Didier Gailhaguet

Didier Gailhaguet (born 22 August 1953 in Béziers, France) is a French former figure skater, coach and official. He served as the president of the Fédération française des sports de glace (FFSG) from 1998 to 2004 and again from 2007 to 2020; both of his tenures ended as the result of scandals. At the peak of his power he was one of figure skating's most influential and controversial officials, dubbed the "little Napoleon."[1]

Didier Gailhaguet at the 2012 World Championships

Career

Skating and coaching

As a skater, Gailhaguet competed at the senior level for five seasons, appearing at the World Championships in all five. He won the French national title twice, and represented France at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, where he placed thirteenth.

As a coach, Gailhaguet's most famous student was Surya Bonaly, who he began coaching in 1984. He aggressively promoted Bonaly to the public, including manufacturing a backstory that she had been born on Réunion and found abandoned on a beach; in fact, she had been born in France.[2][3] Under his guidance, Bonaly became the ladies' World Junior Champion in 1991, and on the senior level won the French national title four times consecutively, as well as two European titles. Bonaly left Gailhaguet's school at the conclusion of the 1991–1992 season, following the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville.[4][5]

Federation president and scandals

First taking the reins of the FFSG in 1998, Gailhaguet was a central figure in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating scandal, in which French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne said that she had judged wrongly in the pairs competition under pressure from Gailhaguet as part of an arrangement between the FFSG and the Russian skating federation. Witnesses of Le Gougne's statement were Sally-Anne Stapleford (Great Britain), Britta Lindgren (Sweden), Walburga Grimm (Germany), and Jon Jackson (USA). Gailhaguet's chauffeur in Salt Lake City additionally testified to having overheard evidence of his involvement on the scandal. Le Gougne later rescinded her statement and said she had been pressured to make it.[6]

Gailhaguet was excluded from any International Skating Union event for three years, beginning 30 April 2002, and has been excluded as an ISU council member.[6] He resigned as president of the FFSG on 12 May 2004 but was re-elected to that position in December 2007.

Another scandal engulfed Gailhaguet in February of 2020 when he was accused by retired pair skater Sarah Abitbol of having covered up abuse allegations against one of his allies, longtime coach and FFSG official Gilles Beyer.[7][8] This coincided with Gailhaguet's efforts to defend pair skater Morgan Ciprès, who was accused of having sent a picture of his penis to a 13-year-old girl at his training center in Florida.[9] The scandal attracted nationwide news coverage and denunciations from prominent skaters, including Olympic ice dance champion Gwendal Peizerat, who said Gailhaguet's control of FFSG affairs had previously meant that "to oppose him is to become persona non grata." This resulted in an ultimatum from Sports Minister Roxana Mărăcineanu that Gailhaguet resign as FFSG president lest the organization otherwise be decertified. Initially defiant, he ultimately agreed to resign his post, and was succeeded by Nathalie Péchalat.[10][11]

Results
Event 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975
Winter Olympics13th
World Championships19th10th13th10th13th
European Championships19th10th8th7th9th
French Championships3rd3rd2nd1st1st

References
  1. "French figure skating boss resigns over sex abuse scandal". Yahoo! News. February 8, 2020.
  2. "Surya Bonaly, Corps et lames: episode 5". Binge. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  3. Johnette Howard. "Over easy for Surya Bonaly the skating has never been the hard part". Vault. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  4. "Surya s'eclipse". L'Humanité (in French). 31 March 1992.
  5. Clarey, Christopher (17 December 1992). "California Training Helps Bonaly Bloom: French Skater Discovers U.S." The New York Times.
  6. Clarey, Christopher (May 1, 2002). "FIGURE SKATING; 2 French Officials Suspended 3 Years In Skating Scandal". New York Times.
  7. "Patinage artistique : l'ancienne championne Sarah Abitbol affirme avoir été violée par son ancien entraîneur" [Figure skating: Former champion Sarah Abitbol states that she was raped by her former coach]. L'Equipe (in French). 29 January 2020.
  8. Collin, Jean-Christophe; Fleurot, Grégoire (28 January 2020). "La fin de l'omerta sur les violences sexuelles : la jeunesse volée des patineuses" [The end of the omerta surrounding sexual violence: The stolen youth of skaters]. L'Equipe (in French).
  9. Brennan, Christine (December 10, 2019). "Olympic figure skater, coaches being investigated for sexual abuse allegations". USA Today.
  10. Gaubert, Julie (February 8, 2020). "French skating chief Didier Gailhaguet resigns amid sexual assault scandal". Euronews.
  11. "Figure skating: Nathalie Pechalat becomes French ice sports boss after rivals pull out citing coronavirus". The Straits Times. March 15, 2020.


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