ISU Statement on Russia's war against Ukraine - Participation in international competitions of Skaters and Officials from Russia and Belarus

[MacMadame]

he was talking about blaming neutral countries like China and India for not taking a stand against Russia.

These countries are not neutral though. They haven't just "not taken a stand" but have aided Russia in various ways. Just because those ways aren't as public and visible as sending weapons and advisers to Ukraine, doesn't mean they are neutral.

Whether that would happen and why I don’t know but even here on the board I’ve seen a post saying someone hoped Russia would control China (post 519 on the presidential politics 2024 thread by Casey Edwards; edited to describe it more fairly.)

Trolls are everywhere even at FSU. I think we should keep the conversation to what reasonable people say that is reasonable and not engage with posters when they post preposterous things. Except maybe to use their posts to correct misinformation or get a different point out there. But falling down their rabbit holes helps no one.

Of course, everyone is free to post what they want but that's my position on responding to certain posters.

Trump Kept Asking if China Was Shooting Us With a 'Hurricane Gun'

Tump, the then-leader of the free world, also inquired whether the U.S. could bomb China in retaliation for the alleged hurricane attack

www.rollingstone.com

Okay, that's hysterical. Or would be if it wasn't so sad and dangerous.

 

[airgelaal]

A letter from the Ukraine Figure Skating Federation Athletes Commission Chair Anna Khnychenkova to the ISU Athletes’ Commission

https://twitter.com/x/status/1658508425070870528

 

[Sylvia]

Coach Galina Churilova's May 5th interview on the UKR federation's website: "We miss Ukraine and believe in victory"

Machine translation:

Due to the bloody war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine, most of the Ukrainian figure skaters had to train in other countries last season. One of the leading Ukrainian ice dance coaches, Halyna Churilova, told how difficult it was for her students - Kharkiv duet Maria Pinchuk/Mykyta Pogorelova and students of Odesa SDYUSSHOR Iryna Pidgainia/Artem Koval to get used to new conditions and whether it affected their results.

"Last season was very difficult for all of us. A foreign country (the coach and her students are currently in Vienna) with foreign rules, difficult conditions for training... Gradually, both duos adapted to the changes, but the longing for Ukraine, parents, friends who stayed at home only grew. In this situation, it is difficult to overestimate the support of the Austrian Figure Skating Federation and all my foreign colleagues, who are always ready to help in difficult situations.

Despite everything, I believe that my students spent the season decently and learned a lot. It is important that they learn to cope with themselves and the situation. As a result, Maria Pinchuk and Nikita Pogorelov took 15th place at the European Championship and in the team with Maria Golubtsova and Kirill Belobrov earned two tickets to the next European Championship. Also, Maria and Nikita became 12th at the Junior World Championship, were third and fourth at the Junior Grand Prix stages. Iryna Pidgayna and Artem Koval successfully debuted at the UGP (seventh and fourth places), and also became winners and prize-winners of international tournaments.

I really want to wish them and all of us peace and patience. We believe in our Victory!", said Halyna Churilova.

 

[Sylvia]

Reuters article by By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber (May 16) tweeted by GlobalAthlete.org who also tagged the ISU: https://twitter.com/GlobalAthleteHQ/status/1658755894409146370:

Ukraine asks ISU for full Russian ban until end of war

The athletes commission of the Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation has called on the sport's international governing body to back a full ban against Russian figure skaters and officials until the end of the Ukraine invasion.

www.reuters.com

The athletes commission of the Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation has called on the sport's international governing body to back a full ban against Russian figure skaters and officials until the end of the Ukraine invasion.
In a letter seen by Reuters, figure skater Anna Khnychenkova, chair of the Ukrainian federation's athletes commission, said Russians' participation "in any status or form" in events sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU) was unacceptable.
"We are hopeful that the athlete committee will support our initiative of full and entire ban of Russian athletes and officials at all ISU international sanctioned events until the end of the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine," she wrote.

 

[airgelaal]

The Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation sent letters to the International Skating Union and to the federations/associations of the ISU member countries with a request to support the further exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in events and competitions

УФФК просить ISU та федерації країн-членів Спілки підтримати недопущення російських та білоруських спортсменів до змагань – Українська федерація фігурного катання на ковзанах

 

[Karen-W]

Apparently RIA Novosti is reporting that the ISU Council will postpone a decision on lifting the ban until its October meeting... https://instagram.com/stories/oh_my...e=ig_story_item_share&igshid=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng==

But, Irina Rodnina is saying she believes that Russian skaters could be back in international competition this fall and that the ISU Council will discuss this weekend -

https://twitter.com/fs_gossips/status/1666847331268870144?t=H2N-JLGilVBCoAtu9Qyp8w&s=19

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

so more time to inundate the ISU with requests to maintain the ban. Are they magically hoping Russia will leave Ukraine so they don't have to make a choice. Just keep kicking that can down the road.

