Gladwell's Line: Olympic Commission report a thunderbolt for the sport

10:50 PM Wed 12 May 2010 GMT

'Crowds the length of the seawall in Qingdao 2008 weren't included in the IOC spectator statistics, because they didn't have to buy a ticket. For events involving Chinese competitors, the crowds spilled down the side of the sea wall which ran the full length of the first leg of the Medal race course' Richard Gladwell

The report of the International Sailing Federation's Olympic Commission, presented last weekend to the ISAF Events Committee and Council, is a wake up call that should not be ignored by the sport. The contents of the report should not come as a surprise to anyone involved in the administration of Yachting/Sailing, call it what you will. In 2004 the ISAF commissioned a report from a five strong working party which developed the San Diego Protocol. One of the outputs was a timeline for change. That was not taken up. In 2005 the International Olympic Committee noted that the 'ISAF had ...

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by Richard Gladwell