www.rowingcanada.org
May 11, 2016
Jean-Christophe Rolland, President
Matt Smith, Executive Director
FISA
Av. de Rhodanie 54
1007 Lausanne Switzerland
RE: FISA’S APPROACH TO ALIGN WITH THE IOC AGENDA 2020
Dear Jean-Christophe, Matt,
Rowing Canada Aviron has reviewed FISA’s approach to the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 and
FISA’s proposed changes to the governance of the federation as presented at the March 2016
IF meeting at Heathrow. RCA’s Board of Directors has unanimously endorsed the enclosed
comments and recommendations and I am forwarding them to you for FISA’s consideration.
Please contact us if you require further information regarding these issues.
Yours truly,
Michael (Mike) Walker
President
Rowing Canada Aviron
cc.
Tricia Smith, Vice-President FISA
RCA Board of Directors
Donna Atkinson, CEO RCA
Peter Cookson, High Performance Director RCA
Canadian Members of FISA Commissions
RCA Members (via website)
321 - 4371 Interurban Rd. • Victoria BC • V9E 2C5 • Canada
Tel: 1-877-722-4769 / (250) 220-2577 ~ Fax: (250) 220-2503 ~ E-mail: [email protected]
Member of: F.I.S.A./Membre de F.I.S.A., Canadian Olympic Committee/Comité Olympique Canadien
Canadian Paralympic Committee/ Comité paralympique canadien
RCA’S RESPONSE TO FISA’S APPROACH TO ALIGN WITH THE IOC AGENDA 2020
Rule 20: Gender Equality
Rowing Canada supports gender equality. Rowing Canada supports both an equal number of
events for men and women and an equal number of athletes at the Olympic Games.
There is no evidence to support mixed events at this point for able bodied competition. Prior to
any discussion on whether to include this in future Olympic programs, there should be events at
international regattas that would demonstrate how it would work and whether it provides a level
of competition consistent with Olympic level requirements. Rowing Canada would support
introducing several mixed events at the Junior and Under 23 level to test the suitability of mixed
events for possible inclusion in future Senior and Olympic competitions.
Rule 20: Gender Equality - Coxswains
We support gender neutral coxswains for events with a weight of 55kg for both men and
women.
Rule 42: Para Race Distance
We support the change in Race distance for para events to 2000m, which will allow for more
inclusiveness into all events
Regulation 8 and 9: Construction of Para boats.
We believe that more research needs to be done for AS single boats to determine whether
moving to a different shape hull under a free construction rule change would be safe for all
competitors. Otherwise for both LTA and TA category boats, free construction should continue.
Rule 43: Length of Course/Venue Flexibility:
Rowing Canada supports maintaining the current length of course at 2000m. This is in keeping
with the Medical Commissions definition of the sport as a “maximal sustained metabolic effort”.
However, we recognize that due to cost constraints and other considerations such as available
water bodies near host cities, compromises may need to be made to ensure that rowing
continues as an Olympic sport. This could mean a slightly shorter distance as long as it
maintains racing as a “maximal sustained metabolic effort”. We also support the consideration
for possibly reducing the number of available lanes from 8 to 5 or 6, (to allow a minimum of 4
boat finals), given any space limitations of a host city.
Rule 18: Right to Participate – Quota system for World Championships
Rowing Canada does not support introducing a quota system at this time. While many World
Championships have grown in size, this has been a good metric for the sport in terms of
determining the interest and popularity of rowing. Athletics has the capability of having 2500
athletes at an Olympic Games, a number that rowing has never come close to at a Senior World
Championship. Rowing should do all it can to attract greater numbers to our Championships.
This is important for the sport and an important metric for any possible supporter/sponsor of
World Rowing. There are a number of locations that can adequately host the numbers that are
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currently being attracted to our World Championships. All efforts should be made to host
Championships in locations that can support the numbers as the sport grows.
Rule 18: Right to Participate – Continental Qualifiers
Rowing Canada also does not support using continental events as qualifiers. Currently, there is
no system in place outside of the European Championships that supports the level of
competition required to make continental events suitable as qualifiers. Perhaps in the future it
will get to that point, but until there is more parity within continents to ensure each race within a
continental regatta is competitive, continental events should not be used as a qualifier.
Rule 18: Right to Participate – World Championships length
The current Senior World Championships program seems excessively long, where on a number
of days, there is a limited program of racing. Rowing Canada would support a shortening of the
World Championships program providing that it makes economic sense to the host and a high
quality of competition is maintained.
Rule 31: Lightweight Weight
The Medical Commission is recommending for health and safety reasons that a maximum
weight be established for lightweights with no averaging. Rowing Canada supports this for the
reasons outlined by the Medical Commission.
