World Sailing President Kim Andersen reveals attempts to challenge the sailing programme for 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
In his July Presidential newsletter, Mr Andersen revealed that . . . “We have received information that some of our members are trying to bypass the democratic process set out in the regulations of World Sailing regarding the decision for Olympic events and respective equipment.”
World Sailing dealt with the situation via a ‘Reminder about World Sailing’s Constitution’ to all Member National Authorities (MNA) in a letter issued by the new Chief Executive David Graham, which stated:
The World Sailing Council and the MNAs at the Annual General Meeting in Sarasota, Florida decided on the Paris 2024 slate of Events and Equipment in accordance with the Regulations for the process.
The process was thorough, had taken a number of years and was finally settled in November 2018. A request to reconsider in November 2019 was rejected by Council.
And finished with . . . it is very unlikely to have 100% agreement on every decision, but it is very powerful for the future wellbeing of our sport if we pull together once a decision is made as a result of our democratic process.
The Board unanimously urges all members to follow our constitution and respect our internal democratic processes.
These comments conveniently ignore the chaotic voting process that secured the changes to the Olympic programme for the 2024 Olympic Games . . . A programme still to be approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The World Sailing voting process was plagued by strange results from the electronic voting system, with complaints of critical individual votes being ignored, and various late ‘Urgent Submissions’ introduced that reversed inconvenient decisions.
Over recent years World Sailing has struggled to maintain its credibility as a world organisation, seemingly unclear of its position in a rapidly changing sports environment and resulting in confusing messages to both competitive and social sailors.
The comments in Mr Andersen’s letter show just how deep the distrust of World Sailings actions run within the organisation, and despite the passage of time and various sticking-plaster solutions, members disatisfaction by the way they were arrived at.
Mr Andersen will bid to be re-elected as World Sailing President in a virtual ballot on 1 November 2020.
He is being challenged by Spain’s Gerardo Seeliger and Uruguay’s Scott Perry, and possibly China’s Quanhai Li.
Related Post:
World Sailing play their Joker . . . Again
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