Plushenko drama

[SillyAdultSkater]

http://isu.sportcentric.net/db//files/serve.php?id=1902
http://loopaxles.blogspot.com/2010/06/loss-of-eligibility.html

5. Decision of the ISU Council on Eligibility of Mr. Evgeny Plushenko (RUS)
Based on evidence presented the Council has concluded that Mr. Evgeny Plushenko breached the
ISU eligibility rule 102, paragraph 2, i) of the ISU General Regulations and as a consequence has
become ineligible under paragraph 7 a) of that rule. The evidence has proved to the satisfaction
of the Council that Mr. E. Plushenko, a skater and member of the Figure Skating Federation of
Russia (FSFR), skated in exhibitions held in March and April 2010, in Russia and other
countries, without the express prior authorization of the FSFR. Such activity is a breach of the
ISU eligibility rules and results in the loss of eligibility.
5
The present decision communicated to both Mr E. Plushenko and the FSFR may be appealed to
the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland, within 21 days upon receipt of the
decision, in accordance with Article 25, paragraph 2, c) of the ISU Constitution.

I'm not even sure what to say to this. Plushenko holds a special spot in my heart and if he was to retire from amateur competition, of course I'd be rather disappointed. On the other end, amateur competition is supposed to be just that, for amateurs; with all the struggles for money and all that. Is one really an amateur when one is making a lot of money in bonuses from the president, show money, making over one and a half million dollars a year, etc?

[Isk8NYC]

I like your avatar and caption, lol.

I think that all elite skaters are professional athletes in one way or another.  Plushy gets bonuses, Kim's country paid for her training in Canada, US/Canada skaters perform in shows during the off-season.  Let's not forget the ISU monetary awards for Grand Prix performance.

Six of one, half-dozen of the other.

[Skittl1321]

There is no such thing as amateur competition anymore, just eligible and non-eligible.

Plushenko "broke the rules" (i.e., pissed people off) when he didn't go to World's but skated in shows instead.  If he had just not done the shows, he could have skipped World's no problem.  (Rochette almost had the same problem, but managed to get clearance before the shows.)

The ISU thinks if you are well enough to skate in shows, you are well enough to skate in competition.  But shows put so much less stress on an injured (or emotionally stressed, in Rochette's case) performer.  I think it's perfectly plausible that a skater isn't in form for World's, but can still be in shows.

[SillyAdultSkater]

I like your avatar and caption, lol.

Appropriate huh?  

The ISU thinks if you are well enough to skate in shows, you are well enough to skate in competition.  But shows put so much less stress on an injured (or emotionally stressed, in Rochette's case) performer.  I think it's perfectly plausible that a skater isn't in form for World's, but can still be in shows.

Exactly, he could probably skate a programme without even jumping or just doing one jump or something, the audience would still be in awe.

I hope the Russian skating federation/body/whatever they are does manage to get him cleared for eligibility again before Sochi.  

[singerskates]

Plushy, can't reinstate a second time. Skaters are only allowed to reinstate 1 time and that's it. It's an ISU rule.

[SillyAdultSkater]

Has he been reinstated before then?

[aussieskater]

I'm not sure where you're getting the information that an athlete can only reinstate one time?  Are you maybe referring to the one-off reinstatement for professional (ineligible) athletes between Albertville (1992) and Lillehammer (1994)?  In any event, AFAIK, Plushy has only once become ineligible - this time.  I don't think he ever actually lost his eligibility between Torino and Vancouver?