Dear President Galvagno,
and to all Italians, athletes and friends.

I'm not one to speak often or express opinions, because I have always believed that actions speak louder than words, but on this occasion I've decided to make an exception in writing this letter because, over the last few days, many athletes and teachers have been asking me what to do about FIDS' block on all athletes from participating at the Blackpool Dance Festival.

I need to be very clear.

In the past I have found myself having to take decisions thinking egoistically about my own career and many times this has meant breaking FIDS' rules, mostly for my own ignorance of what was happening in both the Italian and international dance world, as well as a lack of comparisons and dialogue with the various federations which I am happy to say I have finally reached today.

I was far too busy improving my technical, artistic and athletic gesture.

Edita and I are still deciding exactly what to do about Blackpool but, no matter which decision we may take, I want to say one thing to all Italian athletes and I would like this statement to express my nationalistic values; I would like to invite all FIDS athletes to listen to and follow the indications given by your federation, my federation, and it's President, Ferruccio Galvagno.

I have read thoroughly the statement regarding all the motives behind the decision to not participate at Blackpool and, even though I have lived through the events detailed as part of the opposing federation, and should therefore be biased, but not towards FIDS, I must admit that they are all completely true.

My complete and utter support for FIDS' strong reaction is motivated by true facts, and I believe that if FIDS has chosen to not allow its couples to enter Blackpool it is not because of a lack of respect for such a historic and important competition as the British Open Championships but to try to re-obtain the respect that is deserved but has been lost for athletes, Italian and non.

Certain athletes have asked me: What are you going to do? Dance?

What I will do in this moment has no importance...

You should all feel part of a team that is working to create tomorrow's champions.

The motives behind my and Edita's personal decision of whether to dance Blackpool or not will be based on a simple question of coherence. I decided 25 years ago what I wanted to achieve and I must respect that, but my career is nearly at its end and therefore my decisions are based on values and choices which could well be different to those of an Italian athlete of today.

I'm an athlete born under an "old system" which saw the IDSF as an amateur federation and the WDC as a professional federation. I had already turned professional when the WDC, having decided to not accept the same agreement with FIDS as it had, creating harmony, in Germany, attacked FIDS, publishing "get out of FIDS" in December 2005.

Despite this, no one from FIDS has ever put pressure on me to dance in the IPDSC.

Never, ever, has FIDS asked me to repudiate that which i had done up to that point and this is how our situation remained until last year, when I decided to cooperate with Ferruccio Galvagno and the FIDS tracksuit, mostly driven by a spirit of loyalty to my athletes and students who have always danced in FIDS and who needed a helping hand from my part.

They needed to understand that I supported their federation and that I hadn't abandoned them.

Speaking with the FIDS' president, I discovered he was ready, willing and able to understand my problems and support my choices.

When I decided to come back to the floor with Edita, we decided, together with FIDS, to design a path which would allow me to regain my titles in the most important competitions in the world, including those held in England which I love dearly and have been our reality as dancers for our entire careers.

For this reason, together with FIDS, we decided not to dance at the Italian Championships or in the IPDSC circuit (I have had my opportunities, many successes and I decided to leave other great champions their chance for success in the new FIDS-IPDSC system).

This decision was made, not for lack of respect, but simply to pass the torch onto Paolo Bosco and Silvia Pitton who, in the new system, will do the work that we have done in the old system: great testimonials who will give their passion to many Standard dancers.

Dancing at Blackpool was a fundamental step in the plan we stabilized with FIDS.
If we dance, it will be in agreement with the federal directors, and we will dance simply for the love of competition with the best athletes in the world, out of respect for the English competitions and for their organizers who we would like to assure that we will do our best to help resolve the current problems. We were born into that world and it is there that we would like to demonstrate that real champions know how to come back and win, demonstrating loyalty and respect for the rules.

We would like to remind our athletes firmly: we must follow our federation.
The athletes must always follow the rules: remain in Italy and prepae yourselves for when your country needs you.
If the President and his Board of Directors have taken such a drastic and painful decision as not allowing couples to enter the competition, it is because they have evaluated carefully the situation and, as far as I can see, they are absolutely right.

The Blackpool organizers must realise that Italy and FIDS must be respected because it is the only legal and official Dancesport entity recognized by the Italian Olympic Committee and represents the vast majority of athletes.

I don't regret any of that which I have done in the past because every decision I have taken has allowed me to reach the maturity which today allows me to be responsible for my own actions such as continuing to dance for my country. It would have been all too easy to be cunning: I could simply dance under another flag.

I could dance for Lithuania with Edita, not say a word and I would never have had to decide whether to dance Blackpool or not, participate at the festival and tell everyone that I know nothing about the Italian situation or, as some others who have chosen to abandon Italy, marvel about how lucky I am to have gone away from the Italian nightmare.

But I am here pubblicly stating my point of view in the home that it might be useful for my fellow Italians.

I love Italy and will work hard for the Italian system.

In the past, for different reasons, I have clashed, at times heavily, with FIDS' President but nonetheless we have never felt rancour. We have always respected each other's difference of opinion. That said, today I must agree with him completely. His vision, his work for the development of dancesport in Italy is right in front of our eyes.

We must support him, to create a great sporting system where the athletes of the future will not have to accept that which we have to put up with ourselves. At the same time we must remind the FIDS of the importance and history of the English competitions.

I know that Ferruccio Galvagno wants Italian couples to compete not only in England but anywhere they so desire.

I am with FIDS, and will work with the federation to create a system Made in Italy.As an athlete I have accepted decisions that I didn't agree with and that, as far as I was concerned, were even completely wrong, but if today I have 6 world titles it is also thanks to these decisions.

Today, you could also disagree with FIDS' decision, but it is a correct one, a wise one, that favours dancesport, with respect for the athletes of the federations that represent them.

I will do my upmost to guarantee that FIDS and the Blackpool organizers resolve their differences, allowing the allows to live the emotions that we ourselves have, together with those that FIDS, the IDSF and the IPDSC can offer them in the new sporting system.

I could have remained silent, I could have held my tongue; but I'm convinced that we must fight for what we love, to make the world around us a better place and to improve our FIDS.

As an athlete I'm sure I've made many mistakes but, at the same time, to have given many good examples. I have always followed the rules of the system I was under because I think that is an athlete's obligation. Furthermore, if it's the case, an athlete should work to change that which isn't right.

I would like to thank FIDS' President and the Council for the work they do for us, I am with those athletes that believe in the project the federation has put forwards, which I hope may include harmony with everyone, including English teachers and the fantastic competitions which we have loved and which have given us endless satisfaction.

I hope to have been some help or at least clarified my point of view.

Yours faithfully,

Mirko Gozzoli