The aftermath of DG's resignation - what next for the FFSG?

[taz'smum]

As suggested by @Domshabfan Didier Gailhaguet's resignation and the consequences of that resignation deserves a thread of it's own.

Who will be the new president?
My first choice would've been Alban Preaubert, but he has said that he is too busy and is standing down from his work in the FFSG

Will DG find a way to worm his way back into the FFSG?
After all, he found his way back after the 2002 scandal....

Will there be a separate federation for figure skating rather than figure skating being lumped together with bobsleigh, curling etc. as currently?

Will French figure skating have less political clout without DG?

What are the implications for current French skaters?

How will rules be put into place to ensure this situation can never happen again?

 

[taz'smum]

An article in the French press asking similar questions

After the resignation of Gailhaguet, what future for skating?

Après la démission de Gailhaguet, quel avenir pour le patinage?

Après la démission de Gailhaguet, quel avenir pour le patinage? Après la démission de Didier Gailhaguet se pose désormais la

jnews-france.fr

 

[MsZem]

As suggested by @Domshabfan Didier Gailhaguet's resignation and the consequences of that resignation deserves a thread of it's own.

Who will be the new president?
My first choice would've been Alban Preaubert, but he has said that he is too busy and is standing down from his work in the FFSG

Will DG find a way to worm his way back into the FFSG?
After all, he found his way back after the 2002 scandal....

Oh, that's too bad - Alban would have been a great choice given his skating experience & academic and professional background.

I hope that whatever changes are made will indeed ensure that DG and his cronies will be out permanently and that the athletes, coaches and clubs will be properly supported in the future. I was going to say without strings attached, but sometimes that's necessary so that things are managed as they should be. So let's say not Gailhaguet-like strings attached.

 

[clairecloutier]

I’m curious if 2022 Worlds will be affected, or if things just proceed as planned.

 

[text_skate]

Abitbol said, resignation is only first step. But G. has many friends, who have remained silent and supported his system. They are still there.

I'm not very optimistic for a reform of FFSG, when reading this interview with Maryvonne Del Torchio, interim president of FFSG:

Violences sexuelles dans le sport. « C'est injuste, ce qui est arrivé à Gailhaguet », dit la nouvelle présidente de la Fédération des sports de glace

Didier Gailhaguet a démissionné de son poste de président de la Fédération française des sports de glace, samedi, emporté par le scandale des violences sexuelles dans le patinage artistique. La Nantaise Maryvonne Del Torchio, présidente de la Ligue des Pays de la Loire, est devenue présidente...

www.ouest-france.fr

excerpt, auto translate:

Basically, do you find that what we criticize Didier Gailhaguet is unfair?

Yes, it is unfair. These are prescribed facts which date from thirty years ago, he was not president of the Federation at the time. Then, on the facts brought back in 2000, there was a legal procedure started, and classified without continuation. The presumption of innocence exists in this country. And since he was president of the Federation, Didier Gailhaguet, each time, intervened as soon as he became aware of sexual abuse or acts of moral harassment, which can, moreover, in my opinion be more numerous. I believe it was the media pressure that led to his resignation. It prevented our disciplines from advancing well. Club presidents, coaches, volunteers could no longer bear this pressure. They heard phrases like "You are all perverts ..." It was getting too much.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

When the interim president continues down the same path there is no hope for change. It's very clear they will continue to do nothing.

 

[kwanfan1818]

If they want anything to change, a new Fed would have to be independent of DG and his network of fiends. The new Fed would be under a lot of scrutiny, and the new head subject to micromanagement.

I can see why someone who experienced the system firsthand, like Preaubert, might find this less than appealing.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

There will be elections in 2 months. It will be interesting to see who's running and what projects they are offering. It is pretty obvious that Peizerat and Candeloro will run. I am sure that a "Didier-friendly" candidate will also run. Maryvonne Del Torchio is the interim-president and she is way too "Didier-friendly" in my opinion.

 

[millyskate]

Oh, that's too bad - Alban would have been a great choice given his skating experience & academic and professional background.

I hope that whatever changes are made will indeed ensure that DG and his cronies will be out permanently and that the athletes, coaches and clubs will be properly supported in the future. I was going to say without strings attached, but sometimes that's necessary so that things are managed as they should be. So let's say not Gailhaguet-like strings attached.

This might come as somewhat of a shock to those of you not familiar with the infrastructures in place in France for teaching / federating sports and the arts, but the compensation offered for the position is incredibly low. If i have read correctly the notes of a recent General Meeting, the compensation Didier was on would have been not much above the 2000 euro per month mark after tax.
That in itself is a strongly limiting factor to attract quality candidates. It's not out of line with what higher education lecturers, highly qualified instrument teachers, music conservatoire administrators etc get paid but it's not going to tempt someone like Alban away from his job as a portfolio manager.
By the sounds of it there's at least one thing Didier couldn't be accused of, and that's directing the FFSG financial resources to himself rather than investing in the skaters.

