Yulia Lipnitskaya has retired

Sam-Skwantch · Sep 14, 2017

ballerina said:
With all due respect, please let me clarify what EXACTLY Yulia said in her statement, because this detail is VERY IMPORTANT.

Yulia said: "Единственное, о чем сожалею, что не сделала этого раньше, потому что всё продолжалось уже не первый, не второй и не третий год…"

Translation: "The only thing I regret is that I didn't do it sooner [publicly admit that she was suffering from anorexia], because it had been going on not only for a year, or two years, or three years..."

In Russian, "not only for a year, or two, or three" is a figure of speech which suggests that something has been going on for a long time. At least, definitely longer than 3 years. In this particular case, we know that Sochi Olympics was 3,5 years ago... So when Yulia says "it has been going on for more than 3 years", what she wants us to understand is that she was anorexic even BEFORE AND DURING the Olympics. She did NOT become anorexic only when she began training under Urmanov; it was much earlier. She could have said point-blank "I was anorexic during Olympics" but this would have been a DIRECT accusation on her coach of that time, Eteri Tutberidze. This is what Yulia decided not to do in this statement - as we see, she didn't want to put the blame on anyone, yet she wanted us to know the TRUTH and "do the math" on our own, so to speak... That was really classy on her part.

Thanks for making that point. I had a discussion with a friend who grew up in St Petersburg on this very statement. He translated it the same as you. As far as I've ever seen she has completely stayed clear of saying anything negative about Eteri. I don't think she is trying to blame anyone else and I think that is something that is going to actually help her in the long run. I do think it is inevitable that some people will blame Eteri to some degree but that's maybe to be expected. Julia was very young after all.

As she slips out of the spotlight illuminated on her by the world of figure skating I will certainly miss her spins and soulful interpretations but it will be the interviews I miss the most. It was always refreshing to hear her take on things. A rare character always came thru.

tars · Sep 14, 2017

bevybean said:
Your initial statement implies that you cannot have a discussion about figure skating without discussing weight and other physical attributes. That is not true.

I've never wrote anything of this kind, that is not true.

You don't really seem to want to exchange ideas as much as express your own. Exchanging them would mean that you are actually reading and considering other people's posts (not necessarily agreeing with them, but giving them real thought and making an effort to understand what they are really saying.)

Could you please stop being rude, guessing my psychological involvement in this board and focus on what I wrote?

I didn't say a word about the skaters being harassed by coaches, I didn't refer to anorexia, I simply stood up against your attempt to dilute the meaning of "slim".
The fact I'm against falsifying words meanings, does not mean I know how to solve harassment happening in the rinks around the world. I support you in such task, just not by creating false semantics. We've already worked it through in darkest times and places in history and it usually ended pretty ugly.

"Slim" means slim and Kaetlyn Osmond has a great vertical leap.

ballerina · Sep 14, 2017

Sam-Skwantch said:
As far as I've ever seen she has completely stayed clear of saying anything negative about Eteri. I don't think she is trying to blame anyone else [...].

Oh, we are talking about two VERY DIFFERENT things here...

What Yulia SAYS or does NOT SAY in public - that's one thing. Especially in her "farewell" interview where she simply can not afford to be petty / disrespectful / whatever, or she will be absolutely crucified. Telling the truth and naming names would come across as a scandalous revelation, seeking attention, totally disrespectful etc. Because, the truth is really bad... Certain media outlets and a lot of individuals in Russia have already shared an incredible amount of lies about Yulia, therefore seriously damaging her image and legacy. Basically, some people take pleasure in portraying her as a spoiled brat who had everything presented to her on a silver plate; achieved too much too early, with too little effort; after Olympics, got lazy, didn't want to train anymore, as a result of which gained weight... Certain quotes by Eteri Tutberidze and others unfortunately only enforced these lies.

The fact that Yulia has remained silent and has resisted to publicly blame anyone, by simply disclosing the truth, proves how incredibly mature at such a young age and polite she is. It does not mean, though, that she actually thinks that no one is responsible for her condition... I don't want to put words in her mouth. But if you look really closely at what she said... "I regret I didn't talk about this earlier", emphasis on the word "regret"... IMHO, she has finally realized that she should start to stand up for herself - because, unfortunate, history proves that no one else will - and to speak up when confronted with outrageous injustice.

I don't know how much you, guys, here on Golden Skate know about certain things... Like, have you heard of the "Squeezy" diet drink which was used (read - ABUSED) in Yulia's case ? Or, how her mother was appointed an assistant coach, so she could get accreditation to international competitions and stay in control of Yulia's so-called "diet" ?

