- Joined
- Oct 20, 2005
^^^^ 100% This!
Tennis & golf, both individual sports, seem to strike this balance fairly well.
Tennis & golf, both individual sports, seem to strike this balance fairly well.
In my opinion, that's extortion. While the skater or team is representing the country, that country is benefiting from the press and exposure, the mentorship opportunities, often there are fund-raising events for the federation or sport in which these top skaters would participate. And when the team or skater is a top international competitor, they are earning additional spots for the country for other up and coming teams. The value for the money is provided back at the time it is being given (as opposed to the education example where a student gets the benefit and provides the return on investment later). And we need to keep in mind these are amateur athletes, not NBA or FIFA athletes. There needs to be a constant, consistent ISU-wide policy around country transfers - 1 year, or maybe 2 years for a world top 10 athlete, and then the transfer is automatic. The federation should not "own" the athlete, giving them the effective right of destroying the athlete's career. This nonsense with Massot and Zahorski is politics, power and control, with a healthy dose of extortion, in my opinion.
"Representing your country" is an outdated, pointless mode of thinking. For the Olympics, okay sure whatever, because that event is about "World Peace". But the point of athletics and performing is not to represent your country. There is only this world we live in, filled with people who do what they do regardless of where they live. It doesn't matter if the top 100 are all from Italy. They are the best 100.
i see your point, but it's not like she never got the chance to prove she can be an olympic gold medalist before.
Seriously... They still have to pay that ransom. Gezzzz...The German Federation confirmed Bruno´s release today. The Federation paid 30,000Euro by its own to the French Federation. Aljona and Bruno must paid a part of the money back some day.
The pair is going to start in Tallin next week.
The German Federation confirmed Bruno´s release today. The Federation paid 30,000Euro by its own to the French Federation. Aljona and Bruno must paid a part of the money back some day.
The pair is going to start in Tallin next week.
I wish them a lot of success so they can pay it back easily. I remember Aljona and Robin always had financial issues so hopefully they can get some help in the form of sponsors.
Finding sponsors in Germany will be difficult because skating is pretty much nonexistant. Even after world and Olympic medals Aljona and Robin had hardly any support or media attention. The only channel that still shows skating is Eurosport and even they have admitted that ratings for skating are very low ( even by their standards ). It took Aljona and Robin years to land a decent sponsoring deal ( with a Swiss bank or something, nothing in Germany ).
I think it will be even harder for Aljona and Bruno because they haven't achieved anything yet. At least they have their federations support.
Wasn't part of the financial problem that Aljona and Robin had to pay for their coach Ingo Steuer themselves (because the German Fed wasn't allowed to pay him)? Bruno and Aljona are not trained by Steuer, so this shouldn't be a problem now.I wish them a lot of success so they can pay it back easily. I remember Aljona and Robin always had financial issues so hopefully they can get some help in the form of sponsors.
Wasn't part of the financial problem that Aljona and Robin had to pay for their coach Ingo Steuer themselves (because the German Fed wasn't allowed to pay him)? Bruno and Aljona are not trained by Steuer, so this shouldn't be a problem now.
That is true. Nevertheless financial problems won't be small for aljona and bruno.
Aljona and Ingo were a couple for so some years. It seems that they do not even speak to each other now. In addition the relationship to robin should not be so close.
I have always been fascinated how sport brings different people together if there had been the same aim. And at the end there are big conflicts because the realtionship has been defined through the sport.
Don't forget...Oh well... Grisukh and Platov...I recall a storry of a russian / soviet team that would avoid any interactions outside training etc to make sure they don´t mess up their work relationship before Olympics...