List of Candidates for ISU President Grows

[Visaliakid]

Jan Dijkema, 2nd Vice President – Speed Skating Announces Candidacy for ISU President

Here's the text of the email sent to ISU Member Representatives shortly before 1 pm ET today...

From: Jan Dijkema <[email protected]>

Subject: ISU presidential candidate

Date: April 11, 2016 at 12:49:58 PM EDT

Dear Skating Friends,

Herewith I would like to announce my candidacy for the position of ISU President. The ISU has been my home and passion for many years. My love of skating has motivated me to work hard for the ISU family and stakeholders to promote and develop the sport worldwide. I am excited for the future of figure skating, short track speed skating and speed skating on all its levels. I hope that I may continue showing my leadership.

As ISU President, the key themes of Inspiration & Innovation would be central throughout my tenure. I hope to inspire the skating community, helping to innovate and evolve the ISU and Member Federations, while never forgetting the solid foundation that has already been laid. Guided by these principles, I will focus on three strategic pillars:
• Marketing, Promotion & Digitalization
• Development
• Good Governance

Please see attached my manifesto which clearly describes the objectives and strategies that I would employ.
http://www.schaatsen.nl/media/21844/isu-manifesto-jan-dijkema.pdf

We all have an important role to play – whether Member, Office Holder, Athlete, Official, Coach or Partner.

Together we can build on the hard work of the last years and carve a strong future for skating and the ISU.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Jan Dijkema

Voorbehoud KNSB

 

[Visaliakid]

This brings the list of candidates seeking to become the next ISU President to four. The Deadline for official announcements is April 25th.

 

[princeton123]

#neverdidier

 

[Frau Muller]

Great news. Anyone but Didier, please. Didier is the ISU's Trump.

 

[drfj]

Jan Dijkema, 2nd Vice President – Speed Skating Announces Candidacy for ISU President

Here's the text of the email sent to ISU Member Representatives shortly before 1 pm ET today...

From: Jan Dijkema <[email protected]>

Subject: ISU presidential candidate

Date: April 11, 2016 at 12:49:58 PM EDT

Dear Skating Friends,

Herewith I would like to announce my candidacy for the position of ISU President. The ISU has been my home and passion for many years. My love of skating has motivated me to work hard for the ISU family and stakeholders to promote and develop the sport worldwide. I am excited for the future of figure skating, short track speed skating and speed skating on all its levels. I hope that I may continue showing my leadership.

As ISU President, the key themes of Inspiration & Innovation would be central throughout my tenure. I hope to inspire the skating community, helping to innovate and evolve the ISU and Member Federations, while never forgetting the solid foundation that has already been laid. Guided by these principles, I will focus on three strategic pillars:
• Marketing, Promotion & Digitalization
• Development
• Good Governance

Please see attached my manifesto which clearly describes the objectives and strategies that I would employ.
http://www.schaatsen.nl/media/21844/isu-manifesto-jan-dijkema.pdf

We all have an important role to play – whether Member, Office Holder, Athlete, Official, Coach or Partner.

Together we can build on the hard work of the last years and carve a strong future for skating and the ISU.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Jan Dijkema

Voorbehoud KNSB

Jan Dijkema is a very honest person and in that case it does not matter that he is from the speed skating side

 

[bardtoob]

Jan Dijkema is a very honest person and in that case it does not matter that he is from the speed skating side

That is nice to hear.

 

[Cachoo]

This is interesting. Hopefully we will read/hear more as this progresses. Thanks for any and all introductions and updates.

 

[VGThuy]

He seems not horrible.

 

[Duchess]

I, too, have heard positive comments regarding his character from people I trust!

 

[Vash01]

Great news. Anyone but Didier, please. Didier is the ISU's Trump.

Not quite. Didier at least knows figure skating. Trump doesn't know politics.

 

[allezfred]

Not quite. Didier at least knows figure skating. Trump doesn't know politics.

Trump is winning the Republican nomination race at the moment so I'd say he has a pretty good grasp of that part of politics at least.

 

[elfenblüte]

I try, but i can't jump on the excitement train about him. I dont think it will be good for figure Skating if someone from speed skating watches over this sport once again, especially after his federation is really strict about sending skaters to international competitions.

Didier's is strict too, but at least he already had ideas and plans to support the smaller federations like deleting the minimum scores, which would be a great start already. (I know i know , but for me as a figure skating fan who loves to see skaters from all around the world and different cultures compete, thats one of the most important topics to me)

I am still not sure what i should think of all the candidates, but if Didier Gailhaguet truly holds on to his visions and promises without any corruption, i dont think he would be as bad as ISU president as many think, to be honest.

 

[Visaliakid]

I am still not sure what i should think of all the candidates, but if Didier Gailhaguet truly holds on to his visions and promises without any corruption, i dont think he would be as bad as ISU president as many think, to be honest.

Personally I will never trust Didier ever again... not after his role in the rigging of the 2002 Olympics pairs and icedance events. Once a cheater, always a cheater. His election would be extremely detrimental to Figure Skating and the ISU.

