ISU Masters Speed Skating Group (IMSSG)

 

               

                Mailing Address: ISU Masters Speed Skating Group (IMSSG)

                            c/o Dr. Volker Serini, Coordinator, Sebastian-Kneipp-Weg 2, D-47802 Krefeld, GERMANY

                                               Phone +49 2151 563177,  Mobile Phone +49 172 263 6664, Fax +49 2151 563975

                                               Email:  imssc@t-online.de    Web: www.imssg.org

 

                                                                                                          Oslo, March 23. 2006

Minutes

3rd Session of the ISU Masters Speed Skating Group (IMSSG) 2006

 

 

Place: Sokos Hotel Presidentti,  Helsinki, Finland

Date:  March 1. 2006

 

Participants:

Mr. Dr. Volker Serini              GER    (Member and Group Coordinator)

Mr. Sven-Åge Svensson          NOR   (Member)

Not present:

Mr. Jae-Soek Choi                  KOR   (Member)

Mr. Gaétan Rochette               CAN   (Member)

 

Distribution of the Minutes:

IMSSG Members

Mr. Roland Hagemann, IMSSG Cash Auditor

IMSSC Members

ISU (President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, General Secretary)

ISU Council (Speed Skating and Figure Skating Members)

ISU TC Speed Skating (Chairman and Members)

Ms. Rhea Schwartz, Coordinator ISU Adult Figure Skating Group

 

 

1 Approval of the Minutes of the 2nd Session of the ISU Masters Speed Skating Group.

 

Re. Point 2.4 Entries for International Masters’ Competitions

Last sentence should read: A problem is that not all National Speed Skating Associations have a competition license for Masters (for example LAT, RUS).

Comment: Norway does have a competition license system, only no license numbers.

 

Re. Point 2.6 Minutes of Sessions of the IMSSG, Sessions of the IMSSC, IMSS-News, Copies for the ISU and National Ice Sport Federations.

Forgotten: The ISU General Secretary

 

Re. Point 3 

Correction:

In general:

  • Will IMSSG make sufficient progress with one meeting a year?

 

The Minutes of the 2nd Session of the IMSSG in Baselga di Piné/ITA at 23 Feb 2005 were accepted unanimously with the above-mentioned addition and corrections.

 

2 Reports on the contacts to the 1st Vice President of the ISU

 

Mr. Dr. Serini met with Mr. Zimmermann on the 19 Jan 2006  in connection with the “Masters’ International Speed Skating SPRINT CLASSICS” in Inzell, Germany, 21 - 22.Jan  2006. The following points were discussed:

 

  • The use of an own emblem for the IMSSG (the Council wanted no further use of the ISU emblem).
  • The website of the IMSSG (see also point 8 Miscellaneous).
  • An article about Masters’ Speed Skating in “ISU World” issued in cooperation with Ms. Gétaz, ISU Office Lausanne.
  • The visit by Serini to the ISU Office in Lausanne which have to be postponed until this summer (after the ISU Congress in June 2006).
  • The income and expenditures of the IMSSG account for 2003 – 2005 (see also point 7, Budget and Account of the IMSSG).
  • IMSSG budget proposal for 2006 (good acceptance by the Council -  satisfaction with proposed savings).
  • The connections between the IMSSG and the IMSSC (good connections because all IMSSG members are also IMSSC Members).
  • Incorporation of Masters’ Rules in the ISU Rules which is the main target of the IMSSG. Because of restructuring of the ISU (see point 4 Proposals to the Council concerning rules for Masters in the ISU Rules), the discussion should be continued after the ISU Congress 2006. Mr. Zimmermann was of the opinion that the Masters’ Rules within the ISU Regulations should be kept brief, and that they could be more detailed in the IMSSC Rules.
  • The possible establishment of more International Masters’ Competitions as wanted by some  countries. Considerations about assigning the Masters’ International Games 2009 or 2010 to Moscow.
  • The Masters’ International Records as ISU World Records.    

 

3 Report on the contacts to the ISU office in Lausanne.

 

A planned meeting with the ISU General Secretary, Mr. Fredi Schmid, last year had to be cancelled because Mr. Serini broke his leg. Later he realized that the time for such a meeting was not so good while there were busy preparations in front of the Olympic Games this winter and the ISU Congress in summer. Mr. Serini therefore thinks it will be more suitable with a meeting some time after the Congress.      

 

4 Proposals to the Council concerning rules for Masters in the ISU Rules.

 

The proposals that were worked out after the previous IMSSG Session were submitted to the Council last summer ( see attachment ). Until now the proposals have not been considered because a comprehensive restructuring of the ISU is planned for the Congress this summer. It seems therefore better to discuss the new Master Rules after the Congress. Hopefully it will be possible to achieve an integration into the ISU Regulations in a 2 years perspective.

 

5 Reports on the contacts to the ISU TC Speed Skating members.

 

Mr. Svensson has had conversations with TC Chairman Tron Espeli, mainly about evaluation of  record applications. The IMSSC Rules for accepting the IMSSC Records for Masters are

 

similar to the ISU Rules for World Records, but the interpretation of the rules are not necessarily the same. Mr. Espeli pointed out that he considers the most important provisions being that the times must be verifyable from two different sources, and that it can be ensured

that there has been no alterations done to favour the applicant. Some provisions, e.g. missing weather conditions, would never lead to a record being rejected.

