Olympic 'finals' proposal

This debate is all very well but the IOC, the TV Companies and corporate sponsors will dictate what happens, when it happens at the Olympics. The ISAF are trying to keep our sport as an olympic sport and to do that those who are coughing up the biggest slice of the cash will have the biggest say

Accept it and move on.

 

 

Originally posted by JimC But it sounds as if ISAF have been given a stark choice - do what we say or you're out of the Olymics

Ah yes, the "closing the children's ward argument". "Give me more money or I'll have to close the children's ward. Imagine what people will say about that".

The question is, how would it look if the IOC threw out a major sport just to get better TV coverage? A hollow threat, I suspect.

  

Originally posted by MikeBz Re. the 'Change is difficult, but we have to move forward.'  - that's a statement that nobody could possibly argue with.  Surely the point is, 'Is this moving forward?'

Yes, I reached for the sick bag when I saw that quote. It is a rhetorical device designed purely to paint the opposition in a negative light.

There was an excellent recent letter from Malcolm McKeag on Scuttlebutt on the corrupting effect of Olympic money on the ISAF. http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/archived_Detail.asp?key=32 20

Originally posted by turnturtle a bit of a contradiction rupert- it would be terrible for viewing if you don't know the combinations- first not last, matching pairs... it took me a while to get the feel for our situation when I first starting teaming at uni.  Bottom line is that 2,4,5 wins but it looks like you're losing. that said the GBR boys could become very cocky and start the old simultaneous tacking up the final beat of the S in a 1,2,3... now that would make good TV!

 

Um, last time I checked 2, 4, 5, looked like you're losing - and you were...!!

(unless of course the others have a dsq...)

Which university was this??!!

Anyway, back to the subject of the thread. It looks like the proposal is going ahead.

From http://www.sailing.org/default.asp?ID=j1/Fh06/l describing the ISAF conference. It would be nice to know what the sailors said but we aren't told.

The Olympic Debate

The debate centred around late submission 025 and in particular the issue of discards and the weighting of race results. Chairman of the ISAF Classes Committee Jeff MARTIN (GBR) joined the debate to give the view of the Olympic classes, whilst Olympic gold medallist and two-time ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Sofia BEKATOROU (GRE) gave a sailor’s opinion on the proposals. Olympic Format Working Party chair Kim ANDERSEN (DEN) also gave the benefit of the research undertaken, whilst supporting submission 025.

As expected the debate was in depth and lengthy, with the Committee deciding to support submission 025, but with votes on two provisos. First they approved an amendment to change the range of races for which the discard can be applied from 1-5 to 1-10 (1-15 for the 49er).

Göran PETERSSON talks to the Events Committee © ISAF

There then followed a motion based around the proposed results weighting to provide a decisive final race in which the medals will be decided. There was divided opinion on the issue and a proposal to support submission 025, but a second amendment stating there will be no weighted races, was tabled. Responding to some of the doubters in the room, chairman Bjorn UNGER was clear that, 'Change is difficult, but we have to move forward.' It seemed that his words correlated with the views of the majority, as the second amendment was rejected. The Committee will now report to the ISAF Council on the submission, who will make the final decision on the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition Format in their meetings from 10-12 November.