do read .

Fair call Cathleen. :palmf:

I'm generally in the reading first camp, and have to keep reminding myself that this is a fun board and I shouldn't let my inner academic take over too much....Perhaps need to find the Goldilocks happy medium.

But my salvo with Jayne Torvill was a sincere attempt to find anyone in the ice dance world that could be broadly accepted. I really think that one would have to reach that far back to find someone with broad-based trustability.

While Charlie may be a good sort in principle, I definitely think he will be viewed as biased in any number of ways by any number of programs and countries. That may be unfair to him, but the issue is not just that someone is neutral but that folks elsewhere will perceive that he is.

Smaller countries are often seen as aligned with one of the larger ones for one reason or another. (I note but will not rehash the comments on Challenger judging panels that many felt needed to be made this past weekend.)

Bottom line IMO: Great that athlete representatives are joining the structure, but how to find someone for ice dance with global acceptance and perceived neutrality that meets the 4 years back criteria?

lyndichee · Oct 3, 2016

cathlen said:
I don't want to be harsh on anyone, but I think not reading is why there are so many misunderstandings on the board. So please do read

I lean more toward recently retired skaters, but I do think Valentina would be a great choice! And I haven't thought of her, even though she's one of my favs :hopelessness: Misha Ge might not be a bad choice either. I wonder if Feds will take seriously these Elections. I hope they will put some thought into it. Of course, the Feds with only one or two skaters eligible wouldn't have much choice... Like, pretty sure Spain will nominate Javier Fernandez for Single/Pairs and Sara Hurtado for Ice Dance.

Valentina Marchei is definitely a fantastic choice as well. Her experience actually can give great input on both singles and pairs. Also, based on social media, with her personality she could be best friends with a potato if she tried.

noskates · Oct 3, 2016

My choices would be:

Men: Jason Brown (very intelligent, LOVES the sport, would be non-biased, young but not too young, energetic)
Patrick would probably do a good job but I think he's too opinionated to see both sides of an issue)
Women: Mao Asada (been there and done it all)
Ashley Wagner - I think would be biased
Pairs: Eric Radford (again, intelligent and I think would be fair and a good representative)
Aliona Sevchenko possibly.....certainly has the experience
Dance: Charlie White (for a lot of reasons)

I'm sure there are several Russian skaters that could be nominated but - and this may be unfair - I think they are kept pretty isolated from the rest of the world in many ways....might be hard for them to see both sides of an issue.

It will probably end up being people we would have never thought of !

cathlen · Oct 3, 2016

ice coverage said:
Charlie White was formally mentoring the Shibs (at least in 2014-15, IIRC) ... not sure whether Charlie continues to work with them on a formal basis.
And I wouldn't rule out the possibility that he is mentoring and/or coaching any other ice dancers -- although I don't know for sure one way or the other.

That said, the ISU document (yes, I read it :yes: ) says nothing about a skater-turned-coach being ineligible, right?
If Charlie would be interested and USFS were to nominate him, then it would be up to the ice dancers to decide whether to vote for him.
And whether he currently is working with the Shibs or not, I imagine that plenty of ice dancers would be happy to vote for him.

ETA:

BTW, Charlie and Meryl have not officially retired. Whenever an interviewer refers to them as retired, they politely correct the person and say something (I'm paraphrasing) about keeping the door open for 2018. (Not that it would matter either way for the commission.)

So each ISU member gets to nominate someone for the ice dance representative? That will be a lot of nominees.
Same for nominations for the single/pair representative.

ETA:

Cool for the ice dancers that they get their own representative.
Sorta unusual for them to have that kind of first-class (so to speak) status, whereas the single and pair skaters get only one person to represent all three disciplines.

Okay, so I was wrong about both things regarding Charlie :palmf:

I know there is no rule against coaching, but I'm afraid the coaches might've some bias, even if it would be involuntarily. Now that I think Nathalie may be a consultant somewhere in France too.... I wonder though, maybe they would count Charlie as an inactive skater even if they never formally retired? :scratch2:

That way he could be a board member too.
I think Ice Dance have a separate representative because they based it on ISU structure, where Ice Dance have their own Chair and all (like Synchronized Skating), whereas Singles/Pairs are packed together.

TGee said:
Bottom line IMO: Great that athlete representatives are joining the structure, but how to find someone for ice dance with global acceptance and perceived neutrality that meets the 4 years back criteria?

I have no idea. We will probably end up with both biased represntatives. I also wonder how much chances are that Sychnro representative won't be Finnish?...

Lysambre · Oct 3, 2016

noskates said:
I'm sure there are several Russian skaters that could be nominated but - and this may be unfair - I think they are kept pretty isolated from the rest of the world in many ways....might be hard for them to see both sides of an issue.

It will probably end up being people we would have never thought of !

Your statement about Russian skaters makes me wonder who is actually "isolated from the world".

Aren't they international competitors who have to do the exact same elements as the other skaters? Who have to follow the same rules? To share the same rinks? To travel to the same countries to participate in the same competitions?

Aren't they human beings perfectly able to think? Why would it be any harder for them to "see both sides of an isssue"?

Mathman · Oct 3, 2016

TGee said:
I'm generally in the reading first camp, and have to keep reminding myself that this is a fun board and I shouldn't let my inner academic take over too much....Perhaps need to find the Goldilocks happy medium.

Golden Skate is the Cliff Notes version of ISU documents.

Edited to add: I mean CliffsNotes.

ISU 2016 Athletes Commission Elections

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

puremagic

-

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

puremagic

-

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

lyndichee

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

4everchan

TGee

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

4everchan

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

sunnystars

#teamotherskaters

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605

TGee

lyndichee

noskates

cathlen

Team Gorgeous Cacti!

Lysambre

Mathman

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