Death to the Australian skater

[MollyPoke]

When you come from a country like Australia you can't but be disappointed. For one, ice skating isn't big here. There aren't enough rinks, and there definately isn't enough support. There are some though, that strive to skate no matter what obstacles they have to come through the nation's ignorance of the sport.

However, It's not just ignorance that poses a problem - with such little attention to ice skating, those in charge can set and change the rules as they like. Why else would five-time and current Australian senior champion Miriam Manzano, with the highest international rating for an Australian is shunned from the Olympic selection? Australia only qualified one olympic spot (senior ladies, of all the disciplines) and now the wrong skater will be competing. Please feel free to view the following article:


http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=sport&subclass=local&story_id=448470&category=General%20Sport&m=12&y=2005

This isn't only the death to Miriam's dream, It's enough to kill my enthusiasm for the sport.

More information can be found in the following article:

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Figure-skaters-fight-for-lone-Oly-spot/2005/12/15/1134500957735.html


There was only one spot, and it should have gone to our national champion Miriam (who has actually been our national champion for 3 - 4 consecutive years) and who has a higher world ranking. The other concern was that Miriam did not receive prior notice of the qualifying event (there was only one), and found out about this only after the competition started, leaving no time for adequate preparation.

[kia]

Unfortunately like in many sporting decisions, politics (of the ISA interferes )with sensible decisions. Because they made such a mess of their selection for the last Olympics (in which in my opinion Miriam should have gone) they do not want to make the same mistake this time so they chose the olympic representative almost a year before the event. While I wish Miriam well personally I think at this present time,Jo is probably the better contender. I do agree with Miriam however the selection was unfair and discriminatory.

[MollyPoke]

Hi Kia,

Thanks for the reply. I meant no ill will to Jo Carter - she is a good skater. I really wish that the selection process was fair and not discriminatory. I just don't understand how the woman who has one more national titles than anyone ever can be disregarded yet again.

Also, I think the ISA should be held accountable. Not giving athletes formal notification prior to a qualifying event is disgraceful. We should expect more from a national sporting body. Our skaters should expect more.

[EastonSkater]

Ice skating isn't big in Australia probably because we don't get snow and freezing winters in the cities.

And some of the the staff at the big rinks in Australia think they're so good and up themselves. In Colorado (maybe in other states too), you can just rock up to the skate rink and go inside and wait around on seats until the session starts. In Australia, if you go inside when the glass doors are unlocked, the staff are likely to say something like 'we're not open yet, wait outside' (eg...Acacia Ridge rink in Brisbane). So I'm thinking....'what the ..?'. So you're basically standing outside on the steps and things like that until they're ready to let everybody in. It's nothing like that in USA....or at least nothing like that in Colorado.

Once, I was just peering in through the glass at the inner entrance to view the ice rink! I wasn't even in the same hall as the ice rink. And one of the staff at the ticket office called out and said 'What are you looking at? There's nothing to see, we're not open yet.'. It's just only later when they see you skate that they realise you're not the newbie that they thought you might have been. So I figure that's how they treat their customers, with disrespect.

And once, I was just commenting to the ticket lady at the Acacia Ridge rink that their rink surface was excellent compared to the ones up in North Queensland - referring to the way water drips off the ceilings in Queensland and how the rink floors melt and you skate on about 5 millimetres of water. And she just comes back with a 'that's why they beat us at national competitions'. And again, I'm thinking ... 'what the ...?'. So comparing the personalities of staff between Australia and in places where skating is a 'normal' thing, like in the USA, the staff at the big Aussie rinks are kind of up themselves. So it doesn't surprise me if ice skating in Australia isn't anywhere as popular as in snow countries, even if it's not due to snobby staff. Although, it does get a bit humid and hot in Australia, which doesn't help. In North Queensland, the rinks are like half NHL size (or even smaller!)...better than nothing, but the insulation they use to keep the hot air outside and the cold air inside is almost a joke really. And instead of skating on hard and fast ice, you're skating on slow slush where sharp blades aren't even important.

And in USA, they have ice rinks at universities. In Australia, one could only dream about that kind of thing. So ice skating in Australia has a really long way to go in terms of getting off the ground, and that's only if it's actually going to go anywhere.

[sceptique]

Ice skating isn't big in Australia probably because we don't get snow and freezing winters in the cities.


Believe me, these things are absolutely unrelated - and that says someone who comes from the place where it's below freezing for 6 months in a year and roadside snowpiles reach 2 metres high! "Natural" rinks are usually badly maintained and not much fun to skate at anyway, so most of the best skaters come from places with good indoor rinks, even in "cold" countries.

[EastonSkater]

Believe me, these things are absolutely unrelated - and that says someone who comes from the place where it's below freezing for 6 months in a year and roadside snowpiles reach 2 metres high! "Natural" rinks are usually badly maintained and not much fun to skate at anyway, so most of the best skaters come from places with good indoor rinks, even in "cold" countries.

That's true, although in cold countries, people do set up maintained outdoor rinks during the winter, like on big lakes etc. So the countries that get snow and freezing temperatures are already set up to attract quite a lot of people to get into it. So even if they're not well trained, a lot of people just naturally go do it and try it out to have fun. Public sessions ... 5 US bucks average maybe? At these rinks here in Australia....10 aussie bucks minimum. Assuming that spending 5 US dollars in USA is like spending 5 aussie dollars in Australia, you can see that it's going to really put a lot of people off public skating....because if say they skate only once a week for 40 weeks a year, then that's 400 bucks. In USA, you'd be spending half that amount for 40 weeks...and that's only once a week skating.

At the universities in USA, you might be able to fork out say 50 to 100 dollars per semester - maybe 50 for students, and 100 for non-students - and then you can skate and practise as much as you want whenever the rink is open. The public skaters in Australia have no such luxury.

[Isk8NYC]

So you're basically standing outside on the steps and things like that until they're ready to let everybody in. It's nothing like that in USA....or at least nothing like that in Colorado.

You're right: it's not like that in Colorado. I skated there when I was on business a few years ago and every rink had friendly, helpful staff. That said, New York City's rinks ARE very much like that. It varies based on the concessionaire, but I can remember standing outside in the freezing cold, waiting to pay for skating. Not that the rink was warm: it was outdoors on a lake. Brrrr.

At my home rink, I often have new students' parents ask about "when does the rink open?" It took me a while to realize that their experience with another rink nearby made them think that they weren't welcome to show up early. We're attracting a better following because of that nicety. You can stay to watch the hockey game, or come early to see the figure skaters. The parents are less harried, trying to rent skates and stuff things in lockers. Makes for a nicer experience and more people coming back.

[angelskates]

MollyPoke, Miriam sure is a great skater and lovely person, but have you even read the verdict? It is fair and reasonable IMHO.

There is a transcript of it posted here (http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showpost.php?p=758752&postcount=249). Miriam still has the option of appeal to CAS.

Miriam and Jo both admit to knowing that 4CCs was the qualifying for at least Worlds....wouldn't Miriam prepare her best for that competition knowing that it (at least) was selection for Worlds? Miriam didn't skate close to Jo in that competition, and that was the one that counted.

National titles, (due to timing) unfortunately, mean very little as far as international competitions go - Jo didn't need to peak there, she already had the Olympic spot. Miriam could have appealled from May onwards and didn't, she waited until she won Nationals thinking it may help her. If she had appealled before Nationals, Jo may have won - there was only a point in it. Jo's PB is higher than Miriam's - Miriam has competed more recently, which is why her ranking is higher, but World ranking was never going to come into play anyway.

ISA has many things to learn (as do ACTISA, according to the appeal rejection, they may not have passed all information on - at least according to Miriam) and I hope they improve their communication methods.