 

[Vagabond]

so more time to inundate the ISU with requests to maintain the ban. Are they magically hoping Russia will leave Ukraine so they don't have to make a choice. Just keep kicking that can down the road.

It would be a good thing if Russia left Ukraine. This very moment would not be a minute too soon.

I would, however, rather that the ISU kick the can down the road than that it allow Russia and Belarus to send skaters to competitions.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

It would be a good thing if Russia left Ukraine. This very moment would not be a minute too soon.

Very true. I guess I was more commenting on the cowardice of the ISU. Just ban them for next year already.

 

[Karen-W]

Very true. I guess I was more commenting on the cowardice of the ISU. Just ban them for next year already.

At least if they kick the can down the road to October we won't see any Russian/Belarusian skaters on the JGP and probably not on the GP either*.

*Theoretically, if they're reinstated in October, they could enter skaters/teams at the Budapest Trophy, Denis Ten Memorial, IceChallenge and Warsaw Cup Challengers and if any of their skaters win, they would be added to the GP Alternates list, but at the very bottom, so the chances of any of those teams being selected for a GP are next to nil.

But, honestly, I trust that Putin is going to continue being a stubborn a$$ and will probably do something awful next September and re-solidify opposition to their athletes returning to international sporting competitions.

 

[Vagabond]

At some point this year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport will render a decision in the matter. The ISU might be trying to hold off doing anything decisive because a particularly damning judgment might override considerations about the war.

 

[Alilou]

Time to send those emails to the ISU council members to uphold the ban of Russian and Belarusian skaters.

I sent the following email to each member of the council:

Because the emails are going to the public NGB email address I am sending each email separately so in each case I can make the subject line:

Attention Mr/Ms <name of council member>: re skaters from Russia and Belarus


Please feel free to simply copy/paste my email. I don't think it matters. What matters is the number of people voicing their concerns even it all comes with the same wording. Or of course you may want to make changes or write your own.

Anyway here's the email I sent:

Dear Mr Kim/Mr Espeli/Ms Samaranch/etc (Whether they are male or female is pretty obvious. The Japanese member is a man)

I am contacting you with my concerns about re-admitting Russian and Belarusian athletes to ISU competitions.

The original reason for the ban was Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine, a sovereign nation. This situation has not changed, therefore these athletes should still be banned.

Russia continues to violate the concept of fair play through its unprovoked attack on Ukraine, thus sabotaging another member nation's ability to compete in the sport, and endangering the lives of this nation’s athletes.

Who determines whether an athlete from Russia or Belarus meets the IOC definition of an Individual Neutral Athlete? What does neutral mean - that the athlete is neither for nor against the war? All Russian athletes are state-funded and cannot, therefore, be neutral.

As you can see I have grave concerns about this situation. It seems clear-cut to me that nothing has changed, and that to speak of "neutral" athletes makes a mockery of all that Ukraine has endured.

Finally, given the aggressive behaviour of some fans from the Russian diaspora at recent sporting events, can you guarantee the security and safety of Ukrainian, and Ukrainian-born skaters who represent other countries, or of the many other skaters who have expressed vocal, sustained support for the Ukrainian cause? Will these skaters be safe at ISU events if Russian and Belarusian athletes are permitted to compete?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely
Your name here


And just to make it really easy for you here is the list of email addresses. The email addresses are for the relevant NGBs

[email protected] Jae Youl Kim Korea

[email protected] Tron Espeli Norway

[email protected] Benoit Lavoie Canada

[email protected] Sergio Anesi Italy

[email protected] Gyorgy Elek Hungary

[email protected] Albert Hazelhoff Netherlands

[email protected] Tatsuro Matsumura Japan

[email protected] Eric Radford Canada

[email protected] Susanna Rakhamo Finland

[email protected] Patricia St. Peter United States

[email protected] Maria Teresa Samaranch Spain

[email protected] Suwanna Silpa-Archa Thailand

[email protected] Stoytcho Stoytchev Bulgaria

Even sending one email to one council member might help. We know Canada, US, and Finland will likely vote to uphold the ban so write to any/all of the others.

 

[barbk]

I sent 3. More later. Thanks for the address info and suggestion, @Alilou!

