Cipres/FFSG Press Release on the situation 12-16-2019

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angi

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I think words like "incredibly stupid thing" and "atrocious mistake" are used to somewhat normalize very egregious acts that are illegal and should result in severe penalties.
In a press conference full of moments that made it clear how despicable Didier is, the parts about Cipres might have been some of the most infuriating things he said. Even if we ignore how he is belittling the crime that Cipres committed, to think that seeing a therapist is somewhat a suitable "punishment" for it and that it's the right way for the FFSG to handle the situation shows exactly how he is complicit in protecting abusers. Not to mention that this is what he is saying now, but when the news broke the federation stood behind Cipres and released this statement, which given what Didier said in his press conference was a complete lie:
“In light of the information at its disposal, the FFSG has no cause not to place its confidence in him”.
I truly hope this will be the end of Didier, the man is a monster.
 

Sylvia

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@lequipe⁩ reports today that Morgan Ciprès will be facing the Disciplinary committee of the French federation on July 9th
Excerpt from end:
The continuation of the couple's career depends on the decision to be taken by the FFSG's disciplinary committee. This commission is chaired by Me Alain Boulard, and is made up of four other members.
 
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Bigbird

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I am impressed that it is happening at all. I thought he already got away with it and the federation would pretend that nothing happened.

Truth. Considering all the atrocities that we've heard of in this sport and how rarely if ever these persons are called out, this is nothing short of a miracle.

My thoughts are with Vanessa.
 
J

Jeschke

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French fed has 1, if not 2 powerhorses still competing out there.
Thus I won't be surprised to see a sanction actually happening.

Without P/C and Aymoz, things maybe would look different. On the other hand, fed might still has 2022 team event in mind, so...
 

Bigbird

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French fed has 1, if not 2 powerhorses still competing out there.
Thus I won't be surprised to see a sanction actually happening.

Without P/C and Aymoz, things maybe would look different. On the other hand, fed might still has 2022 team event in mind, so...

Nah, do you see Cipres having the confidence to step out there and give his best? Vanessa might also be rather embarrassed by the whole thing. Wouldn't be surprised if they simply chose to quietly retire.
 

hanca

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But it is just disciplinary committee, isn’t it? Which means, they won’t have any power over him, if he decides to retire and not be involved in skating professionally. (He hasn’t been competing the last season, so he is retired?) On the other hand, skating is what he can do best (I don’t know if he managed to get any other qualifications during his skating career), he might have hoped to be coaching in the future, so they would have power over him if he hopes to coach in France or coach skaters on French national team.
 

ninalovesskating

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Not directly related to Cipres' case but have you guys seen Athlete A on Netflix? I hope there is no unreported case this big in figure skating. So terrible.
 

cholla

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he might have hoped to be coaching in the future,
He did more than hope, he planned to. Last fall, he worked with Hamon/Strekalin as his first experience of coaching to test himself. I talked to him in September/October and he told me that it was his definite professional plan for the future. Soon after, the dickpic thing was revealed and we decided (we = the magazine I work for and I) not to publish the interview. I don't know what are his plans now but I bet both his competitive career and future as a coach are over.
 

hanca

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He did more than hope, he planned to. Last fall, he worked with Hamon/Strekalin as his first experience of coaching to test himself. I talked to him in September/October and he told me that it was his definite professional plan for the future. Soon after, the dickpic thing was revealed and we decided (we = the magazine I work for and I) not to publish the interview. I don't know what are his plans now but I bet both his competitive career and future as a coach are over.
I guess if he is sanctioned by French federation, he still could coach abroad, maybe not in the USA and not in France, and he wouldn’t be able to coach French skaters, but French federation doesn’t have the power to completely ban him from coaching abroad. As long as skaters wants him to coach them. I would hope they wouldn’t, but then Karel Fajfr got away with much worse and parents were still sending their children to him for coaching.
 

Japanfan

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What makes anyone think Vanessa is embarrassed by any of it?

How could she not be embarrassed by it? However, she probably has known about his 'proclivities' for some time and perhaps has gotten used to it.

Serious question because last time I checked, it seemed that she was supporting Morgan 100% and showing off pics of them together. Did something change?

She is in a difficult position in that if she speaks against him, she risks losing the partnership and her career, in which case she would not be skating in shows unless she did so as a single, and would not earn the $$ that brings in.
 

angi

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I don't know what are his plans now but I bet both his competitive career and future as a coach are over.
I wish I could believe it. I have zero faith in the FFSG and if he'll get a 6 months suspension I will be shocked tbh. I truly believe the FFSG will do whatever they can to make him eligible to compete in Beijing and I doubt anything they will decide will prevent him from coaching, they have a long history of enabling sexual predators and I don't see it changing any time soon.
 

hanca

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I don't know what are his plans now but I bet both his competitive career and future as a coach are over.
I would love you to be right, but I think you are too optimistic (or naive). My guess is he will move to Germany (possibly to Obersdorf) and coach happily ever after. I mean, if Germans didn’t mind Fajfrt being charged with eleven counts of sexual abuse and two counts of battery, why would they mind someone sending a picture of penis to an underage girl? Fajfrt continued coaching, including having plenty of international students (e.g. Brezina).
 

MsZem

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I would love you to be right, but I think you are too optimistic (or naive). My guess is he will move to Germany (possibly to Obersdorf) and coach happily ever after. I mean, if Germans didn’t mind Fajfrt being charged with eleven counts of sexual abuse and two counts of battery, why would they mind someone sending a picture of penis to an underage girl? Fajfrt continued coaching, including having plenty of international students (e.g. Brezina).
Fajfr was an established coach, and sadly people are willing to overlook a lot in such situations. As someone who still needs to prove himself, Cipres may have a harder time.

Truth. Considering all the atrocities that we've heard of in this sport and how rarely if ever these persons are called out, this is nothing short of a miracle.

My thoughts are with Vanessa.
I feel bad for Vanessa and the rest of the French team affected by this, but my sympathy is first and foremost with the young skater that Cipres targeted.
 

hanca

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Fajfr was an established coach, and sadly people are willing to overlook a lot in such situations. As someone who still needs to prove himself, Cipres may have a harder time.
That’s true that Fajfr was an established coach, but then again Cipres is a European champion, with bronze at worlds and fifth at the Olympics. I know that decent results in his career do not guarantee that he would be a good coach, but with his results I think there will be plenty of skaters who will want to be coached by him. Maybe I am too pessimistic, but I honestly believe he will stick his middle finger to the French federation and happily coach ever after regardless of any sanctions they may or may not impose on him.
 

MsZem

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That’s true that Fajfr was an established coach, but then again Cipres is a European champion, with bronze at worlds and fifth at the Olympics. I know that decent results in his career do not guarantee that he would be a good coach, but with his results I think there will be plenty of skaters who will want to be coached by him. Maybe I am too pessimistic, but I honestly believe he will stick his middle finger to the French federation and happily coach ever after regardless of any sanctions they may or may not impose on him.
Brian Joubert is a three-time European champion who won Worlds and finished 6th at the Olympics. His highest profile skater has been Adam Siao Him Fa, and Romain Ponsart for about three minutes. International success does not automatically guarantee that you will attract top skaters as a coach (FWIW, I get the sense that Joubert would be happier training younger skaters).

There are plenty of other options in Europe, the US and elsewhere for a pairs team.
 

Bigbird

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Fajfr was an established coach, and sadly people are willing to overlook a lot in such situations. As someone who still needs to prove himself, Cipres may have a harder time.


I feel bad for Vanessa and the rest of the French team affected by this, but my sympathy is first and foremost with the young skater that Cipres targeted.

You are so right. And the added fact that some athletes and parents believe this is unavoidable. Not to mention the physical and other emotional abuse young girls are forced to suffer in the name of sport. When you find a good partner you've found gold.
 

hanca

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I really, really hope you are right, @Zemgirl . Though if I am honest, I don’t believe that you are. Well, no point arguing about it, the time will show. We will see just in a few years. I am not saying that he will necessarily become a top international coach, but I believe he will become a coach if it is what he wants to and he will be able to earn decent living out of it. So whatever punishment the French federation hands out, it won’t stop his coaching career.
 

miffy

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I don’t think they really care, I think this is for appearances sake. If they thought this was really serious surely they would have not let several of their skaters stay in the Zimmerman/Fontana group? Seeing as they are under investigation for allegedly covering this up? (ETA was there ever any update from SafeSport?)

I really like Vanessa so I am very interested to see what happens to her career, I hope she still has a future in skating if she wants it.
 

hanca

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I don’t think they really care, I think this is for appearances sake. If they thought this was really serious surely they would have not let several of their skaters stay in the Zimmerman/Fontana group? Seeing as they are under investigation for allegedly covering this up? (ETA was there ever any update from SafeSport?)

I really like Vanessa so I am very interested to see what happens to her career, I hope she still has a future in skating if she wants it.
Well, Szolkowy is doing his career without Aliona, and Aliona is doing her career without Massot, so it seems it is possible to manage without a partner. For a show having the partner would be better, but for coaching it is fine. (Saying that, plenty of pair skaters found a new partner just for show. Maisuradze, Rogonov, Astakhova...)
 

ivagall

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She is in a difficult position in that if she speaks against him, she risks losing the partnership and her career, in which case she would not be skating in shows unless she did so as a single, and would not earn the $$ that brings in.
The real question here is, will any shows want to be associated with Cipres? During autumn/winter they were already cut out of several TV streams of the shows they participated in and those were commitments that were made before this whole drama started not new ones. My gut feeling is that their show skating career together is already over and unless she finds a different partner or goes solo there is not much $$ she will earn this way, so if she wanted to speak out against Cipres she could have freely done so there is not much to lose, she clearly does not want to.
 

cholla

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I would love you to be right, but I think you are too optimistic (or naive).
Ciprès had planned to coach in France, in Paris Bercy. He had already planned the dates at which he'd prepare and pass his exams, and so on. FFSG is still under the close scrutinity of Ministry of Sport, and being lenient in this particular instance could cost the federation its National certification, something that is still very topical to this day. Will they risk to literally implode for a 29 y.o. pair skater who has now only a few chances (more like zero) to bring back international medals in a near future? Will Nathalie Péchalat risk her brand new position for him? For what? Seeing them finish 10th or worse in Beijing? Well, not even, because if FFSG at it is today is dismantled, their successors won't bother with such a burden. He'll be out long before Beijing. Too optimistic maybe, but naive = no. I don't think the disciplinary commission will act out of moral decency and sense of justice. At all. They will rather act in order to protect their a$$ and keep their sacro-sankt certification. And for that what else can they do than get rid of Ciprès? It's something to be given access/elected to power. It's something else to keep it when you are under the permanent supervision of the Ministry you are answerable to. I know that James/Ciprès would like to come back to competitive skating. This season (Cov19 permits, if there actually is a season). But Morgan hasn't set foot on the ice for months, nor has Vanessa in a competitive practice way. They could have gone back training while waiting for the decision of the disciplinary commission, in Paris, Grenoble, Courchevel, Villard de Lans, wherever ice is available. Coached by some Frenchies just like Aymoz currently is. But they were/are not part of any spring/summer camp organised by the fed. It has nothing to do with closed borders as Morgan has spent the past six months at his own place and Vanessa recently traveled from her family home but not to France. I think they are the only French skaters who are not currently at work somewhere. The longer they stay off ice, the more, to me, it leans toward a sanction and retirement. If I'm wrong, well I'm wrong. I'll send you champagne ;)

About shows, I agree with @ivagall. It seems hard now to find a show that will invite and broadcast them. If Vanessa wanted to speak against her partner, she had the past 8/9 months to do so. She didn't. QED. It doesn't plead in their/her favor either.
 
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Bigbird

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The real question here is, will any shows want to be associated with Cipres? During autumn/winter they were already cut out of several TV streams of the shows they participated in and those were commitments that were made before this whole drama started not new ones. My gut feeling is that their show skating career together is already over and unless she finds a different partner or goes solo there is not much $$ she will earn this way, so if she wanted to speak out against Cipres she could have freely done so there is not much to lose, she clearly does not want to.
Well of course because it would all be too little too late. Do we think that this is the only under age girl he's done this to? There has been tension between them for years with out and out cuss outs in the Kiss and Cry to prove it. It is just very, very messy.
 
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