A.H.Black
10-03-2002, 08:17 PM
A friend sent this to me the other day. Looks like Skate America could have a side show going on.
Gailhaguet Defies Skating Union Ban
a Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 2, 2002; Page D02
In apparent disregard of a three-year ban from the sport and a recent
warning letter from the International Skating Union, French ice sports
federation president Didier Gailhaguet said yesterday he will attend any
figure skating event he pleases this fall and might show up to Smart Ones
Skate America in Spokane, Wash., in late October.
Though Gailhaguet was banned from attending ISU-sanctioned events through
the 2006 Winter Olympics for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to
fix Olympic figure skating events, Gailhaguet made an appearance at the
late August ISU Junior Grand Prix in Courchevel, France, where he was
spotted fraternizing and eating with various skating officials.
Gailhaguet's showing irked some in the skating community who considered
it a blatant overstepping of the ISU ban, which was levied by the ISU
Council in April. ISU General Secretary Fredi Schmid said he sent
Gailhaguet a letter of warning last month demanding that he attend no
further events. "Without going into specifics, there was a strong warning
that this cannot be tolerated," Schmid said from ISU headquarters in
Lausanne, Switzerland.
Schmid said the ISU had not received a response from Gailhaguet. When
asked about the warning letter yesterday, Gailhaguet said he planned to
attend a variety of ice sport competitions -- including figure skating
events -- in the coming months.
"I am a citizen on this earth and I will go everywhere I want to go,"
Gailhaguet said.
Gailhaguet said he was mulling whether to attend the Oct. 24-27 Skate
America, which kicks off the Grand Prix season. He said he hadn't decided
for certain but that "it's a possibility." As president of the French ice
sports federation, Gailhaguet oversees seven ice sports including hockey,
speed skating and bobsled.
U.S. Figure Skating Association Executive Director John LeFevre said
USFSA officials likely would consult with the ISU if Gailhaguet arrived
in Spokane. Federation presidents are not typically issued credentials,
LeFevre said, so it would be difficult to restrict Gailhaguet's access
completely. High-ranking skating officials generally gain access to
events by showing proof of their affiliation.
"If he wants to buy a ticket, walk into the rink and watch the event, I
don't think we can prevent him from doing that," LeFevre said. "But it
would probably behoove us to make sure he was not involved in" activities
directly tied to the event. If he were to show up, LeFevre added, "things
would get a bit delicate, I'm sure."
Gailhaguet also said he would not shun U.S. law enforcement officials
should he arrive on U.S. soil and they seek a second interview with him.
A purported Russian organized crime leader has been indicted in U.S.
federal court on charges that he was involved in the fixing of the
Olympic ice dancing and pairs competitions. The FBI interviewed
Gailhaguet as part of its investigation in February when he was in Salt
Lake City at the close of the Olympics.
At that time, Gailhaguet told the FBI he was not involved in any
conspiracy to fix the Olympics with the alleged mobster, Alimzhan
Tokhtakhounov, according to the federal complaint filed against
Tokhtakhounov. Gailhaguet told the FBI that Tokhtakhounov had approached
him years ago about starting a professional hockey team in Paris, but
that Gailhaguet declined and hadn't dealt with him since, the complaint
said.
"I have already told them everything I know," Gailhaguet said. But "the
FBI can interview me a second time, 10 times, a hundred times. I have no
problem with that at all."
Schmid said U.S. law enforcement officials had not contacted him or ISU
President Ottavio Cinquanta about being interviewed. He said neither he
nor Cinquanta is planning to attend Smart Ones Skate America, but both
would fully cooperate with the U.S. investigation if called upon.
© 2002 The Washington Post Company
Gailhaguet Defies Skating Union Ban
a Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 2, 2002; Page D02
In apparent disregard of a three-year ban from the sport and a recent
warning letter from the International Skating Union, French ice sports
federation president Didier Gailhaguet said yesterday he will attend any
figure skating event he pleases this fall and might show up to Smart Ones
Skate America in Spokane, Wash., in late October.
Though Gailhaguet was banned from attending ISU-sanctioned events through
the 2006 Winter Olympics for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to
fix Olympic figure skating events, Gailhaguet made an appearance at the
late August ISU Junior Grand Prix in Courchevel, France, where he was
spotted fraternizing and eating with various skating officials.
Gailhaguet's showing irked some in the skating community who considered
it a blatant overstepping of the ISU ban, which was levied by the ISU
Council in April. ISU General Secretary Fredi Schmid said he sent
Gailhaguet a letter of warning last month demanding that he attend no
further events. "Without going into specifics, there was a strong warning
that this cannot be tolerated," Schmid said from ISU headquarters in
Lausanne, Switzerland.
Schmid said the ISU had not received a response from Gailhaguet. When
asked about the warning letter yesterday, Gailhaguet said he planned to
attend a variety of ice sport competitions -- including figure skating
events -- in the coming months.
"I am a citizen on this earth and I will go everywhere I want to go,"
Gailhaguet said.
Gailhaguet said he was mulling whether to attend the Oct. 24-27 Skate
America, which kicks off the Grand Prix season. He said he hadn't decided
for certain but that "it's a possibility." As president of the French ice
sports federation, Gailhaguet oversees seven ice sports including hockey,
speed skating and bobsled.
U.S. Figure Skating Association Executive Director John LeFevre said
USFSA officials likely would consult with the ISU if Gailhaguet arrived
in Spokane. Federation presidents are not typically issued credentials,
LeFevre said, so it would be difficult to restrict Gailhaguet's access
completely. High-ranking skating officials generally gain access to
events by showing proof of their affiliation.
"If he wants to buy a ticket, walk into the rink and watch the event, I
don't think we can prevent him from doing that," LeFevre said. "But it
would probably behoove us to make sure he was not involved in" activities
directly tied to the event. If he were to show up, LeFevre added, "things
would get a bit delicate, I'm sure."
Gailhaguet also said he would not shun U.S. law enforcement officials
should he arrive on U.S. soil and they seek a second interview with him.
A purported Russian organized crime leader has been indicted in U.S.
federal court on charges that he was involved in the fixing of the
Olympic ice dancing and pairs competitions. The FBI interviewed
Gailhaguet as part of its investigation in February when he was in Salt
Lake City at the close of the Olympics.
At that time, Gailhaguet told the FBI he was not involved in any
conspiracy to fix the Olympics with the alleged mobster, Alimzhan
Tokhtakhounov, according to the federal complaint filed against
Tokhtakhounov. Gailhaguet told the FBI that Tokhtakhounov had approached
him years ago about starting a professional hockey team in Paris, but
that Gailhaguet declined and hadn't dealt with him since, the complaint
said.
"I have already told them everything I know," Gailhaguet said. But "the
FBI can interview me a second time, 10 times, a hundred times. I have no
problem with that at all."
Schmid said U.S. law enforcement officials had not contacted him or ISU
President Ottavio Cinquanta about being interviewed. He said neither he
nor Cinquanta is planning to attend Smart Ones Skate America, but both
would fully cooperate with the U.S. investigation if called upon.
© 2002 The Washington Post Company