 

[SkatingIsLife]

Here are some news statement from ISU homepage on it:

ISU Statement - IOC Recommendations of March 28, 2023 - International Skating Union

The ISU Council met on June 9-11, 2023 and discussed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations of March 28, 2023 for International Federations on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarussian passport in international competitions.

isu.org

 

[Karen-W]

Here are some news statement from ISU homepage on it:

ISU Statement - IOC Recommendations of March 28, 2023 - International Skating Union

The ISU Council met on June 9-11, 2023 and discussed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations of March 28, 2023 for International Federations on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarussian passport in international competitions.

isu.org

Fantastic news!!!!

Quotes from Navka, Bestemyanova, and Kogan in this article - https://t.co/FG2JYg7giz

"It was clear that the ISU was losing money, just today they published a report," Bestemyanova told Russia's official state news agency TASS.

"Without us, the competitions became less interesting, especially for women and in pairs.

"I hope that the situation that has developed for the ISU will affect the decision on the admission of our athletes, and they will be returned to international competitions.

"We are all waiting for this."

Tatiana Navka, the 2006 Olympic ice dance gold medallist and now married to Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's spokesman, condemned the decision.

"Stupidity and injustice," she told Sport-Express.

"Once again they show that people use sports to achieve some of their goals.

"They hoped that reason would prevail.

But, apparently, no."

But Alexander Kogan, director general of the Russian Figure Skating Federation, seemed to be expecting the decision.

"This ISU decision means that our athletes - both seniors and juniors - cannot compete," he told TASS.

"Although there was a tiny bit of hope, this decision did not surprise us.

 

[Hedwig]

Justice prevailed!

 

[Debbie S]

Well, the statement said they would "explore pathways." That could be code for 'we'll let them back in by mid-season'.

In addition to the Ukraine situation, I feel like one of those "pathways" should include a doping investigation and rooting out/banning all cheaters. But despite the fact that nearly 20 skaters are waiting for medals they rightfully earned over a year ago, the ISU seems to have no interest.

 

[Sylvia]

Full ISU statement reads as follows:

11 June 2023 Budapest, Hungary

The International Skating Union (ISU) has supported the Skating Federations of Ukraine since the start of the war, implementing ISU Communication 2469, and also granting financial support to assist Ukrainian Skaters. The ISU reiterates its sympathy for and solidarity to all affected by the War in Ukraine. The ISU maintains its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms.

The ISU Council met on June 9-11, 2023 and discussed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations of March 28, 2023 for International Federations on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarussian passport in international competitions.

The ISU Council decided to explore the feasibility issues with regard to potential pathways to implement the IOC recommendations within ISU Sports.

The Council will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and its impact on the ISU activity as well as the decisions and their implementation within the Olympic Movement. In the meantime, ISU Communication 2469 remains in force.


ETA from RIA Novosti: On Thursday, a RIA Novosti source said that the issue of admitting Russian skaters to adult tournaments would most likely be postponed until October, when the next meeting of the ISU Council would take place, while the situation with juniors would most likely be resolved more quickly.

 

[hoptoad]

So far, so good.

Next thing is for the IOC to make Russian athletes ineligible for the summer olympics.

 

[Vagabond]

"People use sports to achieve some of their goals."

Truer than you even realize, Tatiana Alexandrovna. Truer than you even realize.

 

[Debbie S]

So far, so good.

Next thing is for the IOC to make Russian athletes ineligible for the summer olympics.

With Bach's head up Putin's rear, I'm less than optimistic about that.

 

[Karen-W]

ETA from RIA Novosti: On Thursday, a RIA Novosti source said that the issue of admitting Russian skaters to adult tournaments would most likely be postponed until October, when the next meeting of the ISU Council would take place, while the situation with juniors would most likely be resolved more quickly.

I don't believe that we will see Russian or Belarusian skaters on the JGP this season. Whatever "pathways" the ISU plans on exploring might be more easily achieved by most junior age-eligible Russian & Belarusian skaters, but it does not sound like the ISU will adopt any of proposed measures until October at the earliest.

Additionally, I found it notable that the ISU made a point of issuing their press release today rather than waiting until tomorrow (the next business day). My expectation coming into this weekend was that the ISU Council would do their thing, as they always do, and news would trickle out next week, so it was surprising to see that press release issued immediately, especially since there are those (like Bestemyanova) who believed that the ISU Budget forecast, which was released Friday, was subtly trying to set up the lifting of the ban, because the ISU just can't live without Russian advertising revenues.