Sam-Skwantch · Sep 14, 2017

We've had several Native Russian speakers frequent her fan fest for many years. They've helped translate several stories and tell us which articles are tabloid and more credible. I'm also close to several Russian born coaches who I sometimes rely on to help me see who is credible both here and in the news. Yes...I've seen several stories of the like pop up since I started posting here in 2013.

hippomoomin · Sep 14, 2017

I may have missed some information. I don't know much about anorexia. I want to how does anorexia affect your skating after you have recovered from it? Yulia said she would love to do shows but she cannot now. Does anorexia have the potential to permanently damage your body and limit your movement? Akiko came back from anorexia and had a great career.

Sam-Skwantch · Sep 14, 2017

hippomoomin said:
I may have missed some information. I don't know much about anorexia. I want to how does anorexia affect your skating after you have recovered from it? Yulia said she would love to do shows but she cannot now. Does anorexia have the potential to permanently damage your body and limit your movement? Akiko came back from anorexia and had a great career.

Anorexia can cause severe organ damage, destroy your reproductive system, affect your hormones, etc... It is life threatening but most importantly it is a mental disease. If she needs to step away from any emotional/mental triggers in order to recover she may need to do so for the time being.

bevybean · Sep 15, 2017

tars said:
Could you please stop being rude, guessing my psychological involvement in this board and focus on what I wrote?

I didn't say a word about the skaters being harassed by coaches, I didn't refer to anorexia, I simply stood up against your attempt to dilute the meaning of "slim".
The fact I'm against falsifying words meanings, does not mean I know how to solve harassment happening in the rinks around the world. I support you in such task, just not by creating false semantics. We've already worked it through in darkest times and places in history and it usually ended pretty ugly.

"Slim" means slim and Kaetlyn Osmond has a great vertical leap.

You've been just as rude to me and aren't focusing on what I'm writing.

I'm not creating false semantics. I'm pointing out that "slim" without strength = no ability to jump.

Seren · Sep 16, 2017

hippomoomin said:
I may have missed some information. I don't know much about anorexia. I want to how does anorexia affect your skating after you have recovered from it? Yulia said she would love to do shows but she cannot now. Does anorexia have the potential to permanently damage your body and limit your movement? Akiko came back from anorexia and had a great career.

Anorexia is the mental illness with the highest fatality rate. It can damage organs and severely impact bone density. So yes, it can permanently damage your body.

I think the stronger issue is the mental impact sport can have. Anorexia (and other eating disorders) have a huge relapse rate. For someone who has decided to try and get better, going back to a world where people are focused on size, diet, and image isn't always the best idea. It's very difficult to admit something isn't good for your mental health. I think it's clear from her interview that Yulia is very wise in this regard.

Also, for myself and many others I know, eating disorder thinking doesn't go away entirely, even when you have recovered. It takes a long time to learn how to ignore that kind of thinking. There are situations, comments, and other things that don't bother me much now that 6-7 years ago would have been very triggering.

I don't expect anyone to not talk about size in skating- it's physics and certain body types will have an advantage over others (this is true in most sports). But as fans we need to be careful with how we talk about things. Words have the power to hurt people in insidious ways. Especially when you are talking about children and teenagers.

Most importantly, I hope Yulia is happy.

Weathergal · Sep 16, 2017

Seren said:
Anorexia is the mental illness with the highest fatality rate. It can damage organs and severely impact bone density. So yes, it can permanently damage your body.

I think the stronger issue is the mental impact sport can have. Anorexia (and other eating disorders) have a huge relapse rate. For someone who has decided to try and get better, going back to a world where people are focused on size, diet, and image isn't always the best idea. It's very difficult to admit something isn't good for your mental health. I think it's clear from her interview that Yulia is very wise in this regard.

Also, for myself and many others I know, eating disorder thinking doesn't go away entirely, even when you have recovered. It takes a long time to learn how to ignore that kind of thinking. There are situations, comments, and other things that don't bother me much now that 6-7 years ago would have been very triggering.

I don't expect anyone to not talk about size in skating- it's physics and certain body types will have an advantage over others (this is true in most sports). But as fans we need to be careful with how we talk about things. Words have the power to hurt people in insidious ways. Especially when you are talking about children and teenagers.

Most importantly, I hope Yulia is happy.

Very well stated, Seren. Thank you for your candor - I wish you well on your continued recovery.

bevybean · Sep 18, 2017

tars said:
"Slim" means slim and Kaetlyn Osmond has a great vertical leap.

tars, I thought of something over the weekend that may clear things up a bit. When you use the word "slim" are you defining it as a lack of curves? Like narrow hips, etc. Because my definition of "slim" is "not fat"

Icey · Sep 19, 2017

Is she concerned that if she stayed in skating she would have a relapse?