Rule 36: World Championship Boat Classes – Natural Death Rule
Rowing Canada supports Option 1: if a M or W event naturally dies, then the same event in the
other gender dies too. If one event dies, then the same event for the other gender should also
disappear to maintain the global goal of gender equality in both events and number of athletes.
Rule 19: Eligibility and Nationality of Athletes
Rule 19 has been an effective deterrent from athletes “jumping” from country to country. We
have experienced several athletes coming into our system after having sat out the 2 year period
(after competing for another country) and our experience is that the 2 year period provides an
effective mechanism for both parties to ensure that an athlete is changing country allegiance for
the right reasons.
Rule 67 – FISA Progression System – Use of Time Trials.
The current system of heats, repechages, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals for all events
(subject to entries) provides an effective way for the progression of crews through the regatta,
and allowing for a much better spectator experience than time trial format. Rowing Canada
supports continuing with the existing system of heats, repechages, etc.
Rowing Canada uses time trials for our National Rowing Championships irrespective of the
number of entries. While providing a more time efficient way of managing events with high
entries, our experience is that it has no different bearing on the progression of an athlete/crew
through the Championship than if we were to run a traditional heat, repechage, 6 lane racing
format.
Rule 50 – Advertising
Rowing Canada supports the Athletes Commissions proposals to:
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•
•
•
Allow the advertising on headwear to be different as long as the headwear is uniform in
the crew.
Allow the advertising on socks to be different as long as the colour and style of the socks
is uniform in the crew.
Allow a moment just after the official victory ceremony, when the television production
has moved to the next race, for athletes to display their individual sponsors for the
photographers.
Olympic Program - Lightweights:
Rowing Canada has reviewed all three options provided at the Joint Commissions Meeting in
March 2016, and does not support any of them.
With due respect to FISA’s Background paper dated April 28, 2016, Rowing Canada strongly
supports the inclusion of lightweight rowing in the Olympic program in both its forms: sweep and
sculling. It is difficult to accept the argument that the LM4- does not support universality while
the LM and LW doubles do, with out seeing any data to support this claim. (side note: Rowing
Canada is undertaking an analysis of the universality and competitiveness of the LM4- vs LM2x
and LW2x and other events which will be provided to FISA when completed).
The Lightweight Men’s four event (LM4-) annually provides one of the most hotly contested and
competitive events in the World Championship, and the same is true for each Olympics since it
became an Olympic event in 1996. This makes for both a great sporting spectacle and superb
spectator experience. Over the past years, the LM4- has proved to be a popular event; in 2015
there were 23 entries in the LM4- versus for example 12 for the M4x, and 11 in the W4x. There
is a strong argument that in fact the LM4- has added to universality.
Taking this event out of the Olympic program in our estimation reduces the overall competitive
impact of the Olympic regatta and diminishes the spectator experience. While we fully recognize
the challenges the IOC and Thomas Bach have with lightweight rowing, we believe it’s up to us
as leaders of the sport to stand up to the IOC in what we stand for. If the belief is that this is an
important event for rowing, we should defend it and not allow external forces to fully control
rowing’s program.
With respect to balancing the program, retention of the LM4- would require inclusion of the
LW4-, if the goal is to mirror the men’s events with women’s events. Rowing Canada would
support this option going forward as the additional women’s event. In terms of a reduction of
events for the men, this is never an easy decision. However, when consideration is given for
balancing the program, we could accept that one of the “fours” events, either the M4- or M4x
could be considered for removal from the program.
Olympic Program: Doubling up
Rowing Canada supports the ability of athletes to double up to race in the men’s and women’s 8
events. Entering the men’s and women’s eights events at the Olympic Games could be done in
a number of different ways that FISA should explore, including through regional qualification
events; from athletes that have already qualified in other events; etc.
FISA has indicated on several occasions that the IOC is not interested in seeing multiple medal
winners in events. However, this is very contradictory to their website that has photos and
stories about Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Larisa Latynina, amongst others, all multiple
medal winners at Olympic Games. In reality, the ability of athletes to win multiple medals at the
Olympic Games drives spectator interest.
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FISA has also argued that doubling up might force the IOC to look at whether the current quota
of 550 athletes could be reduced. It’s interesting that the 2 sports that have significantly higher
athlete quotas for the Games (swimming at 900 and Athletics at 2500) all have the ability for
athletes to win multiple medals at each Games. It’s hard to imagine that the IOC would want to
take away from an athlete such as Usain Bolt the ability to try for two medals (or more). This is
what drives spectator interest and would be a blow to the IOC and Athletics if this was not
allowed to happen.
