FIE elections and celebrations in Paris this weekend

[gladius]

Important events will take place in Paris this weekend concerning the FIE. I am surprised by the lack of publicity given to all this on the official USFA web site (yes, I know, they do the best they can and have more important things to do now, but...).

Other federations are not so hush hush about all this because apart from the elections for the new quadrennial there will also be a gala celebrating the stars of the sport of fencing. The winners of the 2008 World Cup Senior and Junior will be recognized. One is Rebecca Ward (senior saber), the only American with such distinction. Others are: Ana Branza (women's epee, senior), Violetta Kolobova (women's epee junior), Valentina Vezzali (women's foil senior) Inna Deriglazova (women's foil junior) and Nikita Proskura (men's saber junior) [from http://www.federscherma.it/news.asp?i=65627&s=7 ].

Hereunder is the list of all the candidates with the Americans in bold. I wonder why the USFA president is not a candidate for a post in the EC of the FIE, since this is where presidents of federations usually aspire to be. But we always seem to be doing things different from all the others, not always with the best result for our cause or interest.

In any case, best of luck to all our candidates. We need our voice to be heard within the FIE.


CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT: René Roch (FRA), Alisher Usmanov (RUS).

CANDIDATES FOR THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Fares Attye (SEN), Peggy Baldwin (PER), Jorge Castro Rea (MEX), Arthur Cramer (BRA), Celso Dayrit (PHI), Ahmet Duvan (TUR), Max Geuter (GER), Rafaela Gonzales Ferrer (CUB), Velitchka Hristeva (BUL), Ali Hussain (KUW), Marco Antonio Izaguirre Rodriguez (HON), Peter Jacobs (GBR), Emmanuel Katsiadakis (GRE), Guk Hyeon Kim (KOR), Per Palmström (SWE), Maxim Paramonov (UKR), Ana Pascu (ROU), Frédéric Pietruszka (FRA), Sunil Sabharwal (USA), Feriel Nadira Salhi (ALG), Victor Sanchez (ESP), Giorgio Scarso (ITA), Helen Smith (AUS), Marja-Liisa Tuulikki Someroja (FIN), Omar Alejandro Vergara (ARG), Wei Wang (CHN).

CANDIDATES FOR THE REFEREEING COMMISSION: Jose Luis Alvarez Gil De Tejada (ESP), Peter Brigola (AUT), Miguel H Cardoso Pinto Machado (POR), Derek Cotton (USA), Angel Gregorio Diaz Farfan (MEX), Mohamed El Motawakel (EGY), Bjorn Faye (NOR), Salah Ferjani (TUN), Marius Florea (ROU), Vadym Gutzait (UKR), Weal Husain (KUW), Claus Janka (GER), J. Normann Jorgensen (DEN), Adam Kaszubowski (POL), Chang Gon Kim (KOR), Ilgar Mamedov (RUS), Reiko Nakata (JPN), Jean-Pierre Rommeru (FRA); Moris Sakhvadze (GEO), Feriel Nadira Salhi (ALG), Marco Siesto (ITA), Keith Smith (GBR).

CANDIDATES FOR THE DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION: Roxana Mariana Barladeanu (ROU), Antoine Campiche (SUI), Pedro Leovigildo Cornet Rodas (PAR), Ziad Feriani (TUN), Monica Ho (TPE), Marco Antonio Izaguirre Rodriguez (HON), Allan Jay (GBR), Daoming Ji (CHN), Carmen del Mar Martinez Avalos (MEX), Aymen Mounir (EGY), Oleg Peskov (KAZ), Jaana Pihkala (FIN), Alireza Poursalmani (IRI), Brigitte Saint Bonnet (FRA), Jose Valarinho (POR).

