Sally-Anne Stapleford
Encyclopedia
Sally-Anne Martine Stapleford OBE (born 7 July 1945 in Worthing
, England
, Great Britain
) is a British
former figure skater
and a figure skating administrator, referee and judge. She is the 1965 European silver medalist
. She represented Great Britain at the 1964 Winter Olympics and at the 1968 Winter Olympics
, placed 11th both times.
player Harvey Stapleford
. Her mother was the daughter of the comedian Charlie Naughton
.
in figure skating in the ladies event and won the silver medal at the 1965 European Figure Skating Championships
.
(ISU) events for single
and pair skating
. Between 1988 and 2002 she was a member of the ISU figure skating technical committee, including serving as chair of this committee from 1992 to 2002. Since 1995, she has also been the president of the National Ice Skating Association of the United Kingdom (NISA), the British figure skating federation.
Stapleford was the whistleblower
of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating scandal
, the person to whom Marie-Reine Le Gougne
("the French judge") confessed following the event to having been involved in a political deal in the pairs competition. Stapleford lost her ISU technical committee position in the political fallout later that year. Subsequently, Stapleford became one of the founders of the World Skating Federation (WSF), and spoke at their press conference on 23 March 2003. The WSF ultimately failed to supplant the ISU, and as a result of her involvement with the attempt, Stapleford lost her ISU eligibility on 1 February 2005. Stapleford has continued to be a vocal critic of the ISU Judging System
and the ISU's post-2002 policy of not identifying marks by judge, which she has alleged could simply hide further instances of judging corruption or incompetence.
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
) is a British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
former figure skater
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
and a figure skating administrator, referee and judge. She is the 1965 European silver medalist
European Figure Skating Championships
The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion...
. She represented Great Britain at the 1964 Winter Olympics and at the 1968 Winter Olympics
Great Britain at the 1968 Winter Olympics
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland competed as Great Britain at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France.- Alpine skiing:MenMen's slalomWomen- Biathlon:Men...
, placed 11th both times.
Personal life
Her father was the ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player Harvey Stapleford
Harvey Stapleford
Harvey "Red" Stapleford is a former Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He played for Streatham between 1934 and 1938 before joining the Wembley Lions for the 1938–39 season. He returned to Streatham as player-coach in 1946. After retiring from playing, Stapleford remained as the coach for...
. Her mother was the daughter of the comedian Charlie Naughton
Charlie Naughton
Charles John "Charlie" Naughton was a Scottish comedian.He was a member of The Crazy Gang, and part of a double act with fellow Glaswegian Jimmy Gold...
.
Competitive career
Sally-Anne Stapleford is a five-time British championBritish Figure Skating Championships
The British Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United Kingdom...
in figure skating in the ladies event and won the silver medal at the 1965 European Figure Skating Championships
1965 European Figure Skating Championships
The 1965 European Figure Skating Championships were the European Figure Skating Championships of the 1964-1965 season. Elite senior-level figure skaters from European ISU Member Nations competed for the title of European Champion...
.
Post-Competitive Career
After her figure skating career, in 1972 she was appointed a referee at International Skating UnionInternational Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
(ISU) events for single
Single skating
Single skating is a discipline of figure skating, wherein a single person skates alone. Men's singles and ladies' singles are both Olympic disciplines and are both governed by the International Skating Union. The other Olympic figure skating events are pair skating and ice dancing...
and pair skating
Pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals,...
. Between 1988 and 2002 she was a member of the ISU figure skating technical committee, including serving as chair of this committee from 1992 to 2002. Since 1995, she has also been the president of the National Ice Skating Association of the United Kingdom (NISA), the British figure skating federation.
Stapleford was the whistleblower
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating scandal
2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating scandal
At the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, the figure skating competition was the source of much controversy and one of the immediate causes for the revamp of scoring in figure skating.-The competition:...
, the person to whom Marie-Reine Le Gougne
Marie-Reine Le Gougne
Marie-Reine Le Gougne, often known simply as "the French Judge", was a central figure in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating scandal.-Early life:...
("the French judge") confessed following the event to having been involved in a political deal in the pairs competition. Stapleford lost her ISU technical committee position in the political fallout later that year. Subsequently, Stapleford became one of the founders of the World Skating Federation (WSF), and spoke at their press conference on 23 March 2003. The WSF ultimately failed to supplant the ISU, and as a result of her involvement with the attempt, Stapleford lost her ISU eligibility on 1 February 2005. Stapleford has continued to be a vocal critic of the ISU Judging System
ISU Judging System
The ISU Judging System , is the scoring system on the event and on the level of competition. At the senior international level, single and pairs short programs contain eight technical elements. The actual eight elements are detailed for single skaters in ISU rule 310...
and the ISU's post-2002 policy of not identifying marks by judge, which she has alleged could simply hide further instances of judging corruption or incompetence.
Competitive highlights
| Event | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
11th | 11th | ||||
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
8th | 13th | 6th | |||
| European Championships European Figure Skating Championships The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion... |
5th | 4th | 2nd | 7th | 4th | 5th |
| British Championships British Figure Skating Championships The British Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United Kingdom... |
3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |