There’s a lot I don’t understand about the IOC/ISU relationship and ISU structure and rule making. I’ll put my nerdy advocacy self to work as I can and look into it. My experience with SkateFAIR 20 years ago taught me that sports federations have very different pressure points than legislatures and other political bodies, and I’m no expert.
It’s also true that this is a delicate balance. On the one hand, the vast majority of us don’t want to see Russian skaters who skate for Russia participating in ISU events as long as Russia is perpetrating an aggressive war and war crimes. Additionally there is the doping issue, which is handled differently.
But as I’m personally aware, once you take a step in a massive geopolitical issue, things get complicated. I’m an American who lives in Israel part of the time. My own country has been complicit in some awful things. More to the point, given the new government in Israel, the violence that is starting to erupt again and the possibility of massive military repression, I personally and anyone else involved in this would be vulnerable to complicated whatabout arguments. They can be answered but it’s inherently controversial.
In short, it’s worth considering. But it’s a much more complex undertaking than forming an ad-hoc group against corrupt judging.
that they will respond appropriately.