 

[cs.berlin]

Sarah Abitbol: "The resignation of Didier Gailhaguet was necessary, but it was only a first step. There is a large part of the federation to clean up, where he has many friends. Those who remained silent and supported his system are still there".

Against all too quick forgetting, for a thorough reappraisal (which the federation will certainly not provide) and above all as an independent supervisory body, a foundation could be established - under Sarah Abitbol's name resp. her patronage.

 

[victorskid]

Translation of some comments from Gwendal in this article: https://t.co/U414Tz0aKo?amp=1

Gwendal on Didier's resignation: "for me, it's a gleam a hope but it's just a first step. We aren't really celebrating because Didier Gailhaguet had already left in the past. He had already resigned. And it hadn't stopped him from standing in elections and getting reelected."

Gwendal added: "Nowadays, it's awareness, and only awareness, of the skating club presidents that will ensure that, first, he won't come back and second, he won't be replaced by a person implementing the same ways of working and the same politics."

Gwendal added: "I think we need to start from scratch. It's truly a federation where everything needs to be revamped. There's a lot to do. We're dealing with a work site that will take months and months."

 

[VarBar]

There will be elections in 2 months. It will be interesting to see who's running and what projects they are offering. It is pretty obvious that Peizerat and Candeloro will run. I am sure that a "Didier-friendly" candidate will also run. Maryvonne Del Torchio is the interim-president and she is way too "Didier-friendly" in my opinion.

Many things can happen between now and the next election. A domino effect might follow. The Old Guard is done in my opinion but don't expect them to go down without a fight.

 

[Nmsis]

I’m curious if 2022 Worlds will be affected, or if things just proceed as planned.

I hope it won't get affected. That would be an argument in favor of Gailhaguet.
In 2007, he used the argument that the two FFSG presidents from 2004 to2007 couldn't get any major ISU competition to assert that the fed needed him as president.
I think he may make a few phone calls to members of the ISU to try to undermine his successor.

 

[Vagabond]

I’m curious if 2022 Worlds will be affected, or if things just proceed as planned.

If France can't host, maybe Australia can.

 

[cs.berlin]

All the time I had expected Bruno Massot to finally raise his prominent voice - on the occasion of his appearance (with Savchenko) at Holiday on ice in Hamburg yesterday, there was an opportunity to comment on the situation.

»Hamburg - Olympic pair skating champion Bruno Massot has great respect for his countrywoman Sarah Abitbol, who started the abuse scandal in French figure skating.

"Sarah is very brave", the 31-year-old told the German Press Agency. "The whole thing took me by surprise, I was just a child at the time and didn't notice anything of it," Massot added. After the resignation of association president Didier Gailhaguet, he hoped for a different climate.

"It should be more for the athletes in the future. All women should be able to talk about such experiences," said the former World Champion, who had also taken on German nationality before the 2018 Olympics. "Such things will happen again and again, not only in figure skating, in all sports. What should change is that the victims should be allowed to speak and be listened to," he demanded.«

Massot zu Missbrauchsvorwürfen: Opfer «sehr mutig» - Mittelhessen

<p>Hamburg (dpa) - Paarlauf-Olympiasieger Bruno Massot hat großen Respekt vor seiner Landsfrau Sarah Abitbol, die den Missbrauchsskandal im französischen …

www.mittelhessen.de

 

[hanca]

If France can't host, maybe Australia can.

If France can’t host, I am pretty sure Russia will manage to host with only one month notice, like a few years ago. They would be highly motivated to host, because they want their medals in ladies, pairs and ice dance...

 

[Nmsis]

So now the french fed is waiting for the results of the sports ministry' inquiries.
Probably the week after next week.

The skaters who have been at the forefront (Abitbol, Candeloro, Peizerat, ...) are waiting to see if the ministry is cleaning the federation, the Conseil Fédéral, the Bureau Exécutif, and maybe even the Direction Technique Nationale so that the new president has a clear path to make changes. Not that it has any formal right to do so, but the withdrawal of the delegation is still on the table.
If the ministry doesn't, the new president will have to deal with Gailhaguet's people at the head of the federation for the next two years, waiting for the olympic cycle to end., which would be dreadful.

Watching for Gailhaguet on Youtube, I've found this INA (Institut National de l'Audiovisiuel) video from 1968 where Gailhaguet was 15, barely french junior champion.

 

[overedge]

If France can't host, maybe Australia can.

I would love for this to happen, if only to see Didier's head explode

 

[taz'smum]

Watching for Gailhaguet on Youtube, I've found this INA (Institut National de l'Audiovisiuel) video from 1968 where Gailhaguet was 15, barely french junior champion.