Amei · Sep 19, 2017

Icey said:
Is she concerned that if she stayed in skating she would have a relapse?

Does it really matter? In the interview she doesn't say that, only that when she got done with treatment in Israel that she realized she was done with skating

Icey · Sep 20, 2017

She was fortunate it only took months, for many it takes years of treatment.

andromache · Sep 20, 2017

Icey said:
She was fortunate it only took months, for many it takes years of treatment.

I would be shocked if she were not still receiving treatment of some kind. Based on my personal experiences, it's likely that her treatment in Israel was, if not in-patient, then a highly intensive, daily out-patient treatment. Less intensive and/or less specialized treatment (weekly therapy, for example) is probably more readily available in Russia.

Coping with and/or recovering from mental illness is a very, very long-term process. Once at you're at the point where your eating disorder behaviors have stopped (e.g., you're eating fairly normally, no longer weighing yourself several times a day), it becomes safe to decrease the intensity of treatment because the physical danger has passed. The mental impact of an eating disorder stays with you for awhile.

Seruleane · Sep 20, 2017

Agree with above. Eating disorders are usually lifelong illnesses, just like addiction or other mental illnesses. It can get better, and be manageable, but of my friends who have eating disorders, they almost all still struggle from time to time, and have confessed to me that their happiness directly correlates to a certain weight range- i.e. if they are above a certain weight, they are miserable. I wish Julia the best, and again commend her for coming forward. I'm glad skaters like Julia, Akiko, and Jenny have come forward to tell their stories. Hopefully, it will lead to more awareness and preventative measures for skaters, families, and their coaches.

drivingmissdaisy · Sep 20, 2017

Icey said:
Is she concerned that if she stayed in skating she would have a relapse?

Competitive figure skating seems like a dangerous place to be if one has an eating disorder, IMO. There is constant pressure to look a certain way (i.e. slim) and the eyes of the world are on you to witness even the slightest change in your figure. Furthermore, there is no way to dress on the ice that effectively hides those changes because any looser fitting articles would make it more difficult to land the jumps.

hippomoomin · Sep 21, 2017

It's not how you look, it's your weight gain will affect your jump and other aspects of skating. Many Japanese skaters are far from tall and thin, and they don't have eating disorders. I guess as long as your skating quality stays the same, no one would say much about your weight, but if you do, the logical blame is weight gain. If Yulia blamed her jump technique instead of her weight, she would have had a different approach.
Wakaba was not a stick figure to start with, and she also became fuller in the past year. However, her jumps can support her growth. No one is talking about her weight.

Alex D · Sep 21, 2017

Icey said:
Is she concerned that if she stayed in skating she would have a relapse?

Mental illness will never go away. You can work around it, by for instance skipping specific trigger elements, like a specific person who you no longer want to see, or you switch your job / workplace if you became depressed due bullies or you retire from the public if this caused you harm.
Yulias eating disorder is just her way to express that she is having problems, just like some people work 24/7, eat all day, take pills or alcohol, hoard stuff.... You can "fix" this, by working on the mental problems that cause this, but it will be a battle for the rest of her life.

A good friend of mine once said to me, that for her each morning a new battle has to be fought, while the war will last a lifetime.

drivingmissdaisy · Sep 21, 2017

hippomoomin said:
It's not how you look, it's your weight gain will affect your jump and other aspects of skating. Many Japanese skaters are far from tall and thin, and they don't have eating disorders. I guess as long as your skating quality stays the same, no one would say much about your weight, but if you do, the logical blame is weight gain. If Yulia blamed her jump technique instead of her weight, she would have had a different approach.
Wakaba was not a stick figure to start with, and she also became fuller in the past year. However, her jumps can support her growth. No one is talking about her weight.

I wouldn't say figure skating causes eating disorders, but different women handle criticism very differently. Comments that one person may brush off could cause unhealthy eating habits in another. Even saying something like a women has a fuller looking face can trigger this.

Icey · Sep 21, 2017

A year or more ago, there was another female Russian skater on the verge of dying with the disease and having trouble, as I recall, getting money to finish her treatment in Israel. Anyone know what she is doing and how she is doing? I believe her situation was discussed in detail on the forum. Is the treatment center in Israel really that good? I only hear about it when some athlete from Russia is being teated there.

Yulia Lipnitskaya has retired

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

tars

ballerina

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

hippomoomin

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

bevybean

Seren

Wakabond Forever

Weathergal

bevybean

Icey

Amei

Icey

andromache

Seruleane

drivingmissdaisy

hippomoomin

Alex D

drivingmissdaisy

Icey

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