CANDIDATES FOR THE LEGAL COMMISSION: Victor Africa (PHI), Bahtiyar Akyilmaz (TUR), Maria Margherita Alciati (ITA), Yann Bernard (CAN), Edward Owen Bourne (GBR), Olivier Carrard (SUI), Samuel Cheris (USA), Boubacar Diouf (MLI), Medhat El-Bakry (EGY), Anca Ioana Ileana Ionescu (ROU), Jean-Pierre Kessler (FRA), Ari-Pekka Launne (FIN), Ildiko Mincza-Nebald (HUN), Per Palmström (SWE), Gordon Rapp (GER), Marco Rioja Perez (ESP), Noureddine Robbana (TUN), Omar Alejandro Vergara (ARG), Sergio Alejandro Vergara De La Guarda (CHI).

CANDIDATES FOR THE MEDICAL COMMISSION: Ayse Fida Baturalp (TUR), Catherine Defoligny (FRA), Antonio Fiore (ITA), Clare Halsted (GBR), Peter Harmer (AUS), Jeno Kamuti (HUN), Youssef Mlayah (TUN), Maha Mourad (EGY), Andreia Ileana Murgu (ROU), Ezequiel Rodriguez Rey (PAN), Gorge Ruijsch Van Dugteren (NED), Davood Reza Shafaat (IRI), Ryszard Szczepanski (POL), Wilfried Wolfgarten (GER).

CANDIDATES FOR THE PROMOTION (P.P.) COMMISSION: Gholamhossein Asgari (IRI), Erika Aze (LAT), Ali Besbes (TUN), Muminhan Bilgin (TUR), Alejandro Bleyer Reyes (BOL), Jorge Castro Rea (MEX), Nahedh El-Murde (KUW), Cecile Faye (SEN), Archil Gogelia (GEO), Victor Sergio Groupierre (ARG), Velichka Hristeva (BUL), Frantisek Janda (CZE), Sorel Arthur Kembe (CGO), Dimitrios Kontos (GRE), Jean Leten (BEL), John Makela (CAN), Nikolay Ivanov Mateev (ISL), Rigoberto Morejon Llanes (CUB), Maxim Paramonov (UKR), Hilary Philbin (GBR), Kimmo Pentikainen (FIN), Osama Mustafa Riad (EGY), Sabirjan Ruziev (UZB), Abdelillah Zaji (MAR), Octavian Petru Zidaru (ROU).

CANDIDATES FOR THE RULES COMMISSIONS: Donald Alperstein (USA), Sarkis Assadourian (IRI), Manuel Belmonte (CAN), Giuseppe Cafiero (ITA), Laura-Gabriela Carlescu-Badea (ROU), Arthur Cramer (BRA), Noureddine Daho (MAR), Wojciech Dryla (POL), Tamer El Araby (EGY), William Genet Barberena (NCA), Julio Cesar Gonzalez Tirador, (CUB), Stephen Higginson (GBR), Kazushige Hirano (JPN), Krisztian Kulcsar (HUN), Janine Lamon (SUI), Ilhami Ozdemir (TUR), Patrick Picot (FRA), Lutz Schirrmacher (GER), Jae Sung Shim (KOR), Helen Smith (AUS), Pierre Thullberg (SWE), Xiangyang Yuan (CHN).

CANDIDATES FOR THE S.E.M.I. COMMISSION: Alimohammad Azizi (IRI), Jacek Bierkowski (POL), Maria de los Angeles Cervantes Saldaňa (MEX), Daniel Dechaine (USA), Eric De Coninck (FRA), Jose Eduardo Dias S. C. Dos Santos (POR), Jose Fernando Diaz Pereira (ESP), Maria Wilda Eberl Lopez (CHI), Gamil Elzeftawi (EGY), Gudjon Ingi Gestsson (ISL), Atsushi Harinishi (JPN), Janet Huggins (GBR), Mustafa Kalender (TUR), Richard Martin (AUT), Christian Mihai (ROU), Josè Miguel Morejon Vizcaino (CUB), Gianandrea Nicolai (ITA), Semen Rikhtman (RUS), Filip Shabanski (BUL), Piet Wauters (BEL).