Oh my, he was such a sweet kid!

 

[Asli]

I’m curious if 2022 Worlds will be affected, or if things just proceed as planned.

There's no reason why the 2022 Worlds should be affected. The Worlds weren't given to Galhaguet personally.

IMO the worst punishment for Didier's humongous ego would be for everything to simply go on without him. The realisation that he wasn't the centre of the earth after all - how much that must hurt!

 

[Asli]

I think he may make a few phone calls to members of the ISU to try to undermine his successor.

He may, but his former buddies may also start avoiding him. We still may not know the whole story about Didier's involvement and noone wants to be tainted by association.

It may be difficult to imagine French figure skating without Didier after so many years of totalitarianism. However, IMHO in the end we will see that skaters still skate, coaches still coach, the ice is still there, employees still get up at 5am to open the rink and France is still a country.

 

[PRlady]

Perhaps Didier was finally done in by a cultural moment:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/...ilia-france.html?referringSource=articleShare

 

[Asli]

Perhaps Didier was finally done in by a cultural moment:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/...ilia-france.html?referringSource=articleShare

This is incredible! I wasn't aware of this paedophile.

 

[MsZem]

The Israeli media has now caught on to this story.

שער×ר××ת ×××× ×¡ ש×סע××¨× ×ת צרפת

×©×¨× ×××××××, ×××פת צרפת ×שע×ר ×××××§× ××× ×ת×ת, ××©×¤× ×× × ×× ×¡× ××¤× × ×-30 ×©× × ×¢× ××× ×××× × ×'×× ×××××, ×פת×× ×ª××ת ×¤× ×××¨× ×©×סע××¨× ×ת ××××× ×

www.ynet.co.il

This is incredible! I wasn't aware of this paedophile.

There are so many of them

 

[PRlady]

This is incredible! I wasn't aware of this paedophile.

The story notes that sexual “deviance” was considered to be the proper right of the French elite. From what’s come out about Sartre, de Beauvoir etc, there might be a case for that.

All that French laughter at Americans for being puritanical is sounding a little hollow. Bless the women who are speaking out.

 

[cholla]

Election of a new president on... March 14 !

 

[Nmsis]

This is incredible! I wasn't aware of this paedophile.

I don't think many people were, unless they follow the litterary news.
I didn't know Matzneff and talked about him to my uncle who was a highschool teacher and he told me :

• that Matzneff had the reputation to be surrounded by hords of highschool fan girls throwing themselves at this "litterary genius."
• that he was all about having the teenagers' consent in a kind of idealized version of innocent / teenage boys or girls love freely given to this (old) "esthete".

It was quite blurry, even for people who had heard about Matzneff.
Except that now, people are digging and analyzing everything he wrote. And that's not what's on the pages.
His writings are not novels, they are diaries. At times, he talks about 10 yo prostitute boys. And that, in everybody's book, is pedophilia.
What a little circle knew is becoming public knowledge.
And something crucial happened : the consent idea has clearly been thown out of the window by Springora.

That's a generational thing. People who are now 40-45 yo grew up knowing the Dutroux case. They know what pedophilia is and they know it ends in jail, while it was not something people were talking about before. It redefined how the society views pedophilia.

All that French laughter at Americans for being puritanical is sounding a little hollow.

cough
cough

 

[PRlady]

I don't think many people were, unless they follow the litterary news.
I didn't know Matzneff and talked about him to my uncle who was a highschool teacher and he told me :

• that Matzneff had the reputation to be surrounded by hords of highschool fan girls throwing themselves at this "litterary genius."
• that he was all about having the teenagers' consent in a kind of idealized version of innocent / teenage boys or girls love freely given to this (old) "esthete".

It was quite blurry, even for people who had heard about Matzneff.
Except that now, people are digging and analyzing everything he wrote. And that's not what's on the pages.
His writings are not novels, they are diaries. At times, he talks about 10 yo prostitute boys. And that, in everybody's book, is pedophilia.
What a little circle knew is becoming public knowledge.
And something crucial happened : the consent idea has clearly been thown out of the window by Springora.

That's a generational thing. People who are now 40-45 yo grew up knowing the Dutroux case. They know what pedophilia is and they know it ends in jail, while it was not something people were talking about before. It redefined how the society views pedophilia.



cough
cough

Oh believe me I know. Our tolerated pedophiles are in savagely religious communities, from the Amish to some evangelical sects to ultra-observant Jews and Muslims. It’s a different breed than claiming the right of the elite to do what they want sexually, but either way the victims are victims.

 

[overedge]

Election of a new president on... March 14 !

Is that enough time for a fair election? Or are Didier's loyalists poised to push in a candidate that he can manipulate from afar?

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

I actually think it is a good thing that the election is early. The national media and the sports ministry are all over this. They will be scrutinizing that election and its consequences.