Declaration of Principles: B4 Fairness & Equality of Opportunity
Rowing Canada supports the statement of principle. However, it should be applied with caution,
as there is the risk that in assessing the qualifications of individuals, there can be a tendency for
the assessors to maintain the status quo in the belief that the most qualified are like those that
came before them, or like the assessors themselves. Sticking to the “most qualified” criteria
often begets inbreeding in an organization. In order to achieve better gender equity and broader
diversity, it can be wiser to consider all qualified candidates without ranking them, then pick the
one that also helps meet equity and diversity objectives.
Code of Ethics: Articles 57 & 59 – Code of Ethics & Right of Complaint (including
Appendix 2)
Rowing Canada supports strengthening the Code of Ethics and clarifying the complaints
procedure.
Conflicts of Interest: Article 46 & 49 – Council Meeting & Decisions of the Executive
Committee
Rowing Canada supports strengthening provisions for declaring conflicts of interest, particularly
with respect to transparency around decisions taken by the Executive Council and the
Commissions.
Audit Committee
Rowing Canada supports the establishment of an external Audit Committee and recommends
that its members be predominantly chosen from outside the Executive Committee, Council and
Commissions to ensure independence. Rowing Canada further recommends that from the
Executive Committee, the Treasurer and President only be allowed to sit as ex-officio members,
that one member of the Audit Committee be chosen from the Council, and one person be
chosen from the Membership who shall be a person who is not a member of the three bodies
named above.
Debts and Participation at FISA Events
Rowing Canada supports the proposed sanction wording and intent, and would also support
extending this to all officials, umpires, commission members, etc., at all FISA events.
Recognition of Continental Rowing Federations
Rowing Canada does not support the proposal to merge the two American continents. The
notion of one America represents a minority, very Eurocentric view, that is not shared in North
America, much of Asia, and the English speaking world. We feel that it is very important to
retain a separate representation for North America and South America for a number of reasons:
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1. Working at the continental level (by our definition) will be more productive in the
development of universality on both continents of the Americas, particularly in North
America by letting us focus on supporting Central America and the Caribbean.
2. We should not dilute the leadership of Canada and the USA, both prominent rowing
nations who share little cultural affinity with South America but are eager to support
greater integration of North American Rowing.
3. The current COPARE structure cannot be described as a functioning organization with
any coherent governance; rather it is a meeting only loosely held once every four years.
While we encourage inter-Americas cooperation through the Pan American Games, our
continental focus would be better exercised through a formal North American
confederation that includes Central America and the Caribbean (similar to soccer).
4. Finally, continental representatives should be elected by their confederations, not
appointed.
Eligibility Requirements for Council Members
Rowing Canada does not support introducing eligibility requirements for Chairs of Specialist
Commissions and Continental Representatives, in line with President, Vice- President and
Treasurer eligibility requirements. These candidates should be chosen on their own merits. We
fail to see how attending four years of congresses, or four world championships, Olympics or
Paralympics strengthens the qualifications of someone destined for a Continental position, or
someone being considered for chair of a commission that is not focused on those events, such
as Masters or Rowing for All. As per the comments above on representation, these further
restrictions will only serve to foster inbreeding and reduce diversity in the selection of leaders.
FISA Continental Representatives
As per the comments above, Rowing Canada does not agree with moving from 6 to 5
continental representatives.
Promoting Gender Equity at Congress: Article 22 Delegates
Rowing Canada agrees with the proposal where a delegation has more than one member, both
genders be represented. However, it is unclear whether this will have any significant impact.
Most delegations are only one or two members, and the practice of allowing unlimited observers
would offset gender balance by having all the men sitting as observers. Since this proposal has
no impact on the votes a nation’s delegation can carry, it may be a long time before any real
change is achieved.
Number of Votes (promoting gender equality): Article 35 – Voting at Congress
Rowing Canada supports the proposal that a nation must have “competed at any of the
following regattas with a total of at least 12 crews, made up of both male and female crews
during the previous four year Olympic period…” This should include 12 crews, with at least 1/3
of those crews being of each gender.
Article 53 – Commissions
Rowing Canada recommends removing the European Rowing Management Board as a
standing body in FISA’s governance – FISA should not be governing continental rowing (or
conversely, create continental rowing management boards for each of the six continents and
support them equally). We encourage you to review the Commission structure with a view to
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reducing the number of standing Commissions, with particular focus on whether FISA still needs
an Events Promotion Commission, and whether it needs separate Rowing for All and Youth
Commissions.
Other Items Under Consideration
Term Limits: Rowing Canada would support term limits of up to eight consecutive years in one
position, or two full four year terms. There should be provision that on ascension to another
position, such as from a commission chair to an Executive post, the clock restarts. With sensible
term limits, FISA should also remove age limits.
Reporting Mechanism for Whistle Blowers: should be independent enough from FISA and the
IOC that whistle blowers have confidence that their reports will be treated fairly and
independently.
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