OSIC ruling: Nikolaj Soerensen suspended for a minimum of 6 years

[Willin]

I think IAM didn't need to be so fervent in their support of Nikolaj, absolutely. I'm sure it's part loyalty, disbelief in who he is, etc. Also, Marie France & Patrice are not so young to avoid bad attitudes about Sexual Assault. (And I've had at least two friends tell me it's a "Quebec thing", which...)

I also think coaches stay loyal to their students pragmatically as well, when it's in the investigation stage. It's a question of do they lose more potential students by staying loyal, or by tossing out the accused? In skating, I don't know the answer regardless of what I think it should be.

To me, the IAM of it all underlines how things need to keep evolving in skating, and I think this decision by OSIC is a step in the right direction. Canada and the US are maligned for not taking things like this seriously enough, and it's fair. But other Federations/nations in the ISU are much worse, and I'm not talking small ones. This school was considered a step away from the North American Russian schools, where all sorts of stories have come out about partner abuse, etc. And it turns out, it wasn't enough of a step away.

And IAM had nothing to lose by staying loyal beyond fan opinion. The judges already give their teams so much more benefit of the doubt - their teams win everything in sight. Skaters are still going to go there and pay them a ton of money for training because it's so apparent that IAM is the only way to get a medal these days. Fan opinion doesn't pay their bills.

 

[Andora]

And IAM had nothing to lose by staying loyal beyond fan opinion. The judges already give their teams so much more benefit of the doubt - their teams win everything in sight. Skaters are still going to go there and pay them a ton of money for training because it's so apparent that IAM is the only way to get a medal these days. Fan opinion doesn't pay their bills.

Well... not just fan opinion. Skaters now have to decide if ambition trumps safety.

I don't think this moves the needle right now, but I do hope things trend in the direction where skaters, mostly women, believe they deserve to feel safe when training at an elite centre.

 

[pointbleu]

. Also, Marie France & Patrice are not so young to avoid bad attitudes about Sexual Assault. (And I've had at least two friends tell me it's a "Quebec thing", which...)

 

[The Observer]

And IAM had nothing to lose by staying loyal beyond fan opinion. The judges already give their teams so much more benefit of the doubt - their teams win everything in sight. Skaters are still going to go there and pay them a ton of money for training because it's so apparent that IAM is the only way to get a medal these days. Fan opinion doesn't pay their bills.

That's not entirely accurate. IAM is the dominant ice dancing school, yes, but it is not the only one to produce medals. If you look at the top 3 Ice Dance teams for the past 2 Worlds (Chock & Bates, Gilles & Poirier & Guignard & Fabbri) only C&B are with IAM. G&P are with Carol Lane in Scarborough and G&F are with Barbara Fusar-Poli in Italy.

 

[overedge]

That's not entirely accurate. IAM is the dominant ice dancing school, yes, but it is not the only one to produce medals. If you look at the top 3 Ice Dance teams for the past 2 Worlds (Chock & Bates, Gilles & Poirier & Guignard & Fabbri) only C&B are with IAM. G&P are with Carol Lane in Scarborough and G&F are with Barbara Fusar-Poli in Italy.

But almost none of those schools had international-level teams beyond those ones. IAM has a lot of teams from other countries who aren't international medalists (at least yet) but who are competing at elite-level international events. That gives IAM a lot more depth and presence.

 

[Karen-W]

But almost none of those schools had international-level teams beyond those ones. IAM has a lot of teams from other countries who aren't international medalists (at least yet) but who are competing at elite-level international events. That gives IAM a lot more depth and presence.

YGA is growing fairly large and they have a LOT of young teams who are competing internationally - and some of them are medaling at Challengers and on the junior circuit. I'd say they're the most comparable to IAM at this time, given the number of teams they have from several different countries.

 

[Evgeniafan]

YGA is growing fairly large and they have a LOT of young teams who are competing internationally - and some of them are medaling at Challengers and on the junior circuit. I'd say they're the most comparable to IAM at this time, given the number of teams they have from several different countries.

Who is YGA?

 

[Karen-W]

Who is YGA?

Young Goose Academy in Egna-Neumarkt, Italy - home of the Taschlers, Mrazeks, Kudryatseva/Karankevich, Simova/Aksenov, a couple of Polish teams, - I think Pinchuk/Pogorielov have settled there too, but I can't remember for sure; Kazakova/Revia were there and Maria is still there, presumably looking for a new partner.

 

[jackson]

Young Goose Academy in Egna-Neumarkt, Italy - home of the Taschlers, Mrazeks, Kudryatseva/Karankevich, Simova/Aksenov, a couple of Polish teams, - I think Pinchuk/Pogorielov have settled there too, but I can't remember for sure; Kazakova/Revia were there and Maria is still there, presumably looking for a new partner.

Thank you, while I do not know many of the teams they do have a lot. What does YGA mean?

 

[pointbleu]

Thank you, while I do not know many of the teams they do have a lot. What does YGA mean?

Look back, it’s right at the beginning of her message…

 

[Amy L]

nvm, posted something in the wrong place

 

[kwanfan1818]

That gives IAM a lot more depth and presence. judges.

Fixed it for you