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- May 15, 2024
Why would anyone need one? It is obvious for everyone except Russians...
ISU publishes the list of AINs allowed to take part in the Olympic Qualification
- Thread starter AlexBreeze
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I don’t agree! If Navka is at Russian nationals in December it’s obvious all neutrals should immediately leave?
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- Sep 1, 2020
LOL! Yes, and look at the time period. Trump was a financial supporter of Figure Skating in Harlem charity. All of these athletes were also supporters and volunteers who gave of their time to the charity. This was in Trump's New York Trump Tower 'bigly' schmooze era. He also had a famous reality tv show for ten years which had a lot to do with his widespread popularity among some Americans who watched that faux reality nonsense, which can be addictive and deceptive. Trump used to give money to Democrat politicians, including to Bill and Hillary Clinton. Again this appearance with Trump by figure skaters was in support of the FSIH charity many years before Trump ever schemed to run for U.S. president as a Republican.Literally dozens of prominent figure skaters have been phograpghed shaking hands with Trump. Here are Scott Hamilton, Tanith Belbin, Evan Lysacek, and Sasha Cohen at a benefit for Skating in Harlem.
Many, many skaters have been photographed with Putin. Figure skaters run the gamut in terms of political positions and, if anything, they are less politically active as a group than are the generality of citizens. This is a nothing-burger.
So, I am not getting what your point is in this context of U.S. skaters posing for a photo with Trump years ago in mutual support of FSIH charity. Trump was not a public office holder at the time pictured. He was seen as a successful, deep pockets businessman and charitable supporter. Even if it wasn't really true that he was a businessman, everyone believed it then. Now we know differently.
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- Sep 1, 2020
Let's be honest, please. There was no outcry against Russian athletes for being pictured with Putin prior to Putin's uncalled for, deadly aggression against Ukraine.
You can speak about how wrong Bush Jr. was for the Iraq war. Many Americans did not agree with that war. Bush Jr.'s actions against Iraq military was provoked in part by the deadly Twin Towers attack on New York in September 2001. There have certainly been numerous other bad and harmful military operational decisions made by other U.S. presidents, and by other leaders of countries across the world.
I can understand the feelings that fans have voiced to separate the athletes from the politics. But, this specific ban against Russia and Belarus did not happen in order to punish the athletes. It came after an unfortunate drug scandal at the 2022 Olympics, after years of the ISU simply slapping Rusfed on the hand while continuing to allow Rusfed to break rules and get away with minor punishment, which effectively benefited their athletes for many years. There is also evidence of the Russian government colluding with Rusfed and other Russian sports organizations to foster doping, cover-up, and denial. The Russian government directly provides financial support to their athletes. This is not the case in the United States, which is a significant difference.
Plus, Putin's aggressive, deadly actions against Ukraine are beyond reprehensible. This terrible ongoing war coupled with the knowing drug-related transgressions by Rusfed which ended up making a mockery of the sport at the 2022 Olympics is what led to the athlete ban. Of course, the neutrality issue is a difficult one for athletes in Russia who are patriotic and loyal to their government. But, the athletes were faced with a choice: try to at least stay as neutral as possible or show the support that you feel and suffer the consequences. The athletes knew that neutrality was necessary if they were to have an opportunity to return to ISU competition in the future.
IMO, Boi/Kos tried to distance themselves, making it clear that they left a show they had attended when they realized it had turned into a political rally. Mishina/ Galliamov did not distance themselves. It is known that Galliamov made public posts in support of Putin. When suddenly the opportunity arose to qualify for the 2026 Olympics, supporters were quick to say that Mish/Gal and Boi/Kos were politically neutral and should be selected without any problems. The known political support Galliamov had been public about was ignored or downplayed by Russian supporters and fans as insignificant. Well, apparently, the ISU committee's review ruled differently.
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- Aug 31, 2022
Yeah, I was just curious from a hypothetical perspective.
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- Sep 1, 2020
Actually, the ISU was reluctant to allow Russian and Belarussian athletes to qualify for the Olympics. The ISU is complying with the wishes and directives of the IOC. For sure, it is about money and political maneuvering re the IOC's decisions. The ISU is complying with the IOC's wishes but also being very strict in their guidelines and requirements for athlete qualification specifically to compete in Beijing for 2026 Olympic spots. The specific, stringent guidelines were clearly outlined. Rusfed was not very careful in how they responded. Seemingly, Rusfed gambled or assumed that past accomplishments by medal-winning skaters might render them immune to being disqualified for lack of political neutrality.
