Minutes

International Masters’ Speed Skating Committee

Mailing Address: International Masters’ Speed Skating Committee (IMSSC)

c/o Dr. Volker Serini, 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 Internet: www.imssc.org

Krefeld, August 30^th, 2006

Minutes

25^th Session of the IMSSC in Haarlem, The Netherlands, 2006

Working Session

The 25^th Session of the IMSSC was held in the Club House of the Haarlem Ijsclub at the Kunstijsbaan Kennemerland, Haarlem on Mai 27^th, 2006, from 10:00 to approx. 15:00.

Participants: CAN Gregg Planert (Olympic Oval Calgary)

GER Dr. Volker Serini (IMSSC Member)

ITA Enrico Colombini* (Ice Rink Pinè Srl)

ITA Anne Botté* (Ice Rink Pinè Srl)

NED Aris Dijksman (IMSSC Member)

NED Bram de Vries (IMSSC Member Assistant)

NOR Sven-Åge Svensson (IMSSC Member)

ROM Miklos Jenei (IMSSC Member)

* = at times, for discussion Competition and Accomodation Baselga/ITA

Distribution of the Minutes:

Participants of the Session

Other Members of the IMSSC

Honorary Members of the IMSSC

ISU President, 1st and 2nd Vice President

ISU Council, Members

ISU TC Speed Skating, Chairman and Members

ISU Director General and Sports Director Speed Skating

ISU Coordinator Adult Figure Skating Group

1 Approval of the Minutes of the 24^th Session of the IMSSC in

Helsinki/Finland, February 26, 2006

The Minutes were accepted unanimously.

It was proposed that from the next year the participants of the IMSSC Winter Session should be asked to give their consent to the Minutes or to send their wishes concerning additions or alterations of the Minutes by mail to the IMSSC office directly after having received it.

Reason: The number of participants in the Summer Session is much lower as in the Winter Session.

2 Games Candidates from 2010

The IMSSC hopes that it will be possible to have the Masters’ International Speed Skating Games 2010 in Moscow. According to our Member Vladimir Tkachenko he is busy together with Mr. Panov, Member of the ISU Council, to organize the Games 2010 in Moscow. In the moment there seem to be difficulties with the authorization by the Moscow government. If the authorization by the government would not be given and an organizer would not be found it could be interesting to go to Collalbo/Italy in 2010. The contact to Collalbo shall be again intensified by the IMSSC office to see if Collalbo is really interested in organizing the Games 2010.

3 Games Calgary/CAN 2007, Organization

Mr. Planert presented the plans for the Games in Calgary. These are the main points:

Place: Olympic Oval Calgary, 1100 m above sea level, famous Olympic icehall with very fast ice, most World Records in speed skating were reached here.
Organizing Committee: Head of the Organizing Committee will be Ms. Karrie Kreutz, for Technical Matters Mr. Gregg Planert will be responsible.
Accommodation: Official hotels are Four Points Sheraton (offers shuttle bus to the Olympic Oval) and Quality Inn University (10 – 15 min walk to Olympic Oval). Hotel offers for the participants of the Games were presented by Mr. Planert.
Number of participants: The high number of 300 participants at 3 competition days is possible because of the great experience of the staff.
Marathon: It may be possible that the Silver Lake Marathon (50 – 200 km) can be organized in conjunction with the Games. Perhaps Tuesday after the Games?
Sightseeing: 1 day sightseeing by bus to the famous ski station Banff (or Drummhill?) could be arranged. Information possible at the website of Olympic Oval.
World Cup Final: The World Cup Final will be one week after the Games in Calgary (tickets 20 CAN $). After the Games holidays could be made in Banff during the week and in the weekend the World Cup Final in Calgary could be visited.

IMSSC presented some requirements for the Games:

· Announcement: The Official Announcement (proposal) will be prepared and sent to Mr. Planert by the IMSSC office. It will be corrected and completed as far as necessary by the Organizing Committee and sent back to the IMSSC office in early September. It will be issued at first in the IMSS-News “ICEOVAL 2006” in October and about a week later at the Official Webpages of IMSSC or IMSSG (www.imssc.org, www.imssg.org).

Entry Form: The entry form must follow the new design. The actual Official Entry Form for the Games will be sent to Mr. Planert by Mr. Svensson/NOR.
Entry Fee: The Entry Fee (per competitor) will be decided by the Canadian Organizing Committee. There is not possible any subsidy from the ISU or IMSSC. The Entry Fee last year in Helsinki was relatively high with 100 EUR, as compared with the years before.

IMSSG Session: The ISU Masters Speed Skating Group (IMSSG) will need one meeting room and refreshments for 4 persons on Wed 21 Feb 2007 from 16:00 to 19:00 at the cost of the organizer.

