Yagudin charged with DUI

[Jaana]

I´d guess that later it will be published how much alcohol over 0.8 Yagudin actually had in his blood. I agree with those who have the opinion that when driving, no alcohol at all! It is of course good that this time nobody was killed or injured because of somebody´s DUI and speeding, but that is no excuse for Yagudin (or any driver). It is possible that other people who might have been on that road, may just have been extremely lucky that they did not happen to be there in that time...

After Yagudin´s notorious COI incidents in 1999, I cannot say that I´m very surprised about this matter now.

BTW, how is it in USA with DUI in a case like Yagudin´s where nobody was injured? Would he be able to get away with a fine or is a person caught while DUI always facing something like community service?

Marjaana

[Lisa]

Originally posted by Joesitz
Poor Yags. I hope he's not going the way of Oksana. Olympic Gold and then unable to cope with success.

IMO it's not the success he has trouble with - it's facing the idea that his career might be over. Please remember that he had surgery back in May, took the ice again in July and planned to decide about his future after skating for a few weeks - which would be right now. I can only hope that there is no relation whatsoever between his hip problem and this incident.

Poor Yags. Indeed.

Good luck, Alexei, whatever your future may be like.

[RussianBolero]

Also to remember one thing...it IS Labor Day weekend in the US, a holiday when there is a lot of drinking (and unfortunately, a lot of drinking and driving, which is why there are cops everywhere this weekend). I am not ready to infer anything other than he was at a cookout having a good time.

No, I don't think anyone should drink and drive. I'm just not ready to consign him to the alcoholic/tortured artist/out-of-control freak category until more facts are in.

[TRAxel]

Originally posted by Lisa
Hey everybody - hang on a minute!!!

I totally agree with all those who say that Yags was being very stupid and what he did was irresponsible!

But still - being caught while driving after you've had some alcohol does NOT mean that you've got a drinking problem. Don't get me wrong, please, I don't mean to excuse what he did. But this doesn't make him an alcoholic, so please let's not treat him like an one.
And please, COI was back in 2000, he was still quite new in the US, and the Russian drinking tradition is very different from the American one. If he really had a serious problem, there would have been more scandals ever since (and you can be sure the media would have been delighted to tell us), and an alcoholic is not able to skate that well over such a long time.

Great post Lisa.. I am with you on this one!

[RealtorGal]

I'm willing to bet that this is not the first time he's been drinking and driving--It's just that this time he got CAUGHT. This behavior is inexcusable. When someone drinks and drives, he takes MY life into his hands and that PISSES ME OFF!

...getting off soapbox...

[show 42]

He's very lucky (and so was anyone driving that night near him) that he wasn't involved in an accident. Maybe this will be a "wake-up" call for him..........42

[terisalyn]

Thank you, Lisa, for the note of sanity. I agree that it was stupid of him not to have called a cab, especially on a holiday weekend when the police are out in force. But I think that a lot of unjustified assumptions are being made here. I don't think anyone with a serious drinking problem could compete at the level he has for as long as he has. And all that we really know is that he was stopped for speeding, and blew over 0.08, which is not that hard to do. As a matter of fact, at my body weight, I would blow a 0.08 if I drank two glasses of wine within an hour.

I agree that driving under the influence is wrong. But most of the DWI tragedies that we hear about are NOT caused by the social drinker who makes the mistake of getting into his/her car after two drinks. They're caused by the habitual offender, who drinks and drives all the time, and who has built up such a tolerance for alcohol that he thinks that he can still drive with about 8 or 10 beers in him! And no matter how stiff the penalties, the tragedies won't end until we can enforce the penalties. It's really scary how many people are out there right now driving drunk on licenses that are suspended for DWI!!!

All of that said, let's not make assumptions about anyone's personal habits, emotional motivations, etc., based on so little information. And while DUI is a serious mistake to make, I've yet to meet anyone who hasn't made mistakes in life. And quite frankly, I don't want to; just imagine how self-righteous and boring such a person would be!

[bleuchick]

personally, not knowing what is up with Alexei's personal life...the stuff to lead him to drink...let alone drink and drive...I gotta say something people are forgetting. He was coming from a business meeting not a social meeting. Two very different things. It is 2003, don't these business organizers know that people can sue them for serving alcohol. Btw, there are court cases against businesses serving alcohol.

[dmr65]

This does not make me hate Yags nor want to cal him names.. But.. Lose someone as I known to a drunk driver and try to convince me with many reasons.. Also, tell that baby who lost her mom, as was in the car with her mom.. Tell that same child's dad and that woman's husband well, he's famous, well he just came from a social event, or he had a tragic life or surgery recently, and ask them if that makes it all better or well, they can now see it differently and if they can make Felicia come back from the grave after suffering 3 days before dying.


No, no one was on that street but him.. thank God.. But, if there were.. He still is not a child.. He still knew what he was doing, because he's been intoxicated before..




Denise..

[curious]

I agree with you Lisa. He is probably trying very hard to come to terms with the fact that he may not be able to compete again. I think he has to deal with his issues first though. I really hope he gets the help from the people around him he needs.

[tharrtell]

I see no excuse for this one ... drinking and driving is NEVER acceptable, IMO. Whether he's a social drinker or has a problem, it makes no difference to me ... he shouldn't get behind the wheel. I hope he is punished accordingly. I also hope he never does it again. Yags is a brilliant skater, is full of charisma, and has so much to offer. I hope he is able to move beyond this.

[mzheng]

Too bad he is charged with DUI. It is no supprise to me considering his Russian cultural background like some of posters pointed before. It was good no one got hurt.

This will not affect my opinion of his skating. I still love his skating and will still root for him. I don't messed up people's professional life with their personal life.

[merfsk8s]

I was very disappointed to read this. Yes, he made a mistake and everyone makes mistakes, even Olympic champions. However, it cannot be denied that he broke the law and endangered himself and others. It doesn't mean I won't enjoy his skating anymore, but it will alter my respect for him a bit.

Granted, the Russian culture regarding drinking is different, but Yagudin is living in the US now and needs to respect our laws.

I wish him all the best and hope that he makes better choices in the future.

[Vash01]

Yagudin has not just arrived in the USA. He has lived here since 1999- that is FOUR years. That is more than enough to learn the laws and rules of a country, regardless of what they were where he grew up. In fact he had a drinking problem on the COI tour and he even lost that contract due to it. That should have been enough to teach anyone that he should not do it again.

DUI is wrong. Ask those who lost loved ones due to someone's drinking and driving. Whether he has a consistent drinking problem or not, he needs to avoid driving after a drink. Once is enough. The people that get killed by drunk drivers do not get a second chance.

Vash

[Linny]

Another poster mentioned this but I thought I'd enforce his point: from what I've read,most of the DUI arrests turn out not to be a social drinker who simply forgot how little alcohol it takes to be over the legal limit. Apparently, law enforcement officials are touting the success of the various programs for getting the habitual drinker and driver off the road... but I wish there were some hard statistics on this. Out of 100 DUI arrests, how many turn out to be innocent (pass the blood test)? How many are repeat offenders? How many arrestees later agree to attend treatment programs?

Knowing the statistics would help to get a bead on the probability that Yags does or does not have a problem...

Linny