The president of the French Federation of Ice Sports (FFSG), Gwenaëlle Noury, who has just ousted six members of the executive board, claims to have been subjected to "pressure" and "intimidation" from former president Didier Gailhaguet, in an interview published this Friday on the site of the Obs.
When she was elected in June 2022, she was strongly suspected – notably by outgoing candidate Nathalie Péchalat – of being remote-controlled by Didier Gailhaguet, who was forced to resign in the spring of 2020 for covering for a coach accused of rape and sexual assault.
Exclusivity@lobs 🔴 "Fear is over!": Gwenaëlle Noury, president of the Ice Sports Federation, confides in "l'Obs"https://t.co/gjbPfje9zh pic.twitter.com/TPElNyD8Tk
— L'Obs (@lobs) May 12, 2023
"I never imagined I would find such a catastrophic and corrupt universe. I discovered that people wanted a return to the governance of the last 25 years (...) " she explains to the weekly. "Didier Gailhaguet quickly showed the will to lead the federation. It became very oppressive, especially since it was supported by a whole network, including some members of the executive board and the federal council identified," she says.
Fractured office door
"I had to be his puppet, he thought I was. There was intimidation, blackmail, red lines were crossed, she continues. The six people dismissed were dismissed because they defended this system and wanted to see it back in control." Among them, the former champion Brian Joubert, reputed close to the former president.
Gwenaëlle Noury also specifies that "the door of her office was broken" and that she had "filed a complaint". She also recounts "pressure" for the FFSG to pay tribute to Gilles Beyer, the former coach whom Sarah Abitbol accuses of rape, recently deceased, which for her was "out of the question". The former skater, who wanted to join the federation for a long time, has just agreed to join the federation's ethics committee.