I found an article about Carolina Kostner:

http://www.ifsmagazine.com/archive/2009/APRIL/INDEX.PHP

about Kerrs:
http://www.westlothiancourier.co.uk/west-lothian-sport/2009/03/05/ice-skating-sinead-and-john-prepare-for-olympic-tilt-62405-23062792/

Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto:
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090312&content_id=62522&vkey=ice_news

Interview with Nathalie Pechalat:
http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2009/04/11/590647-Les-patineurs-francais-a-l-Archipel-avant-Tokyo.html

It's official now...........Pernelle and Mathieu are splitting !!!!!I'm going to miss them a lot!!!!!

http://www.leprogres.fr/fr/sports/autres/article/1043248,259/Une-nouvelle-aventure.html

oh, what a pity can somebody translate the article or just say why they are spliting?

Alas yes, it is damage because this couple promised a lot, Pernelle stays in Lyon to train on the contrary I do not know for Matthieu..

http://www.ifsmagazine.com/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=5&t=1786&st=0#entry2057

http://www.ifsmagazine.com/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=5&t=1786&st=0#entry2057

A link to an IFS write-up on the Carron-Jost split.

An article in french on Pechalat and Bourzat:
http://www.leprogres.fr/fr/permalien/article.html?iurweb=1146999

http://isu.sportcentric.net/db//files/serve.php?id=1437
The number of the skaters qualifying to the LP is cut down

For ISU Worlds and Junior Worlds:
The number of Singles Skaters making it to the FS remains at 24.
The number of Pairs teams making it to the FS is reduced to 16 (from 20).
The number of Dance teams making it to the FD is reduced to 20 (from 24).

For Euros:
The number of Singles Skaters making it to the FS is reduced to 20 (from 24).
The number of Pairs teams making it to the FS is reduced to 16 (from 20).
The number of Dance teams making it to the FD is reduced to 16 (from 24).

For 4CC:
The number of Singles Skaters making it to the FS is reduced to 20 (from 24).
The number of Pairs teams making it to the FS is reduced to 12 (from 20).
The number of Dance teams making it to the FD is reduced to 12 (from 24).

I think it is ridiculous and I have no idea how it is supposed to save money :shoot:

From what I've read, once a skater/team is out of the competition then their federation has to pay for their expenses (hotel, meals etc), so I suppose that many poor federations will have to consider not sending their skaters to these competitions as they will not be able to afford their costs?!

.....As far as I know, it used to be the rule that all competitors had to stay until the closing banquet (which I believe did not happen at LA worlds!) even if they were finished on the first day of competition......

If money is really the issue with the ISU, then I'd advise them to slash the cost of all the lavish parties they hold in connection with the Governing board meetings and the posh awards' banquets which are held during the competitions. The same goes for the various federations. Do that first ,and then look at what else could be cut, with the numbers of skaters who attend being the last to be considered. With the savings, they could easily re-instate the cuts they are imposing on the numbers of skater who can attend these competitions. Why make the skaters pay with an attendance cut when the fat cats who run these organizations are living the high life while the skaters are working their butts off, competiting.

For that matter, simply allowing skaters to go home, who have been eliminated from the compeition, should have been done all a long; it's the only thing which makes any sense. There's no earthly reason why they should need to hang around till the end of the event and run up hotel expenses.

Mary C.

I had read this new directive of ISU on PP, the prices of places also augment..
I do not know if it is worldwide crisis but if prices continue "climbing" they risk having less public on bleachers, it is a vicious circle (fewer people, less money which come back into cases, almost to reach for them ISU, "earnings" skaters))..
J'avais lu cette nouvelle directive de l'ISU sur PP ,les prix des places aussi augmentent ..
Je ne sais pas si c'est la crise mondiale mais si les prix continuent de "grimper" ils risquent d'avoir moins de public sur les gradins ,c'est un cercle vicieux ..( moins des gens , moins d'argent qui rentrent dans les caisses , manque à gagner pour eux l'ISU , les "gains" patineurs ... )) .