 

Mr. Serini met with Mr. Espeli in Turin during the Winter Olympics for a discussion about  the use and interpretation of the ISU Rules by the ISU TC concerning the recognition of ISU World Records.

 

Mr. Serini had a conversation with TC Member Roland Maillard during the “Masters’ International Speed Skating Davos Meeting”, January 14.-15. He discussed with him about the IMSSC Masters’ Rules and the possibilities to introduce the main Masters’ Rules into the ISU Rules.  

 

6 Important items on the agenda of the 24th IMSSC Session next day.

 

The most important item seem to be the assignment of the Games in 2009. There are applications from Moscow and Collalbo which unfortunately seem too brief to be taken into consideration. The most recent and complete application comes from Bjugn near Trondheim, Norway, where a new ice hall will open in February 2007.

 

Also the decision about nations’ quotas for the Games in Calgary 2007 are of great interest. Mr. Serini has prepared a proposal based on participation in the Games during previous years.    

 

There are several proposals for additions to and improvements of the IMSSC Rules. They have been announced in due time.

 

7 Budget and Account of the IMSSG

 

The IMSSG account was opened in 2003 under the name ”Dr. Volker Serini, IMSS-Committee/ISU” for contributions of the ISU to the IMSSC. From 2004 the name is ”Dr. Volker Serini, MastersGroupSpeedSkatingISU”, and it is only used for the contributions of the ISU to the IMSSG. The settlement has been done for the time span 2003 - 2005. The Tables of Income and Expenditures for these years were presented by Dr. Volker Serini and discussed at the Session. These tables and the necessary records for the cash audit were sent to the cash auditor of the IMSSC, Mr. Roland Hagemann/Frankfurt am Main/GER, at the 8. Feb 2006. The cash audit is not yet completed and will be presented at the 4th IMSSG Session in Calgary/CAN 21 Feb 2007. From 2006 onwards the cash audit shall take place yearly.  

 

The settlement of the IMSSC account shows an account balance of EUR 6209,40 at 31. Dec. 2005,  a credit balance of 120,00 EUR and liabilities of EUR 1383,50. In sum (6209,40 + 120,00 – 1383,50 = 4945,90 EUR) the surplus for 2005 is  4945,90 EUR. From this surplus and the IMSSG budget accepted by the ISU Council for 2006 (1300 EUR) the costs of the IMSSG in 2006 must be borne (travel costs 3rd IMSSG Session Helsinki 2006, travel costs for discussions with ISU Office Lausanne, ISU TC, ISU 1st Vice President, IMSSG/IMSSC-Office, Webpage IMSSG/IMSSC, etc.).

 

A budget proposal for 2007 has been worked upon by Mr. Serini. The main costs are related to the IMSSG Session in Calgary, February 2007. Travel cost for the 2 members from Europe

and one member from Asia will be considerable. It will also be necessary to cover some

journeys for Mr Serini to the 1st Vice President Mr Zimmermann in Inzell being his main contact into the ISU. Some costs are connected to the hosting of the IMSSG web pages www.imssg.org and the costs of the IMSSG Office.

 

Only one IMSSG Session a year is an obstacle for faster progress of the work of the IMSSG. Since the Europen members already meet at the IMSSC Summer Session, it would be

preferable that the Asian and the North American Members could participate as well. A contribution of about 1000 EUR for the Organizers of the Games 2007 would also be desirable.

 

The budget proposal must be finished by September before the ISU Council Meeting. Mr. Serini will in advance distribute the budget proposal to the IMSSG members via e-mail for feed back.

 

8 Miscellaneous

 

Mr. Gaétan Rochette, IMSSG Member from North America, has announced his withdrawal from the group, and we have started searching for a substitute.

 

The IMSSG web page www.imssg.org is established during the last year. It has information about the IMSSG, actual Masters’ Speed Skating News, links to the website of the International Masters Speed Skating Committee (IMSSC), and links to several national Masters’ websites. Mr. Serini is the web-master himself. The page has a link from the official ISU web page www.isu.org.

 

Mr. Svensson reported that he had a request from the Norwegian Confederation of Sports about Speed Skating disciplines in possible future Winter Games for Masters. The inquiry originated from IMGA who organizes Summer Games for Masters. Norway is reweiving the possibilty of hosting the first Games in 2008.

 

The ISU Council has decided that the coordinators of the ISU Masters Speed Skating Group and the Masters Figure Skating Group shall take part in the ISU Congress in Summer.  

 

ISU MASTERS’ SPEED SKATING GROUP (IMSSG)

 

Sven-Åge Svensson

 

(Member of the IMSSG)

 

 

Attachment: Proposal International Masters’ Rules

 

 

                                                                                                                             IMSG06 3rd Session IMSSG Helsinki Min 04-56

 

Members IMSSG :

Jae Seok Choi (KOR), Gaétan Rochette (CAN), Dr. Volker Serini (GER), Sven-Åge Svensson (NOR)

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