I didn't realize that both of our best pairs skaters were Ukranian. That's pretty impressive.
Anna Pogorilaya skates for Russia but her surname is Ukrainian. So I guess that means she's likely half Russian and half Ukrainian (on her father's side) or fully Ukrainian and was just born and raised in Russia, but on some level she likely is Ukranian. I guess though with her surname being taken from her father's side of the family, she may only be a small percentage Ukrainian and the last name has just been carried on through multiple generations. Her appearance makes me think she isn't entirely Russian though. Anyways, she's been doing very well, and given the insane depth of ladies in Russia, maybe she might represent Ukraine in the future?
AFAIR, Tatiana did compete as a single, but wasn't that successful, so she switched.So, does anybody know if either of them did competitions as singles skaters? If they did, how did they do?
AFAIR, Tatiana did compete as a single, but wasn't that successful, so she switched.
By the way, initially both Aliona and Tania was coached by the same woman - Galina Kukhar.
As to the lack of good skaters representing Ukraine, it has much more to do with the lack of money and not talent. The government can't afford to pay for their athletes and average people don't have money too. Plus, there's no ice avaible for skaters in Ukraine, if I've heard correctly. The little amount that is still there is occupied by hockey.
And sort off topic, since with discuss the Ukrainian background of the Russian skaters: it's true that Plushenko's and Kulik's surnames are both Ukrainian. And other twoo Russian Olympic champs, Yagudin and Urmanov, have Tatar surnames (Yagudin said he's 1/4 tatar at most)
Considering that Ukraine is past Soviet Union country, it shouldn't be that hard to switch country from Russia, should it? at least for Volosozhar it was pretty easy to switch from Ukraine to Russia...
Of course, the Ukraine hit the jackpot the first year it competed as a sovereign nation in the Winter Games, with Oksana Baiul, so that kind of puts the country in the Hall of Fame right there, right?
Also, though Petrenko competed for Russia/USSR, he's Ukranian, and unless I'm mistaken, Plushenko must have some Ukrainian heritage in him with a name like that, though of course he has always lived inside Russia itself. But let's count him! After all, three countries (I believe it's Egypt, Israel, and Spain) claim the great Medieval philosopher Maimonides. As the saying goes, success has many parents. Failure is an orphan.
Galina Maniachenko-Efremenko was a fine and extremely underrated Ukranian skater:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l684HsyYCKw
I was usually angry after watching her marks because she never got the credit when she skated well. The program above scored about 20 less in PCS than Irina in the same competition, which is simply ridiculous.
I don't think it would be that easy because Ukraine would likely ask for the skater to renounce his/her Russian citizenship. I can't find the source anymore but I read that Volosozhar had to give up her Ukrainian citizenship when she accepted Russia's. Few Russians would be willing to go the other way (Ukraine is much poorer).Considering that Ukraine is past Soviet Union country, it shouldn't be that hard to switch country from Russia, should it? at least for Volosozhar it was pretty easy to switch from Ukraine to Russia...
I thought Yagudin's surname was of Jewish origin?And sort off topic, since with discuss the Ukrainian background of the Russian skaters: it's true that Plushenko's and Kulik's surnames are both Ukrainian. And other two Russian Olympic champs, Yagudin and Urmanov, have Tatar surnames (Yagudin said he's 1/4 tatar at most)