Oksana Baiul- what is her standing in the sport and how is she today? | Page 3 | Golden Skate

Oksana Baiul- what is her standing in the sport and how is she today?

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
(to Tonichelle:) I don't think that any skater's career was in the 170 million dollar range. (Maybe Sonja Henie, in equivalent value for her time!) That's why I can't see any court deciding for such an amount in Oksana's favor.

same here.

maybe the thought is we ask for an outrageous amount and then negotiate down to the number we really wanted to begin with?
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
same here.

maybe the thought is we ask for an outrageous amount and then negotiate down to the number we really wanted to begin with?

I guess that's the mechanism. As I understand it, Baiul has initiated similar lawsuits before this. How successful were they, I wonder?
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
I guess that's the mechanism. As I understand it, Baiul has initiated similar lawsuits before this. How successful were they, I wonder?

the article says that one of them was dropped IIRC... so I'm not sure.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I've read some of the statements online. Baiul claims that she was persuaded to sign contracts when she was 16 years old (in other words, a minor), at a time when she spoke very little English, and that the agency pulled the wool over her eyes. I think that kind of accusation is often based on something valid. Another example of this: the music business in the early 1960s took advantage of a number of singers and singing groups, so that producers ended up rich from the songs, while the performers lived and often died in poverty. So that aspect of her claim may have merit. But a nine-figure sum is probably a bit extravagant and may be, as Toni points out, meant as a starting point for negotiation.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Thing is, she shoved the people who were trying to help her away. Yes she was a "minor" but she was in the beginning VERY much in control, she just chose the wrong people to listen to.
 

wordsworthgirl

Medalist
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Wow- this is all so sad to hear. The lawsuit seems hugely exaggerated in its amount, and the lawyer is her fiance?! I also checked out her website and she looks to have had quite a bit of "work". She looks frozen and glazed and over the top. I hope hope hope she is actually still sober.

I do agree with everyone who says she had a very special quality and ability on the ice- a spark and grace that are rare. It was fascinating to watch again after all these years of thinking Nancy was robbed and to really see the other side's point. At the same time, though, Nancy did a triple triple!

I hope that Oksana can finally achieve happiness. I wonder if she is still in touch with or close to Viktor Petrenko and Galina? Or did she disassociate from them at some point? It does seem that no-one invites Oksana to appear in shows or television specials anymore. I guess she burned a lot of bridges along the way.
 

Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
Wow- this is all so sad to hear.

I hope that Oksana can finally achieve happiness. I wonder if she is still in touch with or close to Viktor Petrenko and Galina? Or did she disassociate from them at some point? It does seem that no-one invites Oksana to appear in shows or television specials anymore. I guess she burned a lot of bridges along the way.

And now they are afraid they might get sued if she were in one of their shows or specials.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I think there is some overexaggeration here. First, she is stilldoing shows. Second, pro skating has died. She had a rebirth and while she has had a troubled life she has bounced back at least somewhat technically. She has a huge triple lutz though probably not now as there isn't much. the skating world is fickle. Hamilton (Scott) always pushed Katia even though she isn't a singles skater and gordeeva probably has one of the best singles skating careers now. Kerrigan and Baiul battle is over done like the 2002 issues. 6.0 allows the artistic one to win on the tie breakers. Kerrigan made some unfortunate comments after the olympics but she had the American princess image and then she married money and power and yes, she learned to survive with a silver and bronze oly medal - goth aruged not to be during great skates by others. She was blessed with good genes, a feel good story with her blind mom and there has been always a lot of sympathy and empathy for her. But she was another american princess in an expensive dress. Baiul even with her shortcomings and problems was special - not just because of her being an orphan but as a skater - it is sad though she had problems as a pro but her talent was/is undeniable.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I think there is certainly an argument for Lu Chen being 2nd or even 1st in the LP at 1994 Olympics. She had the best program, IMO, although Oksana gave an overall better performance.

