Ski Federation to challenge IOC’s rink rule
PRESIDENT RICHARD Salm said that the Jamaica Ski Federation (JSF) will be challenging the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) rule that prevents winter sports athletes from nations without a skating rink from qualifying for the Winter Olympic Games.
Salm said that Jamaica has two very promising young ice skaters in 15-yearold Florida-based twins Danielle and Gabrielle Scott. However, the sisters’ dream of representing Jamaica in the Winter Olympics would never become a reality because of this IOC regulation.
But Salm not only aims to get the rule changed, he will also be trying to get support from the hotel industry to establish an ice skating rink locally.
“It’s to get a hotel company which is willing to accommodate a skating rink in their hotel to encourage hockey players, and so on, to come down and stay, which is what they do in Mexico, so why shouldn’t we do it in Jamaica?” Salm questioned.
“Our skaters cannot qualify for the Olympics because there are no ice rinks in Jamaica. We have two wonderful skaters, and they both aspire to reach the Olympics. So we are planning a two-pronged attack for the skaters.
“One is to get the rule changed because it is against the spirit of the Olympics to force countries to build skating rinks. I will speak with [Christopher] Samuda (Jamaica Olympic Association president) about it.”
Salm says that the Scott sisters’ coach has been advocating for the formation of a skating federation that can focus solely on the affairs of ice skaters.
“We are talking to each other, and the skaters, and I want to form a federation so they can enter international competition on behalf of Jamaica,” he said. “We want to do that in the next few months and then we engage the IOC.”
But Salm says two of the JSF’s plans will face difficulties because of economic
‘It is against the spirit of the Olympics to force countries to build skating rinks.’
difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The timing is not very good,” Salm said. “The tourist industry is in the doldrums, so the timing could not be worse. But some time in the near future, we can put it together because I have a lot of land at Drax Hall (in St Ann). So if I can get a hotel on that and I can turn some of the land into a ice rink, [it would be good].”