Question: Did the USFA offer Rebecca Ward airplane ticket and hotel in Paris to receive her well deserved and unique accolade?

[nahouw]

Originally Posted by gladius

Question: Did the USFA offer Rebecca Ward airplane ticket and hotel in Paris to receive her well deserved and unique accolade?

That's a really good question after an outstanding year for her -- winner of the World Cup and double bronze medalist...

[edew]

Maybe Duke can one-up the USFA by providing the nice gesture.

[Purple Fencer]

If Roch and Dos Santos gets voted out, I might celebrate...

[Rick Shellhouse]

Originally Posted by Purple Fencer

If Roch and Dos Santos gets voted out, I might celebrate...

Does the term slim to none sound familiar?

snowball chance in south america?



The politicking has been done already...


R

[Craig]

Originally Posted by nahouw

That's a really good question after an outstanding year for her -- winner of the World Cup and double bronze medalist...

The FIE takes care of that for the World Cup winners.

Serge is at the congress and will be providing a report.

Craig

[Mo]

Miss Ward is definitely a brave and gutsy woman.
Finals at Duke start on Monday. Even she is not that gutsy.
Flying to Paris on one day and back the next, just hours before her first college final exams start is just not a good idea.
I tend to agree with her.
We arranged for someone, from the USFA, (Andrea) to pick up her award at the Gala Election Celebration. Hopefully that went over well. Kalle was also notified of this arrangement.

The Momster

[gladius]

In the FIS article covering the FIE elections and recognition of the outstanding world fencers, the Italian federation also indicates who is part of their delegation to Paris, this weekend.

"The Italian delegation lead by President Giorgio Scarso will comprise the five candidates to the respective commissions, the six athletes which will receive the special recognition [minus Rossella Fiammingo, WE, who will compete in the junior WC in Lignano Sabbiadoro], Mario Fava, FIE honorary VP, Lionello Del Maschio, President of the Mediterranean [Fencing] Confederation, and by Edoardo Mangiarotti, FIE honorary member."


Compare and contrast with the total absence of info from the USFA. Who is going to Paris this weekend? I assume and hope that the President and all the candidates for the various commissions will be there. We understand that Rebecca Ward cannot go because of school obligations. But, the inquiring minds want to know, who else took the trip to Paris on behalf of the USFA and paid for from USFA funds? Since the USFA decided to charge the elite fencers going abroad $100+ per athlete per event, we should all be in a pinching pennies mood.

If the Italians know, why can't we know? And why, pray tell, not put at least a blip of this event on the official web site? After all it is very good PR!

Questions, many questions, all without answers...

So much for the promised transparency!

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by Rick Shellhouse

Does the term slim to none sound familiar?

snowball chance in south america?



The politicking has been done already...


R

Well....I DID say "might"...

[mdstasinos]

Originally Posted by gladius

In the FIS article covering the FIE elections and recognition of the outstanding world fencers, the Italian federation also indicates who is part of their delegation to Paris, this weekend.

"The Italian delegation lead by President Giorgio Scarso will comprise the five candidates to the respective commissions, the six athletes which will receive the special recognition [minus Rossella Fiammingo, WE, who will compete in the junior WC in Lignano Sabbiadoro], Mario Fava, FIE honorary VP, Lionello Del Maschio, President of the Mediterranean [Fencing] Confederation, and by Edoardo Mangiarotti, FIE honorary member."


Compare and contrast with the total absence of info from the USFA. Who is going to Paris this weekend? I assume and hope that the President and all the candidates for the various commissions will be there. We understand that Rebecca Ward cannot go because of school obligations. But, the inquiring minds want to know, who else took the trip to Paris on behalf of the USFA and paid for from USFA funds? Since the USFA decided to charge the elite fencers going abroad $100+ per athlete per event, we should all be in a pinching pennies mood.

If the Italians know, why can't we know? And why, pray tell, not put at least a blip of this event on the official web site? After all it is very good PR!

Questions, many questions, all without answers...

So much for the promised transparency!

The USFA President, Kalle Weeks, Donald Alperstien, Sam Cheris, as well as the other canidates are in Paris this weekend for the elections.
The results of the election will be made know at the conclusion of the FIE Elections.
Can't disagree with the "blip" comment. If other honors were and are to be given to the USFA, then yes, it should have been announced for the fencing public and membership. I will look into this.
Mark Stasinos
Vice-President
US Fencing Association

[Mr.MightyMouse]

Best of luck to Messieurs Sabrahawal, Cotton, and DeChaine - could not think of better candidates to represent US Fencing.

I'm quite torn between Roch and Usmanov - while I think that the latter can throw a lot of weight around (in more ways than one),
and Messr Roch quite often is beyond a "micromanager",
there is no way Messr Usmanov can dedicate a proper amount of time to the position.
Anyway - it is a fait accompli' - the outcome is quite obvious IMHO.

[edew]

Originally Posted by Mo

Miss Ward is definitely a brave and gutsy woman.
Finals at Duke start on Monday. Even she is not that gutsy.
Flying to Paris on one day and back the next, just hours before her first college final exams start is just not a good idea.
I tend to agree with her.

The Momster

When I was a TA as a grad student, if a student told me that she has to go to Paris for an award for some international recognition, I'm more than happy to give her the break and offer her a private exam at some later point (say, several days later). And that would not have anything to do with the fact that I was also a fencer.

Now, if she said that her grandmother passed away. . .

[seak]

Yeah actually most Profs will give you a break for that. The TA actually probably has no ability to give dispensation one way or the other. That being said my guess is that she has more then one exam, and that flying out and postponing exams would cause them to pile up on one another.

Perhaps doable for an upperclassmen, but not what you want as a Freshman in your first go through.

[gladius]

Originally Posted by mdstasinos

The USFA President, Kalle Weeks, Donald Alperstien, Sam Cheris, as well as the other canidates are in Paris this weekend for the elections.
The results of the election will be made know at the conclusion of the FIE Elections.
Can't disagree with the "blip" comment. If other honors were and are to be given to the USFA, then yes, it should have been announced for the fencing public and membership. I will look into this.
Mark Stasinos
Vice-President
US Fencing Association

Mark, thank you! Glad to know that Kalle is in Paris together with all the other USFA proposed candidates. I still am surprised and would like to know why our President is not a candidate for the EC of the FIE, without implying that our candidate for this post is not suitable. I guess a minimum of information about this event and explanation to us who our candidates are would and could not hurt.

Glad to see that at least you agree that we missed an opportunity to toot our horn both within the USFA and outside and that it is not OK that we had to find out only in a foreign web site that our best young fencer ever, Rebecca Ward, was to be an honoree at the most prestigious FIE gathering. Hopefully we have all learned a lesson.

I also asked, forgive me for being insistent on this, who else went to Paris on behalf of the USFA for this meeting, following the model of the press release that Italians issued, namely candidates to FIE posts, honored athletes, other honorary members. SOP for them: we should do the same. Communication and transparency are IMPORTANT.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BECCA WARD FOR HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND BEST OF LUCK TO ALL THE USFA CANDIDATES!

.

[downunder]

I'll be there. Jumping on the train tomorrow morning.

[edew]

Originally Posted by seak

Yeah actually most Profs will give you a break for that. The TA actually probably has no ability to give dispensation one way or the other. That being said my guess is that she has more then one exam, and that flying out and postponing exams would cause them to pile up on one another.

Perhaps doable for an upperclassmen, but not what you want as a Freshman in your first go through.

I'd say waving a couple gold medals and two bronze Olympics medals in front of the profs would make them find a way to allow her to take the exams a bit later. Of course, it's not the end of the world if she doesn't go.

[downunder]

Usmanov wins 66-61.

[Rick Shellhouse]

Originally Posted by downunder

Usmanov wins 66-61.

*THUD*


Ummm wow.....bet Roche did not see that coming....


I mean wow

R