I hope Miriam skates her heart out at Worlds, knowing she has done all that she can, and that the Australian skating community are very proud of her. Despite not making the Olympic team, her record is nothing to be looked down upon, she can and should retire knowing that. :D

I hope Jo skates her heart out at the Olympics, knowing that the Australian skating community are very proud of her.

Both ladies have done great things for Australian skating and are fabulous ambassadors for Australia and figure skating.

ETA: Miriam has announced she will now be appealing to CAS. The AOC need to have the name of the skater by 24 January.

[MollyPoke]

AngelSkates - thank you for your lovely reply. Thank you also for the link to the verdict. I was sad when I got news of the verdict, and the link you gave gives me much more information.

I will continue to pray that Miriam gets her chance.


EastonSkater & Isk8NYC - stop making me jealous! I'm going to move to America now....

[angelskates]

Mollypoke, don't let this kill your enthusiasm for the sport....put it this way, Miriam and Jo are the two best skaters in Australia, and they wouldn't be so without their passion for the sport. Miriam's appeal is because of her passion and desire to go to the Olympics, these two girls are both extremely passionate about what they do...and the sport is better off because of it.

USA, while they certainly have more and better facilities, also has it's far share of skating politics ;o)

Miriam is appealing to CAS, so 4CCs will be tough for her and Jo, the whole 'not knowing' is surely very hard on both of them.

[MollyPoke]

Hi folks,

Well it seems like this issue has finally gone to court. See more information in the following article:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=83585

I don't fully understand what the article means, but as far as I can see the sole position on the figure skating team is still open to appeal (according to the AOC website as of 25th January, 2006).

- MollyPoke

[angelskates]

MollyPoke, I replied to you on IFS, but I'll write the same here as well. Miriam's appeal to CAS was refused.

Quote from your linked article:

"The CAS on Tuesday night refused an appeal from figure skater Miriam Manzano over her non-nomination for next month's Winter Olympics in Turin.

The decision means Ice Skating Australia's original nomination of Joanne Carter for the lone Australian place in the women's figure skating event will stand.

Carter was announced in Australia's 40 member team for Turin on Wednesday
........
"Because CAS did not overturn Joanne's nomination by ISA, the AOC cannot select anyone but her to the 2006 Australian Winter Olympic Team."

Also see this article in The Age: http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/medals-hunt-has-bear-back-skiing/2006/01/25/1138066860553.html

Quote from The Age:

"The Court of Arbitration for Sport has refused an appeal from figure skater Miriam Manzano over her non-nomination for next month's Turin Games. Joanne Carter will be the lone Australian in the women's figure skating event."

[Paulie86]

That's really unfair. I really hope we do well with our skaters that are going, coz our sport needs all the recognition it can get. Having said that, I think we need to push more to get the Worlds aired on free-to-air tv at a time when everyone has a good chance of seeing it. I think televised events involoving figure skating do a lot for the sport. I noticed that after the last olypmics, more people enrolled in skate school and were interested in the sport.

And no matter the outcome, don't let it discourage you from skating. DO it for yourself. There is no better feeling than bein gon the ice :)

[angelskates]

why is it unfair Paulie? The ISA Tribunal rejected it and now CAS which is an independent body, has rejected it. I think it is fair and reasonable. They had all the facts.

I agree getting more events on TV may help, but no point have skating on TV when the rinks are not good enough to support more skaters in some states. Many of the children that signed up after the Olympics quit after just a few lessons, their interests don't last long. :(

[Paulie86]

why is it unfair Paulie? The ISA Tribunal rejected it and now CAS which is an independent body, has rejected it. I think it is fair and reasonable. They had all the facts.



I understand that, it's just a dissapointment to see that some of our finer skaters won't get the chance to live out their olympic dreams.

[angelskates]

Paulie, I'm disappointed for Miriam too, but I don't think it's unfair. And it's only one skater not "some".

I hope Miriam skates well at Worlds and Jo skates well at Olys!