Should ISU take a stance on Yagudin's insults against other athletes?

[TallyT]

For me, since Yagudin issues childish taunts at the level of a five year old's thinking, such as calling a skater "feminine" and should be wearing lipstick, and something about champagne?.... something no adult man over the age of 10 would use as an insult.

And yet he seems to have no problem with the gorgeous, glittery costumes that make Western bigots so uncomfortable with their masculinity.... just quads. Another proof that hatred does not have to have any sort of even idiotic logic to it.

 

[Mathman]

I would like Jason to land a quad in terms of Yagudin because perhaps that will break through to someone whose thought processes appear not to have progressed beyond schoolyard taunts (and bad schoolyard taunts at that).

Am I the only one who sees something waggish about taunting someone by saying, "My figure skating is more macho than your figure skating"?

Espcially when the best of Yagudin was not his quads but his toe-tappy straightline footwork sequence in Winter -- taken directly out of out of Sonja Henie's playbook. :yes:

 

[KittyKins]

I feel that it's the TV station who should fire him, and that the ISU should not get involved.

Yags is entitled to his own views to express privately among his friends or wife, but definitely not in a public forum like that. I am really surprised he's able to get away with it. If he doesn't like programs that are artistic without the complexity of elements such as quads, he should say so and not engage in personal attacks. :noshake:

 

[DawnQOT]

Not written in stone but this is my best guess.
I believe the ISU has some power. Ingo Steur was denied accreditation for ISU events in the past. As for attending an event as a spectator, individuals can be banned from venues but it isn’t fool proof and can fall apart. As far as interviews, if he isn’t accredited he shouldn’t be able to do interviews at the venue and most certainly wouldn’t have access backstage and he could be heckled in a public area. If he chose to do offsite interviews it would be up to individual skaters and/or their federations.

 

[Rina RUS]

Tim Goebel (now openly gay) crushed him technically at the 2002 Olympics by being the first man to do three quads in a program. (Yagudin was more artistic and pretty, though.)

In 2013 Yagudin wrote in twitter:
"I've been rewatching many competitions because of Florent, I want to say in 2002 Timothy could rightfully win the FS!!! Even above me"

(sorry, I can't give the link)

 

[GS Forum Staff]

Please stay on topic.

Discussions of broader social systems in the United States or elsewhere are not on topic for this thread and derail the thread.

Such posts may be removed so as not to derail the thread. Thank you for understanding.

 

[karne]

I enjoy Brown’s skating and his lack of a quad doesn’t particularly bother me, because he has many other strengths. I think he is fine just the way he is. But just to aggravate Yagudin, I hope he busts out a spectacular quad in some competition in Russia next year, when Yagudin is doing the commentating. I want to hear him explain that

The flip. Please let it be the flip. I want to see Yagudin's tiny little bird brain explode.

 

[lucyrose]

Again, the things you all choose to delete. How can social issues related to discrimination not be appropriate for this thread? I'm sure this comment will get deleted and I will probably get suspended as well but I will restate my thoughts, as they are more than appropriate for a thread about a skater's obvious homophobia, transphobia, and racism:

This is the time that I expect skaters to speak up. If Evgenia, who has far more to loose than most as she's a Russian skater, can speak out against Yagudin's disgusting comments, then I really expect prominent skaters like Nathan Chen to do the bare minimum and at least unfollow him on social media. Sure, people should only speak up if it's genuine and they want to- but the fact that so many haven't says so much about this sport. There aren't many places to speak out about figure skating so yes, I will continue to try to use any platform to fight discrimination. I just wish the athletes in this sport and the powers that be (ISU) would do the same. Staying silent is staying complicit.

 

[Ella5555]

This is the time that I expect skaters to speak up. If Evgenia, who has far more to loose than most as she's a Russian skater, can speak out against Yagudin's disgusting comments, then I really expect prominent skaters like Nathan Chen to do the bare minimum and at least unfollow him on social media. Sure, people should only speak up if it's genuine and they want to- but the fact that so many haven't says so much about this sport. There aren't many places to speak out about figure skating so yes, I will continue to try to use any platform to fight discrimination. I just wish the athletes in this sport and the powers that be (ISU) would do the same. Staying silent is staying complicit.

You initially posted on Nathan’s Fan Fest and then twice more here. I’m not sure why you’re intent on calling out Nathan specifically when there are many other skaters who have not commented. From all accounts, Nathan and Adam are good friends. No one knows what he has said to Adam or how he supports him. In my mind, making assumptions about any skater or cancelling based upon literally nothing is inappropriate.

 

[TallyT]

Look, for all we know the skaters who follow Yagudin - all of them - may actually approve of what he says, but are bright enough not to say so out loud. I wouldn't actually be surprised, because it's happened before, here and elsewhere.

Not really the point.

No sport is clean of racists, sexists, and all kinds of abusive bigots, the best we can hope for is that they learn to shut up, keep out of other people's bedrooms and lives, and let the innocents live in peace.

 

[Amei]

I highly doubt that Nathan or most athletes of his caliber have time to sift through every post from every person they follow on social media.

 

[TallyT]

For chrissake, can we get back to the person we KNOW has done the wrong thing?

And given that Adam has waaaaaay more followers (both on Twitter and Instagram) than any of the people I am not going to name, and is doing something people can cheer, I think he can make more of an impact than all of them combined.

 

[Interspectator]

Dissecting the minutiae of Skaters social media accounts is a road to madness IMO, and shifts the focus from the main issue of hate speech and discrimination. -Let's keep the conversation on track please.
Yagudin, posting hateful and insulting comments on other skaters repeatedly, should he receive censure from his work-place (that is connected to skating and skaters) and the ISU which has been the framework under which his career has been established? -I think yes, they should censure him to uphold their own stated values.

 

[ancientpeas]

Quick reference point: If you quote a post that is moderated your post also disappears. It is better to not respond to posts that you think might be moderated with a quote. Better yet if you see a post that you think breaks the rules do not respond to it. Report it and let us deal with it.

Fan fests have different rules than the Edge. Fan Fests are places for positivity only.

 

[Skatesocs]

How is people unfollowing Yagudin relevant to the ISU's stance on him? I don't think I'm interested in this TMZ style nonsense.

 

[1111bm]

I highly doubt that Nathan or most athletes of his caliber have time to sift through every post from every person they follow on social media.

This. I'm amused that some posters assume, that just because they've witnessed an outrageous post and/or the response/reaction to it, this automatically means every skater must be aware of it too, just because they happen to be following some of the people involved...

 

[FayD]

Personally I would have appreciated if just one skater had gone on Yagudin's post to explain him politely and diplomatically that his words are offensive and hurtful - simply because he's much more likely to listen to his fellow skaters about it than to some random fan commenting under his posts.

But at the same time I understand it's no skater's obligation to babysit Yagudin or anyone else on social media and I wouldn't hold them accountable for it. And unfortunately, this sport is too driven by politics and keeping image, which makes it difficult for anyone, especially active skaters, to speak up about anything without fearing for their career.

 

[kolyadafan2002]

Just saying about social media: Personally I follow people I disagree with as I want to see what they post.
I follow Donald trump yet dislike him.
I follow Kim John Un but dislike him.
I follow Putin yet dislike him

I think Yagudin is despicable, yet I haven't unfollowed him. Follows are meaningless judgement of character. Sometimes you follow people to "stay in the loop" no matter if you dislike them.

 

[Skatesocs]

TIL Kim Jong Un has Instagram

 

[kolyadafan2002]

TIL Kim Jong Un has Instagram

was referring to twitter with Kim John Un - DRPK news service (essentially run by him)