Gili Lustig: It is crucial to ensure the continuity of figure skating in Israel

Gili Lustig, a veteran volleyball player, the Israel volleyball team coach, and Chairman of the Elite Sport Department of the Israel Olympic Committee for the past 10 years is our first Guest of Honour sharing with us his thoughts on the past, present and future of figure skating in Israel

-Gili, how did it all get started?
-It all got started in connection with the Olympic Games. When the first opportunity to represent Israel in the Winter Olympics came to the fore, propelled by the frenzy enthusiasm of the-then IISF President Yossi Goldberg, we started working together, and the Israel flag joined the other Olympic nations.
-You mean the Winter Olympic Games?
-Yes. Until the last Olympics in Turin, figure skating and speed skating had been the only winter Olympic sports. Michael Shmerkin became our first winter Olympian representing Israel in the men's category in figure skating. At the last Olympics our country was represented by both skating and skiing. The great thing is that it all started from scratch and has grown into an important sport, full of serious and highly professional people, among them Boris Chait who has dedicated a lot of his time, motivation and money to this sport, and we can be proud of great results! Each time it has been history in the making. At first it was skating for representing Israel, but lately it has become skating for achievement. And the best achievement has been the 2002 bronze medal of Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovsky at the World Championships in Nagano, Japan, which was Israel's first medal in winter sports of any kind.

-What are the implications of this medal for the development of figure skating in Israel?

-It shows how crucial it is to ensure the continuity of the sport to go on making history. Galit and Sergei are the national role models for the next generation of skaters. Also Alexandra and Roman Zaretsky made history when they won a bronze medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Slovenia in 2003. We are already closely connected to this sport, its beauty and the professionalism and dedication of the people working in it. Figure skating has an immense potential in Israel, also due to the fact that there are many new immigrants from the former Soviet Union here, who are naturally connected to this aesthetic sport, which also requires strenuous everyday training for generating top results. And what can be more suitable for the Top Level Sports Division? That's why we are together.

-Gili, I would like to tell you what new things are happening in our federation. We have several new skaters who have recently made aliya. Among them is Maxim Shipov, a 19-year old from Moscow who will be representing Israel in the men's category. We are working on building a new ice dance couple, and we are also building a couple for the pair skating category so that Israel will he represented in all the four figure skating categories in the near future. And my next question is:

How did your interest in figure skating begin?

-It started with the Olympic Games. I joined the Top-Level Sports division in 1997, and a year later Galit and Sergei represented Israel in Nagano for the first time.
I went to the Canada Centre to watch Skate Israel, started watching the broadcasts of figure skating competitions and just got connected to it – the wonderful combination of dance, music, and the phenomenal elements performed on the ice at a very high speed. I really enjoyed the Stars on Ice show that was brought to Tel Aviv for the first time in March this year and featured both top Olympic skaters and celebrities showing that anyone can master the skating skills to a certain degree. However, there is one thing that is sometimes hard to accept – it's the judgment, which is not always objective. I often think that Galit and Sergei deserved a higher award in many competitions they entered.

-The ISU has worked hard to change the judgment criteria and make them more objective, and let's hope it will get better in the future.

-I am also sure that because of the achievements Israeli figure skaters have been showing particularly in the past 5 years, more and more children will join this beautiful sport looking up to our figure skating stars.

-That's why we have built our federation's website to reach out to wider audiences. It is in English for now, but later it will be translated into Hebrew and Russian.

-It is very important to do it in Russian for the parents of the future skaters to browse it easily and understand what is going on in the sport in Israel and worldwide.

-What are your impressions of the last Olympics in Turin?

-It was the first time I was part of the winter Olympic delegation. It is different from the Summer Olympics- more homogeneous and enhanced by the beauty of the snow and the ice. What I also want to say that now the selection criteria for the Winter Olympics are as tough as they are for the Summer Olympics. The Olympic Committee eased up on the criteria to allow the Zaretsky siblings to enter the Olympics, but now the criteria have become equally strict, which shows that this pair has reached the level high enough for that.

-Gili, you are occupying such a busy and demanding position surely working extra and erratic hours. Is there any time left for hobbies?

 -Very little, but I do have a few hobbies. They are gardening – very relaxing, books (novels) and movies.

-Any particular genre of books?

Classics. Lately I have been interested in Spanish and Chinese authors, but any interesting book is worth reading. My favourite Israeli writer is Meir Shalev.

Gili, thank you so much for your time and the effort you have been investing into the development of figure skating in Israel. We are looking forward to seeing you at our next major competition.