USA Today article on judging reform

[Debbie S]

Article in today's paper, basical;ly about the need to make judges independent of federations to truly end bloc deals, with quotes from Robin Wagner, Scott Hamilton, Jean Senft, and Speedy.

http://www.usatoday.com/olympics/winter/2002-06-10-skate-reform.htm

It seems to me that just about every skater, coach, judge, and commentator who has spoken out publicly agrees with this idea, and disagrees with the idea of a points-based scoring system. Will the ISU ever listen to the people that their decisions directly affect?

[loveskating]

[quote:50e64caf80="Debbie S"]Article in today's paper, basical;ly about the need to make judges independent of federations to truly end bloc deals, with quotes from Robin Wagner, Scott Hamilton, Jean Senft, and Speedy.

http://www.usatoday.com/olympics/winter/2002-06-10-skate-reform.htm

It seems to me that just about every skater, coach, judge, and commentator who has spoken out publicly agrees with this idea, and disagrees with the idea of a points-based scoring system. Will the ISU ever listen to the people that their decisions directly affect?[/quote:50e64caf80]

Just a reality check...most of the skaters etc. who have "spoken out" are American, Canadian and British. That hardly includes all the people who are directly affected. Others who have spoken out either get no press here or get bad press.

[Debbie S]

Well, if you're thinking of Russian skaters, I believe we've heard comments from Tamara Moskvina, B/S, and Yagudin, and the prevailing view among them is that the system is fine the way it is - maybe sometimes imperfect, but a part of the sport that shouldn't be tinkered with. I haven't heard them support Speedy's proposal (of course, I could have missed it). Pretty much all I've heard in articles the past week or so are comments about judging reform (such as the ones in today's article) and regrets that the ISU missed the point, or comments that judging isn't always perfect, but that there will always be subjectivity in the sport.

Has anyone spoken out in favor of Speedy's system? I would be interested in hearing alternate opinions. I'd actually be curious as to what Irina, her coach, and Mishin are thinking.

I'd venture to say that Speedy's insisting that the entire congress vote on his proposal, instead of just the figure skating delegates, gives a pretty clear indication of what he thought the level of support in the figure skating community would be.

[lilwish]

I wish that the eligible skaters would form their own union with their own rules. As long as speed skaters benefit so much from the figure skating money and as long as speed skaters get to vote, the figure skaters will not have a say in their own futures. This is outrageous. I am truly not sure if I will want to watch after this year with this kind of scoring. Where is the room for presentation? why not call it skate jumping? Where is the figure part of it? Where is the skating part of it? I wish that someone of note would try to form an alternative organization with World medals etc.. I see no other way to get away from Speedy and those who benefit from his corrupt and impossible system.

[bleu]

actually the only skater that I know of who support the "elimination of the 6.0 system" is Elvis...

even S/P are against it.