Eight days after Nathalie Péchalat, a second candidate declares herself. Former figure skating judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne, at the heart of the 2002 Olympic Games scandal, said on Thursday that she was targeting the presidency of the French Ice Sports Federation (FFSG), confirming the information from "Le Monde".
"It's recorded. I sent my candidacy, "said Marie-Reine Le Gougne, who said she wanted to" get the FFSG out of its slump and give it back its nobility "during the March 14 poll, organized following the hasty resignation of President Didier Gailhaguet on February 8.
Already a candidate for the presidency of the Federation in 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2014, the former international judge will face for her fifth attempt the skater Nathalie Péchalat, retired since 2014. The double European champion of ice dance (2011, 2012 ) started on February 12 in the race.
"I am a victim of the Gailhaguet system"
"My priority is that I am rehabilitated", pleads the one who had been deprived of her office of judge after the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City in 2002. She had been suspected of having favored the Russian couple Berezhnaya-Sikharulidze in detriment of the Canadian pair Salé-Pelletier, in order to obtain the complacency of the Russian judges towards the dancers Anissina-Peizerat who will be crowned for France.
Marie-Reine Le Gougne declares that she acted at the time under pressure from Didier Gailhaguet, omnipotent president of the FFSG who finally resigned at the beginning of the month in reaction to the wave of revelations on sexual abuse in the middle of skating.
"I am a victim of the Gailhaguet system," she said on Thursday, before calling to "revolutionize the Federation" by changing the mode of governance "all at all". If the candidate greets her competitor Nathalie Péchalat "a brilliant young woman", she deems it necessary to elect "someone experienced" at the head of the FFSG, "surrounded by new blood".
Before the closing of the candidacies on February 28, other applicants could declare themselves. In a press release published Wednesday, fourteen sportsmen including former stars of French skating like Philippe Candeloro or Gwendal Peizerat expressed their reservations on the candidacy of Nathalie Péchalat.
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"We will not be able to express any support for his candidacy until we have learned of his project and we are sure of his willingness to add a new team capable of carrying out this great challenge of renewal "Of the FFSG, wrote the signatories, who assure not to propose" to date "any competing candidacy.
Former skater Sarah Abitbol, who launched the wave of revelations around sexual violence in figure skating by publishing a testimonial book “Un si long silence” (Plon) at the end of January, also joined her signature to the press release.