La Federvela statunitense deve conformarsi alle leggi USA
Classi OlimpicheFedervelaOlimpiadiVela 23 Febbraio 2009 Zerogradinord 0
[singlepic=1788,170,250,,left]Vela Olimpica – Annapolis – Un panel composto da prestigiosi membri del Comitato Olimpico Statunitense ha dichiarato che il sistema adottato dalla Federvela statunitense per gestire proteste e ricorsi è contrario allo spirito e ai dettami contenuti nell’Olympic and Amateur Sports Act del 1978. Lo stesso organo, presieduto da Peter Ueberroth, presidente del Comitato Olimpico a stelle e strisce, e composto dai rappresentanti di cinque diversi sport, ha dato sei mesi di tempo alla Federvela statunitense per garantire agli atleti un trattamento equo, in linea con quanto stabilito dalle leggi americane.
La decisione fa seguito a quanto accaduto in occasione dei trials femminili dell’RS:X svoltisi ad Annapolis nell’ottobre del 2007. In quell’occasione, la surfista Farrah Hall, vincitrice delle selezioni, fu privata del successo da un Comitato per le Proteste nominato dall’US Sailing che deliberò dopo un’udienza unilaterale, attivata su richiesta di un’altra concorrente, Nancy Rios. La Hall non era stata informata del procedimento in corso e non le era stata mossa alcuna contestazione. L’unica comunicazione inoltrata all’atleta dalla Federvela statunitense è stata quella con la quale la si informava di essere stata sostituita come rappresentante statunitense nella tavola a vela in vista dei Giochi di Qingdao.
Farrah Hall ha chiesto un’udienza equa nel rispetto delle regole della Federvela statunitense prima di perdere il diritto di regatare in Cina, ma la Federazione americana gliel’ha negata. A quel punto, l’atleta ha avviato la procedura davanti al Comitato Olimpico Statunitense.
Nel dispositivo di 23 pagine, il panel ha dichiarato: “…questa controversia si sarebbe evitata se solo l’US Sailing avesse notificato alla Hall la richiesta avanzata dalla Rios il 14 ottobre, permettendole così di partecipare all’udienza, udienza che si sarebbe conclusa con un giudizio equo, basato sulle evidenze portate da entrambe le parti. Invece, la Federvela è rimasta intrappolata nei suoi stessi regolamenti e ha creato una situazione dannosa sia per la Hall che per la Rios”.
Il panel ha quindi esortato l’US Sailing a conformarsi alla legislazione statunitense e allo statuto del Comitato Olimpico che garantiscono un trattamento equo agli atleti. Alla Federvela è stato dato tempo sino al primo di settembre per adeguarsi alla sentenza. In caso ciò non avvenga, l’ente perderà lo status di organo nazionale per la vela olimpica.
La Hall, impegnata a preparare la campagna in vista dei Giochi di Londra 2012, ha salutato la decisione con soddisfazione: “Sono molto felice che, grazie a questa sentenza, nessun altro atleta dovrà subire quanto capitato a me e a Nancy Rios. Il Comitato Olimpico ha infatti stabilito che la US Sailing, prima di sovvertire l’esito di quanto accaduto in acqua, deve dare alle parti la possibilità di far sentire le proprie ragioni. Ringrazio il mio sponsor per l’appoggio dimostrato, i miei consulenti John Bertrand e Keith Tayolr e i miei avvocati dello studio Gibson, Dunn e Crutcher”.
Per leggere il documento ufficiale clicca qui.
US SAILING IS ORDERED TO COMPLY WITH US LAW
[singlepic=1789,250,170,,left][Bertrand Racing Press Release] A distinguished hearing panel of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has unanimously held that US Sailing’s protest and redress system violates the Olympic and Amateur Sports Act of 1978. US Sailing was given six months to provide its athletes the right to fair treatment guaranteed by United States law. The panel was appointed by Peter Ueberroth, USOC Chairman, with representatives from five different Olympic sports.
The case resulted from US Sailing’s women’s RS-X Olympic windsurfing trials in October 2007, when windsurfer Farrah Hall won the trials but was removed as winner by a protest committee appointed by US Sailing after a one-party hearing requested by another competitor, Nancy Rios. Hall has never been accused of any wrongdoing and was not informed of the hearing. Instead US Sailing informed her that she had been replaced as its 2008 Olympic women’s windsurfing representative as she completed her shower after the event.
Farrah Hall sought a fair hearing under US Sailing’s existing rules before losing her right to compete in China but US Sailing refused. She then pursued the action before the USOC.
In its comprehensive 23-page ruling, the panel said: “… this controversy could have been avoided if US Sailing had notified Hall of Rios’ October 14 request for redress, allowed her to participate as a party, and made its determination on evidence submitted by both parties. Instead, US Sailing seemed to have gotten wrapped around its own rules, and the Racing Rules of Sailing, and created a situation in which neither Hall nor Rios was ably served.”
The panel directed US Sailing to bring its rules into compliance with US law and USOC bylaws which guarantee fair treatment to athletes. US Sailing has until September 1 to act or face loss of its status as the National Governing Body for Olympic Sailing. The full text of the panel’s decision is available at: http://www.farrah-hall.com/pdf/paneldecision.pdf
Hall, who is now training for Great Britain’s 2012 Olympic Games, welcomed the decision. “I am delighted that as a result of this USOC hearing panel decision other athletes will not suffer the same convoluted, expensive and prolonged procedures that US Sailing subjected Nancy Rios and me to. The USOC panel recognized that before a National Governing Body like US Sailing can change the results of an Olympic qualifying event, it has to give all the athletes involved a fair hearing. I really appreciate the support I received through this long process from my sponsor, my advisors John Bertrand and Keith Taylor, and my lawyers at the firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher.”
The panel that issued the decision consisted of: Chairperson Nina Kempel, Athletes Advisory Council, US Ski and Snowboard Association; Scott Fortune, USOC Athletes Advisory Council, USA Volleyball; Bob Mitchell, USOC National Governing Body Council, USA Shooting; Jeanne Picariello, Chair, USOC Multisport Organizations Council; and Ron Van Pool, USOC National Governing Body Council, USA Swimming
Doug Smith, who headed the legal team representing Hall, said, “We were very pleased that the panel agreed with each of our key points:
· An athlete is entitled to a fair hearing before losing the opportunity to compete in the Olympics;
· A one-party hearing which the athlete is not allowed to attend, in front of a protest committee whose members are also witnessing for one of the parties, is not a “fair hearing”;
· The members of any committee that determines the outcome of Olympic Trials must include athletes; and
· The National Governing Body for an Olympic sport such as sailing must comply with the provisions of US law adopted to ensure athletes receive fair treatment. ”
Jamie Dodge Byrnes of Gibson Dunn who presented the oral argument for Farrah Hall to the panel commented: ”The hearing panel has wisely given US Sailing six months to bring their rules into compliance with US law, the same law that all the other National Governing Bodies for Olympic Sports already comply with. We are confident that US Sailing will find a solution that addresses the interests of all of its members including its Olympic aspirants”.
To read the official document click here.
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