Ann Shaw awarded ISU Gold Award of Merit
(July 7, 2008 - OTTAWA, ON) – The International Skating Union announced that Skate Canada member Ann Shaw of Toronto, Ont. has been awarded the ISU Gold Award of Merit. The Gold Award of Merit is awarded at the discretion of the ISU Council to recognize valuable contributions to the ISU sports at the international level. This award is only handed out to ISU Office Holders and other individuals who have served the ISU sport disciplines.
“We are so pleased that such a high honour has been bestowed on Ann. She has contributed so positively to the sport on both a national and international level and is very deserving of this recognition,” said Skate Canada CEO, William Thompson.
“It is always wonderful to see someone with so much dedication and love for the sport be awarded for their efforts,” said Skate Canada President, Benoît Lavoie. “Ann has had such a wonderful influence on figure skating and we are lucky to have someone like her representing Canada.”
Shaw who has been involved with skating since age seven has been an active judge for Canada since she began judging tests at age 16. A native of Toronto, she began her skating career at Silver Blades Skating Club but competed for the Toronto Granite Club and is currently a member of Leaside Skating Club. Originally an ice dance competitor she competed with partner Eddie Collins and represented Canada at her first World Championships in 1959and placed fifth. In 1960 she partnered with Gilles Vanesse and placed sixth at the World Championships in Vancouver.
Shaw began her judging career early; she was a national judge by 1969 and by 1976 she was an international level judge. She judged her first Worlds in 1983 and then in 1984 she judged her first Olympic Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Shaw was elected to the International Skating Union Ice Dance Committee in 1992 and re-elected on a four year basis until she retired in 2006. She has been an active Skate Canada board member since 1988 and is currently the chair of the Hall of Fame and Museum Committee.
In 2002 when the new judging system was being created Shaw was appointed by the ISU to serve on the ISU Ad Hoc Committee. The ISU Ad Hoc Committee was appointed to create the new ISU Judging System. Shaw was in charge of applying the concepts of ice dance to the new system and is considered to have had an influential role in creating the new system.
The ISU will award Shaw with the award at a yet to be named date and place.
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Skate Canada, the national governing body responsible for the development and administration of figure skating in Canada, is the largest figure skating association in the world. With skating programs for athletes of all ages, offered at 1326 clubs across the country, Skate Canada is an association dedicated to providing every Canadian the opportunity to experience the passion, spirit and triumph of skating.
