I guess it’s too bad when an organization has to put its code of ethics in writing. It would be better if people could just expect that other people would act ethically … but we can’t.
After the judging scandal fiasco in Pairs Ice Skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics, the group that governs competitive skating around the world has put its ethics expectations in black and white.
In Spain recently, the International Skating Union’s 12-member council unanimously approved the ethics code. According to the Associated Press, the ISU announced the code from its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
You may remember the hassle (It was one of many) at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. The Russian pair, Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, were awarded the gold medal and Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier received the silver. This, even though the Canadians’ performance was obviously better than the Russians’.
Later, French skating judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne said that she was influenced by French skating federation chief Didier Gailhaguet to vote for the Russians.
After that, a duplicate gold was issued to the Canadian pair.
Later, Le Gougne withdrew her accusation. Gailhaguet never admitted doing anything wrong. Regardless, the ISU suspended both of them for three years and barred them from the 2006 games in Turin, Italy.
The U.S. Figure Skating Association then suggested that any judge or federation official found guilty of an ethical violation should be banned for life. Trouble was, according to the AP article, the proposal never went ahead, partly because there were no written ethics to violate.
The article said the new code covers five pages and includes 15 points of “personal ethical commitment” and detailed concepts of “fair play.”
It also spells out ethical issues regarding drug use and “sexual and commercial exploitation” of athletes.
Phyllis Howard represents the US on the ISU council. She said she is especially pleased that it took effect immediately. She described the code as “pretty comprehensive.”
Another old, continuing sports story raised its head this past week, the Pete Rose/baseball/Hall of Fame merry-go-round.
ESPN.com reports that a publication called Baseball Prospectus produced a story saying that Rose already has signed an agreement under which he will be reinstated to baseball in 2004.
Later, though, MLB’s chief operating officer, Bob DuPuy, called the report “totally unfounded, totally unsubstantiated” and “journalistically irresponsible.”
Baseball Prospectus answered by saying it stands by its story.
The ESPN.com story says that some sources support the likelihood of reinstatement but that some say that a condition would be that Rose would have to admit having bet on baseball games and apologize for any damage he has done to the sport.
Another baseball related mystery that arose this past week is a report in Sports Illustrated that eight samples of Slugger Ted Williams’ DNA are missing from his cryogenically preserved body.
If you’re squeamish, stop. But then, if you’re squeamish, you probably haven’t read this far.
The story says that Williams’s body, after he died July 5th last year, was flown by private jet to the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Scottsdale AZ. There the head was removed as part of the cryogenic preservation process.
The head was shaved and drilled with holes and put in a steel can filled with liquid nitrogen. It reportedly also was accidentally cracked ten times.
The body stands upright in a nine-foot tall steel cylinder, also filled with liquid nitrogen.
The reports of missing DNA came from a taped conversation between a former employee and an Alcor board adviser.
Gives you a chill, doesn’t it?