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The ban on Russia now has nothing at all to do with doping. All doping bans on Russia are over. From all organizations. Even world athletics. The bans on Russia now are solely about the war
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- Sep 1, 2020
Yeah, for sure, formally and officially. But not perception-wise. It was such a negative bad image scandal at the 2022 Olympics. I think that drug scandal situation, which was ongoing at the time in terms of adjudication, certainly could have contributed to attitudes in favor of the ban, especially with Putin's invasion (the official reason for the ban) coming so soon after the 2022 Olympics!
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- Sep 1, 2020
It goes without saying that the ISU is NOT a good leadership organization. They make a lot of decisions and choices that I question. But, they are the presiding body of the sport. Woe to all who defy the ISU's domination. Personally, I wish figure skating would separate from speed skating and the ISU! The ISU was originally formed in the late 1800s by and for speed skaters, not figure skaters (back then, figure skating was not considered to be a real sport).
Dont like it either way!! Not if it’s really about the doping from 2014! Or the doping of one in 2021 or the war now! The failed test was from Russian nationals not Olympics
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- Apr 23, 2018
Yep, I get the strong impression the ISU are fed up to the back teeth with the Russians and would be more than happy for any excuse to pretend they didn't even exist, which is difficult given the way they and their judges fawned all over the Tut parade for years. Sorry not sorry for either side
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- Mar 7, 2015
Well... that would be understandable. They didn't participate. They didn't get caught cheating. The bans are over. But trust me, if a anyone got caught this time around, especially in figure skating... the doping bans would not be back and quickly.
But there would have to be proof it was state sponsored.
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- Mar 7, 2015
It depends.
If it only happened a couple times across all sports... then sure.. they would just let it go.
However, if it happened too many times, by medal winners... OR if it happened from the same team that ruined the 2022 games in figure skating, I would think they wouldn't need to prove anything much. Numbers or circumstances would be enough.
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- Apr 23, 2018
And TPTB will be watching like hawks.
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- Jun 21, 2003
Actually, that was my point. People get their pictures taken. Doesn't mean a thing.
Here for instance is Michelle Kwan receiving the gold medal from former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at the 1998 Goodwill Games. Michelle was born in 1980, the very year that Carter moved on from the presidency. I am pretty sure that Michelle knew zilch about Carter's politics or activities as President or afterwards, and cared less.
What was more amusing, though, was the second photograph in this series (it does not seem to be available on line any more.) Carter is presenting Maria Butyrskaya with her silver medal, and Maria is staring stone-faced out at the audience as if she is saying, "Who IS this old man and why is he bothering me?"
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- Mar 7, 2015
It really depends. A democratically elected official, peace seeking, no matter his political views, is not a problem. I wouldn't say it applies to every world leader.
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- Jan 25, 2013
The doping bans may be over but is Russia done doping?
6 Winter Olympics in a row they have been stripped of a medal. 49 Olympic medals stripped (so far).
The fact that it takes a war to ban these skaters and then they are given consideration still - in the sport where they had a doping infraction leading to another stripped medal. The IOC has no shame, and it is indeed about money.
A bonus gift for hosting the trash that was $$$ochi 2014.
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- Jan 25, 2013
And on that note Sochi was all about Plushenko (hence the mass exodus when he dropped out of the men’s individual), team, and winning in the women’s event (Sotnikova).
It’s all about singles.
People didn’t really care about Totmianina/Marininin or Navka/Kostamarov winning compared to Plushenko’s win. Slutskaya’s bronze wasn’t notable, obviously, being a gold loss (and denying a Russian gold sweep). Would be interesting to compare the the home crowd numbers who ditched the men’s event for Plushenko vs home crowd numbers who showed up to watch Volosozhar/Trankov win gold.
Relatively, nobody in Russia will care if Mishima/Galliamov gets gold. But if Petrosian wins gold, they’ll act like they won the entire figure skating event in the Olympics.
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