IMSSC Session: The International Masters’ Speed Skating Committee (IMSSC) will need one meeting room and refreshments for approx. 15 persons on Thu 22 Feb 2007 from 10:00 to 14:30 at the cost of the organizer.

Waiver: Have the “No Responsibility” Waiver signed while skaters pay the participation fee, at latest.
Informations for participants: Respond quickly to the entries and have updated information available on the Internet.
Visa Requirements: The Russian participants need a personal invitation with witnessed signature directly after you have received their entry. This personal invitation must be sent by airmail (not by fax and not by email!) to their postal address. The airmail in Russia often takes several weeks.

4 Masters’ International Competitions besides the Games 2006/2007

Not all dates of the Masters’ International Competitions 2006/2007 were known at the Session. But because they are confirmed now, they could be added here.

4.1 Erfurt/GER

The 3^rd Masters International Criterion will be held 25 – 26 Nov 2006 in Erfurt/Germany in the Gunda-Niemann-Stirnemann-Icehall. There will be 4 distance races for Ladies and Men (500 m, 1500 m/1000 m, 3000 m). This year 100 participants will be possible.

4.2 Baselga di Pinè/ITA

In Baselga di Pinè/Italy the 3^rd Masters’ International Revival takes place 9 – 10 Dec 2006 (4 distance races for Ladies and Men: 500 m, 1500 m/1000 m, 3000 m). At the Session an arrangement of special offers was presented by Director Enrico Colombini and Manager Anne Bottè from Ice Rink Pinè Srl/Baselga di Pinè: Offer n°1 “Training Week”, Offer n°2 “Ice race week end”. The offers will be taken up in the announcement, which will be issued in the IMSS-News “ICEOVAL 2006” and in the internet pages of IMSSC or IMSSG in October 2006 under www.imssc.org and www.imssg.org .

4.3 Davos/SUI

The date for the 8^th Masters’ International Meeting in Davos-Platz/Switzerland on natural ice is 13 – 14 Jan 2007. The 4-distance races for Ladies and Men are the following: 500m, 1500 m/1000 m, 3000 m.

4.4 Hamar/NOR

The 5^th Masters’ International Single Distance Races will be in the Vikingship Olympic Icehall of Hamar/Norway 13 – 14 Jan 2007. All distances from 500 m up to 10000 m can be skated. It was not possible to have another date (Davos Meeting at the same date).

4.5 Inzell/GER

The 13^th Masters’ International Sprint Classics will be held 27 – 28 Jan 2007. It is a 4 distance race 500 m, 1000 m/500 m, 1000 m.

4.6 Milwaukee/USA

The 10^th Masters’ International Open Long Track Championships will be organized in the Icehall of the Pettit National Icecenter 17 – 18 Feb 2007. Ladies and Men can skate 500 m and 1000 m in Metric and 300 m, 500 m, 800 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m in Packstyle.

Classification in Points. Fun 5000 m Super Finals. The competition is held one weekend

before the Games in Calgary. So it is possible for Master speed skaters to make an interesting speed skating tour with two large competitions in North-America

4.7 Berlin-Lichtenberg/BER

This year the Master Cup can again be organized (not possible last year). It is a competition with the program of the Masters’ Games (Ladies 500 m, 1500 m/1500 m, 3000 m; Ladies (from 70 years) 500 m, 1000 m/1500 m; Men 500 m, 3000 m/1500 m, 5000 m; Men (from 70 years) 500 m, 1500 m/1000 m, 3000 m) . The 11^th Masters International Master Cup will be held 17 – 18 Feb 2007 in the Sportforum Icehall of Berlin-Lichtenberg. It is a pity that it is held at the same date as the Milwaukee Championships, but another date was not possible.

4.8 Calgary/CAN

The 16^th Masters’ International Games take place at three days, 23 – 25 Feb 2007 in the Olympic Oval, the icehall of Calgary/Canada. 300 participants will be accepted. 4 and 3 distance races: (Ladies 500 m, 1500 m/1500 m, 3000 m; Ladies (from 70) 500 m, 1000 m/1500 m; Men 500 m, 3000 m/1500 m, 5000 m; Men (from 70) 500 m, 1500 m/1000 m, 3000 m).

4.9 Heerenveen/NED

The date of the 4^th Masters’ International Long Distance Races in the Thialf Icehall will probably be on 22 Mar 2007. Possible Distances: 500 m and a long distance of 3000 m, 5000 m or 10000 m.