Yes, that's certainly an issue, but my guess is that the ongoing sanctions due to the war has greatly reduced the advertising budgets of most if not all Russian companies - which means, in time, that Russia will have a reduced level of influence on the ISU. I haven't read the complete budget forecast, but the screenshotted sections I did see on Twitter paint a picture of a confluence of reasons for the ISU's somewhat grim financial outlook and Russian advertising revenues is just part of the equation, and not necessarily the largest piece of the puzzle.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

A sigh of relief. ISU statement is showing their acting reasonable, but really it means no Russians in any substantial way in the GP, probably for the season. For those wanting to piggy back the cheating problem on this it`s double good news. Two years out of the ISU cycle and Russia`s re-entry will be a trickle. Will Russia and their pals have options other than forming their own "Union"?

 

[Karen-W]

A sigh of relief. ISU statement is showing their acting reasonable, but really it means no Russians in any substantial way in the GP, probably for the season. For those wanting to piggy back the cheating problem on this it`s double good news. Two years out of the ISU cycle and Russia`s re-entry will be a trickle. Will Russia and their pals have options other than forming their own "Union"?

Their skating pals, apart from Belarus, aren't going to jump to forming another "Union" - Georgia profited tremendously this season with the Russians out and China is definitely back in the ISU fold, between Beijing hosting the GPF and Shanghai hosting 4CCs next season.

 

[Karen-W]

FS-gossips had a translation of a TASS article with additional quotes from Tatiana Tarasova, Ilia Averbukh, Alexei Yagudin and Maria Butyrskays, plus a lengthier quote from Bestemyanova -

“I couldn’t even imagine that they would punish us so severely. It’s just mockery towards us.” ISU has extended the suspension of Russian skaters, comments from Russian specialists

The International Skating Union (ISU) has extended the suspension of Russians and Belarusians. Comments from Russian coaches and specialists.

t.co

Tatiana Tarasova: I didn’t expect such a decision, I couldn’t even imagine that they would punish us so severely. It’s just mockery towards us. Nobody has ever been suspended for two years like this.

 

[barbk]

Full ISU statement reads as follows:

11 June 2023 Budapest, Hungary

The International Skating Union (ISU) has supported the Skating Federations of Ukraine since the start of the war, implementing ISU Communication 2469, and also granting financial support to assist Ukrainian Skaters. The ISU reiterates its sympathy for and solidarity to all affected by the War in Ukraine. The ISU maintains its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms.

The ISU Council met on June 9-11, 2023 and discussed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations of March 28, 2023 for International Federations on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarussian passport in international competitions.

The ISU Council decided to explore the feasibility issues with regard to potential pathways to implement the IOC recommendations within ISU Sports.

The Council will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and its impact on the ISU activity as well as the decisions and their implementation within the Olympic Movement. In the meantime, ISU Communication 2469 remains in force.


ETA from RIA Novosti: On Thursday, a RIA Novosti source said that the issue of admitting Russian skaters to adult tournaments would most likely be postponed until October, when the next meeting of the ISU Council would take place, while the situation with juniors would most likely be resolved more quickly.

I suggest they take just as long to explore feasibility issues as Team athletes from non-doping teams have waited to receive their Olympic medals.

 

[Dobre]

I don't know why anyone needs to explore anything.

There could be a path for refugees who are not living in Russia, not taking money from the Russian government, and are not competing for it or a member fed. The IOC already has a path for competing refugees. The ISU, perhaps, should explore it? I don't know how, with the federation rules, a competitive route for refugees that are not federation members would currently exist within skating so perhaps a path needs to be put in place for any skaters from any country who might be in such a situation.

Otherwise, IMO, the required action should lie in Russia's court. Get out of Ukraine. Stop murdering, torturing, and kidnapping people. Pay for the damage you've caused. Turn your criminals over to the international justice system.

Time enough for athletic organizations to set up dates for serious discussions about the involvement of Russian athletes competing for Russia after Russia retreats and a treaty is signed.

 

[PRlady]

I’m relieved. And every time the Russians open their collective mouths to brag about their skaters and complain about their exclusion, I’m even happier not to see the likes of any of them in international competitions. I’d love to fly an airplane over Russian Nats to skywrite Nobody Misses You.

 

[Japanfan]

I’d love to fly an airplane over Russian Nats to skywrite Nobody Misses You.

I have thought more than once how enjoyable FS has been without the Russians. Like the sport was able to breathe, after a long time of not being able to do so. Like a new landscape became available for exploration.

 

[MacMadame]

"People use sports to achieve some of their goals."

Truer than you even realize, Tatiana Alexandrovna. Truer than you even realize.

Oh, I think she realizes. You know, it's always different when your side does it.