SynchroNice / Third Edition / 2018

What happens if we don’t? Well it could happen that ISU categorized teams become rare at ISU competitions. At one ISU competition it happened that the Junior Zagreb Snowflakes team was 3rd out of 50 teams and that the number of teams at the World Championships falls under 20. It could also happen that someone smart and business minded organizes a World Championships in Mixed Age teams and I believe that that event would have 50 or more teams entered! (I hope that if this ever happens, I will get credit for the original idea!) Synchronized skating came a long way thanks to the great pioneers within the ISU, especially Marie Lundmark and Christopher Buchanan. Their work was fundamental to the development of this sport and they have helped everyone who asked for advice and support. Now we must do everything to maintain and improve the system of work and competitions. If I was asked for my opinion, I woud suggest a mini-memorandum that would specify the norms of ISU competitions: limiting number of teams (40 or 50) and to add stimulative measures to increase the number of competitions. I know that it would be a great help to the organizers to receive some funds from the ISU, let’s say 10,000EUR, with two strict conditions attached: that the host adheres to the rules of the memorandum and that the funds are used strictly for competition costs (rink rental, judge’s expenses, awards etc.) This is where I will stop. I could continue like this indefinitely but that really makes no sense. I know that many will disagree with me, especially those who look at everything with a limited point of view. I might have been too candid or open by sharing my opinions and thoughts. That is rarely a good thing but I think it’s important to rock the boat every once in while if you want to make a change for the better. I am always available and willing to listen to any counter arguments or opinions and accept all criticism, except the one that I am biased. Don’t forget that I have spent 20 years along with a team of wonderful and diligent enthusiasts build- ing a club from 22 skaters in a novice team to 180 skaters in seven competitive teams in all catego- ries (ISU and non-ISU) and a synchro school. I have also, as the president and Team Leader, raised funds, organized travels and led Zagreb Snow- flakes teams on competitions all around Europe, Canada and America. I have also been president of organizing committees of World Championships and numerous Zagreb Snowflakes Trophies. All my observations come with the best intentions so I’m asking you to take them in good faith. Just like this final thing that’s still on my mind: World Championships should be judged only by the best of judges and all teams are required to skate with 16 skaters, that is why there are 20 on the roster, except for extreme situations, but even then a cer- tain penalization in points is in order if there aren’t 16 athletes on the Ice.  He was born as an only child on January 2, 1954 in Zagreb and graduated in 1977 at the Faculty of Economy of the University of Zagreb. He’s married to Vesna, a financial director at a major food company. Zoran has two very successful children, Ivan (37) and Zrinka (32) who gave him two grandchildren, Pavlo (3½) and Tara (born on November 24, 2017). Zoran was involved in sports daily for almost half a century, from 1971…both professionally and as a volunteer. He was a sports journalist for 27 years (1971-1997) and a writer for Sport- ske Novosti (Sport News), the only Croatian daily sports newspaper and he was the editor in chief of Sport Magazine, a Croatian sports weekly paper as well as the chief editor of Radio Cibona, the only Croatian sports radio station. For 15 years (1999-2014) Zoran held manage- ment positions at the Zagreb Sports Federation and the Croatian Olympic Committee. He was assistant to the General Secretary in both of these important institutions, in charge of com- munications, PR and international cooperation, but he also spent 40 years volunteering in sports. He was for instance the president of the Croatian Sports Journalists Organization and one of the founders of the Croatian Basketball Federation (1991) and member of the Executive Committee. He was also press attaché of the Croatian delegation at their historical first Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. Zoran is cofounder of the Synchronized Skating club Zagreb Snowflakes and he served three terms (1997-2010) as their president. Currently Zoran is the honorary president and one of the chief operative executives in the club. As presi- dent of the organizing committee he organized 2 World Synchronized Skating Championships (2004 and 2009) and World Challenge cup for juniors (2002) and 8 Zagreb Snowflakes Tro- phies (2001-2010). He’s been a member of the Executive Commit- tee of the Croatian Skating Federation for 20 years and served three terms (2004-2016) as the Vice-president of the Federation. Author of 8 books about sports and author and editor of 26 sport publications (basketball, football and synchronized skating), contributor to several basketball magazines in Italy, Spain and Germany, he published a string of articles in the field of sports and sports journalism and held many lectures on these topics. Zoran has received many sports and journalist awards, and is an absolute authority in his field. Him being a Capricorn makes it no wonder he’s so insistent on order, discipline, hierarchy and responsibility and that’s what he expects from others as well. WHO IS ZORAN KOVACEVIC? SYNCHRO NICE 127