5 Discussion of the alterations of the IMSSC Rules concerning IMSSC

Records

Mr. Serini started a discussion about the alteration of IMSSC Rule 3.4.1, last sentence, which was decided at the last IMSSC Session in Helsinki in February 2006. This alteration is as follows, (the proposed text was accepted by the IMSSC, the reason for the proposal is also shown below):

Existing text (before decision):

If other speed skaters start in a speed skating event besides one or several age groups of Master speed skaters from 30 years, the Master age groups from 30 years must be started separately and their results must be reported separately from the results of the other speed skaters in the protocol.

Proposed text (accepted):

If other speed skaters start in a speed skating event besides one or several age groups of Master Speed Skaters from 30 years, each Master Speed Skater must be clearly marked with Age Group in the starting lists, results and standings during the competition and in the final results.

Reason for the proposed text:

The ISU has no regulations that prevents Juniors of any age to skate together with Ladies or Men correspondingly, and there is no rule preventing the Junior from making a Junior World Record under such circumstances. The rule preventing this was removed in 1981 or 1983. To be coherent with the ISU Rules a Master should also be allowed to skate together with Non Masters and also make an IMSSC Record.

Mr. Serini is not sure about the consequences of the alteration. Will this alteration only help to save an IMSSC Record for a Master skater who is drawn by decision of the referee, for example, together in a pair with a Junior skater at a Masters’ competition. The referee may take such decisions because there may be a side program for Junior skaters and the referee may try to shorten the overall competition time. Or does the alteration open the possibility to draw the participants of two separate announced competitions, for example one competition for Juniors and one competition for Masters, together in mixed pairs? The meaning of Mr. Serini is that these questions should be discussed and clear solutions should be found and written into the rules.

The other participants did not see problems, but the questions of Mr. Serini were not answered.

6 Record Applications by the Organizer, Demands

Mr. Svensson, IMSSC Statistician, reaffirmed that for the recognition of IMSSC Records the following documents are necessary: Official Announcement, Official Competition Program (timetable), Official Protocol of the competition including drawing/starting lists, the handtime protocols of the competitors having lowered IMSSC Records and their birthdates.

7 Miscellanous

Some of the following discussion points were sent by email to the IMSSC Office by IMSSC Members. The discussion points below were more or less discussed in detail at the Session. Maybe that some of these points will again be discussed if brought as proposal for the IMSSC Winter Session. Decisions could not be made on the proposals at this Working Session.

7.1 Competition Variants, Marathons (Tkachenko, RUS, email)

Mr. Tkachenko proposes that the competitor can choose at a competition a 4 distance variant he prefers:

500 m, 1500 m/1000 m, 3000 m

500 m, 3000 m/1500 m, 5000 m

500 m, 5000 m/1500 m, 10000 m

He proposes also to organize Marathon races before or at the end of competitions.

7.2 Different proposals (Dijksman, de Vries, NED, email and at the session)

The following proposals were made:

7.2.1 Introduction of team pursuit races at the Games.

7.2.2 IMSSC decisions between the Winter Sessions by mail/email/fax-vote.

7.3.3 Games distances 500 m, 1500 m, 1000 m, 3000 m already for Men from 65 years (instead from 70 years).

7.3.4 Sprint Championships combination with Allround Championships.

7.3.5 Introduction of limit times for 1500 m.

7.3 No Pacemakers, Distance Sequences (Kreutz, AUT, email)

7.3.1 IMSSC Records only at Master Races and not in mixed pairs (no pacesetting).

7.3.2 Only two neighboured age groups drawn together (no pacesetting).

7.3.3 Distance sequences must be kept at 4 distance races (for example 500/3000/1500, 5000).

7.4.2 Limit times acceptable, but for longer distances than 1500 m

7.4 Swedish Masters’ Championships (Drielsma, SWE, email)

Swedish Masters’ Championships were held 17 – 18 Mar 2006 in Karlstad with 8 participants. The distances were 500 m, 1500 m/ 1000 m, 3000 m.

INTERNATIONAL MASTERS’ SPEED SKATING COMMITTEE (IMSSC)

Dr. Volker Serini

Attachment: IMSSC Member Addresses

MIS062-Minutes25^thSessionIMSSCHaarlemNED-04-49

IMSSC Members:

Hubert Kreutz (AUT), Willy Caboor (BEL), Petr Novàk (CZE), Matti Kilpeläinen(FIN), Dr. Volker Serini (GER),

Antonio Nitto (ITA), Jae-Sok Choi (KOR), Laasma Kauniste (LAT), Aris J. Dijksman (NED), Sven-Åge Svensson (NOR),

Miklos Jenei (ROM), Vladimir Tkachenko (RUS), Markus Ulmer (SUI) Donald Drielsma (SWE), Mary O’Donnell (USA)

IMSSC Honarary Members:

Roland Hagemann (GER), Dominik Wehling (GER), Drs. Harry G. Falke(NED), Peter Reimann (SUI)