“We are convinced that ice sports cannot suffer an ego fight. Our fight is for ideas, not for power. It is a press release of a few paragraphs, relayed first on Wednesday by our colleagues from Obs. But who launched hostilities in the race for the presidency of the French Ice Sports Federation, vacant since the resignation ten days ago of his boss Didier Gailhaguet, swept away by the scandal of sexual violence in skating.
The authors of the text? Ex-skater Sarah Abitbol, whose accusations of rape against her former coach triggered everything in late January, her former partners in the France team Philippe Candeloro and Gwendal Peizerat and eleven other athletes. Target? Nathalie Péchalat, double world medalist in ice dancing and above all the only declared candidate for the presidency of the FFSG, whose election is scheduled for March 14.
PODCAST. Why Sarah Abitbol breaks the silence
“The latter did not wish to join our think tank, and we regret it. She preferred to present herself individually, ”explains the collective. Who expects from it guarantees "on its willingness to add a new team capable of carrying out this great challenge of renewal of the French Federation of ice sports". And the text underlines that the group does not present a candidate "without however excluding to do so later". Clearly, if Nathalie Péchalat does not provide them with the expected wages.
"If tomorrow you put on a yellow cardigan in place of Macron ..."
“The situation requires a radical change, underlines Gwendal Peizerat, unsuccessful candidate for the presidency of the FFSG in 2014. If it is to just change the president and keep the whole structure which led to these years of omerta, that is not useful to nothing. If tomorrow you put on a yellow cardigan in place of Macron at the Elysee Palace but keep the government and all the councilors, you won't have a yellow cardigan policy. "
In private, part of the collective fears the presence in the shadow of Didier Gailhaguet, patron of tricolor skating for almost twenty years. "He may be behind her or behind people who support her, we slip, without forgetting to recall that Nathalie Péchalat was on the steering committee of the club des Français Volants, where Gilles Beyer - accused of rape by Abitbol - was general delegate at the beginning of the year. Or just use his influence to spoil any attempt at change and come back to save for the next election in two years. "
According to a source close to Nathalie Péchalat, who will speak on Saturday, we assure that no contact exists between the former skater and Gailhaguet. The ex-partner of Fabian Bourzat, who would not look against another candidacy to stimulate the campaign, planned to bring new heads in the decision-makers of the FFSG. But without putting the whole old team out.
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"An extraordinary general meeting must be held to change the statutes of the FFSG," says Peizerat. And send away all the people who immersed our sport in this slump. "