On what basis would you place Lu ahead of Nancy? Both did 5 clean triples, Lu had a bad error on her sixth. Nancy did a 3/3.

Lu was always short on the lutz, that's why her free leg was always so swingy on that particular jump. A lot of the programs of her's on YouTube include post-program replays which show her lutz in slow motion. You don't have to take my word for it, see for yourself.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Lu actually did 7 triples in the Lillehammer LP including 2 triple lutzes, and just putting a hand down on her triple flip, so 6 clean triples including 2 triple lutzes. A 2nd triple lutz would negate Nancy doing the easiest triple-triple in the book, and Lu still had 1 more triple (2 really as well).

Yes there is an excellent case to have both Lu Chen and Yuka Sato ahead of Kerrigan and Baiul in the LP. I would still have Nancy the winner overall as she did 2 pretty clean programs while Lu and Yuka had problems in their short programs.
 

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
Oksana was the most versatile skater i have ever seen. She first skated to Ave Maria then to Michael Jackson in her exhibition program at Worlds. I can't think of any skater who could pull that off now. And to think she was only 15.
 

wonderlen3000

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
After Nancy was assaulted, Vera I'm sure wanted to do something good for her. Sad that Oksana is still the same diva that mistakenly won the gold. She was amazing tho in a few skates in her teen years. She hit at the height of the money fame. Kwan was getting a million an appearance so Oksana likely was making much money, but that much? Seems unlikely.

Mmm would figure skaters really able to earn that much after they finished their careers?? I mean skaters like Kwan, Yuna, Mao or Evan (with OGM) may able to earn those kinds of money. We know Yuna Kim is the richest figure skater currently, i wonder how much other skaters net worth are...
 

miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Aw man, she's just in her own world, isn't she?

...And that's the best compliment for a figure skater. I see a lot of Radionova in Baiul.

Baiul was indeed a very special skater. I felt she was the best at bringing modern dance to skating.
 

kovarkovaelegant

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 24, 2013
She is the most artistic female skater in history, alongside perhaps Janet Lynn. It is a shame the way the U.S media destroyed her.

She fully deserved the gold in Lillehammer. Nancy Snotigan is so overrated. Had it not been for the hype of her attack she would finish 4th or 5th at Lillehammer. She was already a has been after being 5th at the 93 Worlds.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
She is the most artistic female skater in history, alongside perhaps Janet Lynn. It is a shame the way the U.S media destroyed her.

The US media didn't destroy Oksana. Alcohol destroyed Oksana, and alcohol was one of Oksana's unfortunate choices after her meteoric rise to fame and fortune.
 

kovarkovaelegant

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 24, 2013
The US media didn't destroy Oksana. Alcohol destroyed Oksana, and alcohol was one of Oksana's unfortunate choices after her meteoric rise to fame and fortune.

She got into alcohol since she was depressed. She admitted that in past interviews. She claims her former surrogate Mom Zmievskaya and others used her for money and that they reminded her all they had done for her and that she owed them and should reimburse them that and more. They even made her skate a bunch of pro events in fall 94 and 95 on a badly injured knee which ruined her jumping and pro career. All for lots of money which mostly went to them. Then after her drunk driving accident in January 97 in March 97 these so called family and friends of hers including Zmievskaya cut her off and would have nothing to do with her again. The poor women, treated terrible by so many of her supposed closest people.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Oksana chose to drink, and then she chose to drink and drive. Those were her choices, and it was her reputation that suffered because of those choices. The injured knee did not ruin her professional career, Oksana's drinking did. During her time at SOI she came to practices too drunk to skate, and missed performances for the same reason. When she was drunk, Oksana was nasty and abusive, so it is not surprising that people who were once close to her stayed away.

Oksana skated with Champions On Ice, I thought? She was never on the official cast of Stars On Ice.


Oksana is good at playing the blame game, and I think that's what ultimately killed her chances. If you're unwilling to accept your role in your own life you aren't going to get better.
 
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