 

[jiejie]

... but if Didier Gailhaguet truly holds on to his visions and promises without any corruption, i dont think he would be as bad as ISU president as many think, to be honest.

(my bolding) This is a very big "If", and I think knowing what we do of the character and history of this man, next to impossible to achieve. There is just no trust factor there. I would rather have an upright, honest speed skater in charge of the ISU vs somebody from the figure skating world with Gailhaguet's reputation. There is no reason to believe that the shenanigans that he pulls (as in present tense, not past) in the French Federation, won't be repeated x exponentially if he becomes ISU president.

 

[clairecloutier]

He's pretty much run French skating into the ground. If it weren't for the miracle of Papadakis/Cizeron (whose development he apparently had little or nothing to do with), France would be in a hopeless position right now internationally. That's a lousy recommendation for him as an executive. AND he's a cheater. I see no upside here. I'd prefer an honest speed skater any day.

 

[VarBar]

Gaillaguet will be elected president. Dijkema will retain his current position. Buchanan will become vice-president replacing the late David Dore. And everybody will be happy.

 

[Visaliakid]

Gaillaguet will be elected president. Dijkema will retain his current position. Buchanan will become vice-president replacing the late David Dore. And everybody will be happy.

If Didier is elected everybody WILL NOT be happy (including most of the fans of figure skating).

 

[MR-FAN]

Why can't we have a decent option with a Figure-skating background

 

[Erin]

Jan Dijkema is a very honest person and in that case it does not matter that he is from the speed skating side

All right, I'm on board...he seems like the only reasonably appealing option so far. It's appalling to me that Didier is even in a position where he could run...

 

[VGThuy]

I also trust an honest person with a good reputation and who is competent will make good faith efforts to promote both sports that the ISU governs, not just the sport where he has a background in. Also, I doubt he will make many decisions without advisement from those in the upper echelons who have figure skating backgrounds, if his reputation and ability to do the job well is true.

 

[overedge]

Even if someone comes from a speed skating background, being on the I$U executive would certainly give them a lot of knowledge about how figure skating is governed - and how to politick the figure skating federations to get what you want. $peedy is a speed skater and has made a lot of decisions that are better for speed skating than figure skating, but that doesn't mean that all speed skaters would be like him as I$U president. I think $peedy's governance style has more to do with $peedy as a person rather than as a speed skater.

I too would sooner see an honest speed skater as I$U president rather than a corrupt figure skater.

 

[Karpenko]

I nominate Dick Button. He's the figure skating librarian and should have an opportunity to put his imprint on the sport. Tracy Wilson would also make a great leader.

I think most people who would be good for this position are scared to death of it. and probably realize the corruption and crazy they'd be getting themselves into.

Honestly anybody but Didier, skating will be a laughing stock to the general public if that happens. The entire sport was changed to COP because of people like Didier.. So he's elected the president 15 years later?!

I nominate myself. I would rig everything for Jason Brown, Ashley Wagner, Savchenko & Massot, and Mao Asada. I wouldn't even tap dance or anything I'd just shamelessly do it.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Where is Esta when you need her. I am sure she would make a wonderful president.

 

[alchemy void]

Where is Esta when you need her. I am sure she would make a wonderful president.

That would be cool. Worlds would be renamed the "Pashas". Instead of flowers at the medal ceremony, a carton of menthols.

 

[dr.frog]

I nominate Dick Button. He's the figure skating librarian and should have an opportunity to put his imprint on the sport.

Dick Button has already done more to change the sport than any other skater in history, between his own achievements as a competitor, his role as a producer of pro competitions and ice shows, and being the "voice" of skating in the US for decades (and being the one to pioneer that role on television). The only other person who might come close to that level of influence is Sonja Henie.

Also, Dick is 86 now and I've been worried about whether he is still doing OK. He used to post on twitter fairly often a couple years ago but has been pretty quiet since then. And it's a bad sign when Uncle Dick runs out of things to say.

 

[MAXSwagg]

We need a YOUNG person.

 

[drfj]

Maria Theresa Samaranch is now in the ISU Council,she could be an ideal choice as ISU president

 

[overedge]

Maria Theresa Samaranch is now in the ISU Council,she could be an ideal choice as ISU president

I hope you're joking. Having a Samaranch as I$U president would perpetuate a legacy of corruption that goes even further back than Didier's.

 

[drfj]

I hope you're joking. Having a Samaranch as I$U president would perpetuate a legacy of corruption that goes even further back than Didier's.

I dont think so

 

[Xela M]

Even if someone comes from a speed skating background, being on the I$U executive would certainly give them a lot of knowledge about how figure skating is governed - and how to politick the figure skating federations to get what you want. $peedy is a speed skater and has made a lot of decisions that are better for speed skating than figure skating, but that doesn't mean that all speed skaters would be like him as I$U president. I think $peedy's governance style has more to do with $peedy as a person rather than as a speed skater.

I too would sooner see an honest speed skater as I$U president rather than a corrupt figure skater.

He may be honest now, but power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely