Here you go -
http://ptichkafs.livejournal.com/28426.html.
Playing with Ice
A sudden fame, loads of money, the media's greedy attention, and complete freedom will turn any girl's head.
Especially if she is just sixteen. If you add a volatile character and a unique talent for getting into scandals, you get an explosive mix. That mix has a name - Oksana BAIUL. Olympic figure skating champion, America's darling has hit bottom when she started drinking. But she turned her life around, and started fresh.
Oksana is rarely seen in Russia; she’s been living in New York for thirteen years. Recently, though, Baiul came to our capital to take part in the fantastic Champions on Ice show, created for the most VIP public. The skater squeezed in out interview just before her performance. Without any make-up, in a sweat-suit, pale and cold, she looked like a mediocre highschooler. It was hard to believe that just a couple of hours later, she’ll be shining on the ice as an irresistible girl of James Bond. Yet this is what happened.
Oksana gladly tries on various masks, all the while remaining true to herself – audacious, optimistic, and a stranger to convention. Her biography speaks to this more loudly than words.
A cold home
Oksana grew up in an incomplete family, as her father left soon after she was born. It’s a regrettable, but all too common a story. However, she still had a mom, grandma, and grandpa who adored their little imp. When the girl was three, grandma brought her to DK[1] “Meteor”, one of the biggest in Dnepropetrovsk. She wanted to sign her up for ballet, but someone wasn’t in that day. She had to settle for a figure skating section, where Oksana, who was too plump, wasn’t even accepted at first.
The girl soon proved herself a real fighter. She quickly lost weight, trained harder than anyone else, and ultimately became the best. Coach Stanislav Korytek started working with Baiul; thanks to him, she was soon becoming the incarnation of grace on ice. In life, she was far from being romantic.
Oksana Baiul: “My only friends were boys; I cussed and got into fights. They didn’t really raise me at home, because I’d spend all my time at the rink, and then would go to the training camps at the sports base in Novogorsk. We trained together with Kostomarov, Averbukh, and Anissina. Marinka recalls what she heard about me – ‘She’s such a cool gal, a real brat, cusses like crazy!” By the way, I was eight when we first met. Marinka says she almost fainted when I opened my mouth.
My first love also didn’t pan out because I was too coarse. I liked a kid in my class, and he liked me. But it never occurred to me that you shouldn’t swear at a boy. So he got distant. What can you do, I lacked any home upbringing.
At eight, I was a USSR team member and traveled all over the Union; by ten, I get a stipend of 100 - 150 rubles a month from the camps (by comparison, grandma’s pension was about 80 rubles). By the way, I never gave the money to mom and grandma; I hid them in the piano, and spent them as I saw fit. They I did sometimes help around the house, standing in long lines for butter for the coupons.”
When Oksana was fourteen, her mom died of cancer. She was only thirty six. Her grandmother followed a short while later. Coach Stanislav Korytek left for Canada. A feeling of irreparable loss only left Oksana at the rink. Coaches Valentine Nikolayev and Galina Zmievskaya became the girl’s new guardians. This was the time the new Ukrainian team was being formed.
O.B. “I remember my first Europeans. I got a panic attack, not because I wasn’t ready, but because I was too emotional. I grabbed the boards, looked at Valya with huge eyes, and mumbled that I won’ do it. He stared at me, and said, without bothering to choose appropriate vocabulary – ‘Go skate, ****-****, or I’ll kill you right now!’ I can to, skated well, and got the silver. At the press conference, when they asked Nikolayev what he said to me, Valya said with a smile – ‘That’s a professional secret’. Then I won Worlds, and then there were the Olympics. The ones where I came all broken from injuries.”
A down and an up
1994. Norway. Olympic at Lillehammer. The whole public is excited about the extraordinary event – a man, hired by the American skater Tonya Harding, hit with a metal stick the leg of her competitor Nancy Kerrigan, also an American. Media and audiences alike focused on this brutal rivalry, until a new sensation occurred – German Tanya Shevchenko cut Oksana Baiul with her skate at the Sunday practice, just on the eve of the last and deciding performance.
O.B. “I could have skipped that practice, but Zmievskaya insisted, and I came to the ice a little discombobulated – I looked at the press and waived while Shevchenko prepared for a jump behind my back. We turned in parallel in hit our foreheads; she instinctively pushed me away, I fell hard on my back, and Tanya literally cut open my leg with her blade during the fall. I looked at the puddle of blood, thinking – that’s the end. Katarina Witt came up to me, grabbed my legs, and dragged me to the exit. The doctor stitched me up and did two pain-killing shots; there was no talk of me skating.
The next day, I skated after Nancy Kerrigan, my main rival. She was considered a favorite, and was lauded so much that the whole ice was covered in flowers. It annoyed me how long it took to clear them. Finally, my music sounded, the “Dying Swan”, and I immediately did a two-jump combo. Some time later, I see NikolayevNancy by one artistic vote, I couldn’t stop.” and Zmievskaya screaming at the boards – ‘Baiul, you idiot, do other jumps’! Turns out I almost forgot a key jump combo. When I finished my program, I raised my arms and thought – ‘Lord, thank You that this is over’. Then I started crying. I didn’t even think I won; it was just an emotional release. Some inner coil relaxed within… Even when they announced that I won over
Unstoppable tears of the victor, without any pretentions to aesthetics or coquetry, her thin figure in a pink dress, a fuzzy hair piece – audiences the world over saw all this and were touched to the very core. There were some funny glitches. As no one expected a Ukrainian athlete to win, it took a while to find the flag that’s raised in honor of the winning nation. It was the same thing with the anthem. In any case, as Oksana stood at the top of the podium, she again thanked God that the pandemonium was behind her, and remembered her mom, who was not destined to see this triumph.
Fight for independence
Baiul became one of the youngest Olympic singles champions in the history of the Games – she just turned sixteen. Many were surprised by her sudden switch from the amateur to the professional sport; potentially, she could have skated in at least one more Olympics. In any case, for a while she became the most highly paid skater on the professional ice.
O.B. “Following my victory, Zmievskaya decided it was time for me to turn pro to make money. NikolayevUSA, and that we were moving there. I didn’t care then, I was a migratory bird. Besides, no one asked me what I wanted.” begged her to have me stay for another Olympic cycle. In short, Zmievskaya put me before the fact that she has signed a contract for my performances in the
The States met Oksana as if she were on of their own. The story of the talented and hardworking orphan who became a star overnight couldn’t appeal more to the Americans. The press often called her the Cinderella, often invited her to popular TV shows, and made movies about her. Oksana Baiul’s ice show was very successful. The skater bought herself a grand 10-room house, wrote a book, and hired a whole army of managers. She had a style consultant, a cosmetologist, a tailor, a cook, and a press agent. Oksana was getting the taste of freedom that money and fame provide. She was becoming willful, becoming rude with the journalists, throwing her money left and right, and ignoring any rules of decency.
What was it that transformed a charming girl-champion into an out-of-control enfant terrible?
O.B. “I wasn’t a diva. Sure, Americans loved me, carried me around, everybody wanted something, and everybody wanted to be my moms, dads, agents, and managers. I let people get to close, and didn’t know how to conduct myself… However, that wasn’t the main reason for my actions.
I didn’t know what alcohol was until I started touring. It’s a huge load, so I started drinking to relax. The brains become pleasantly fogged up, and I wouldn’t feel responsible for my actions anymore. I liked that feeling. I all started with a shot at night to relax… Then, it was parties, men, entertainment… I should never drink, because I have inherited alcoholic dependency from my dad’s line. But I didn’t know it until later. Back then… Yes, I’d walk around naked. Why not?! Everyone tried to get me to sleep, but I wanted to walk through hotel Ritz in my lingerie. When you’re under the influence, you don’t control things. I got used to doing anything I wanted. Figure skating friends tried to explain things to me, but it was in vain. Everything I did was spontaneous, it wasn’t any PR. The media, of course, liked to blow things even further.”
On the night on January 12, 1997, a terrible accident occurred, leading to a storm of condemnations. According to the police report, Baiul’s car lost control, went off the highway, and rammed into a tree at high speed. In the hospital, Oksana underwent tests that showed she was drinking; though the level only slightly exceeded the norm[2], laws were violated, as the state of Connecticut forbids anyone under 21 from drinking alcoholic beverages.
O.B. “I’ll never forget the accident. We hit the tree very hard. The car was ruined. I got away with a banged-up head and broken ribs. I thank God that I didn’t hurt or kill anyone. The court was very soft – they gave me a fine and community service. All in all, the accident didn’t change me. I bought an identical Mercedes-500, and continued with the same lifestyle. I only parted ways with Zmievskaya, and left on a tour more popular than ever. Than there was alcohol again, another party, and then my psychologist Frank came and dragged me to the clinic to fight alcoholic dependency.
For the first ten days I just slept. Then the curing began. Medications only played a minor role. It’s just easier come to terms with your problem among people like you. People tell their stories, and the really wakes you up. First of all, you admit to yourself that you have a problem. Then you realize that the only solution is to never take up the glass again. You promise this to yourself. That’s how that school goes. I spent two weeks in the clinic, but they decided to voluntarily spend another three and a half months there, until I really felt I was morally strong enough. The doctors told me it was time to be released, but I was afraid of being out in the world. Gradually, I’d spend less and less time at the clinic, and finally formed myself to return to normal life.
After my release, I called Coach Natalya Linichuk and asked for her help and support. Linichuk extended me a helping hand, and I spent a year skating to her program. In the next season, I switched to Valya Nikolayev, who by then moved to America. He was shocked when we met – I changed both inside and out, really becoming a different person. It’s interesting and fun to work with him, and he became a real friend to me.”
Runaway bride
However, the renewed affair with figure skating was cut short in 2000. Oksana’s girlfriend brought her to a party, where she met a young man named Zhenya Sunik. A son of Ukrainian emigrants who moved to America in the 70’s, she never suspected that a fun blonde who responded so favorably to his attentions is a true celebrity. Figure skating did not interest Zhenya.
O.B. “Next morning, he started asking around, and realized that everything I told him about myself was true.
I fell in love for the first time. We moved in together three weeks later. It was easy for me to be with Zhenya, though it was like we came from different worlds; we were exact opposites in both upbringing and habits. 2000 through 2002, I hardly skated at all. I wanted to live a little. I was just Zhenya’s fiancée, with a ring, and an engagement… I liked the normal domestic life. I never had that as a child. That’s when I decided to find my real father, as any child is genetically programmed to seek out their blood.
Zhenya supported this, and helped me a lot. We looked for my father through Red Cross and through the Ukrainian embassy in the USA, but we couldn’t find him. Suddenly in my mind surfaced a phone number in Dnepropetrovsk where I skated as a child. I called – Hello, this is Oksana Baiul. Can I talk to the coach? They hung up – though it was a joke. This happened three times until somebody took pity on me. The coach helped in find my father in two days.”
Oksana waited with bated breath for the moment she’d see her father. However, this did not prevent her from taking along to Dnepropetrovsk a group of American TV-men to film the unforgettable moment and get it into public domain.
O.B. “I remember we went up to his shabby little house. Dad stood at the gate with flowers, and grandmother was behind him with bread and salt[3]. I lost it. I ran up to him all in tears, crying ‘Dad, Daddy!’ I never thought I’d be able to call anyone that. That’s how it was; it was totally unplanned, all emotional. Everyone around us was also screaming and crying.
We sat at home and talked, and then went to visit mom’s grave. Then I left, but at least I keep in touch with my relatives. Dad died last year of tuberculosis – he, too, was an alcoholic. I think I was right to have found him. I’d never forgive myself if I only decided to take that step later on, what he was no longer alive.”
After meeting her family, Oksana returned to the USA to her lovely groom. Things went well until business got in the way.
O.B. “It so happens that the Sunik family business, making clothes, takes a lot of time. Zhenya helped his parents a lot. I didn’t get hose intricacies, and I never knew what a family dynamic is. In the end, I got fed up with it and decided to become a skater again.
I called Valya Nikolayev and asked for his help in returning to pro sport. He said, ‘I’m no magician. Do you understand what a colossal work must be done to get back double, let alone triple jumps?’ He was even more shocked when he saw me; over the two years I didn’t practice, my body changed a lot as I gained much weight; besides, I was psychologically lost. Ultimately, Valya agreed to help me again on the condition that I’ll lose weight in a month and a half. My second return to ice was immensely difficult.”
Oksana found herself a general fitness coach, a three-time triathlon champion Barbara. She had her own method for working with the famous client – a punishing, painful load that was always increasing. Oksana would call Nikolayev, swear and cry, but her character didn’t fail – each morning, she’d report to Barbara for her torture session. The pain wasn’t in vain; in a month and a half, she got back her form and got back to Nikolayev. Soon, she was back in the professional world of luxurious and high-paying ice shows. She was a star again. Unfortunately, this didn’t help her personal life.
O.B. “My relationship with Zhenya suffered because I let his parents interfere. Meaning, they were unhappy with me, not understanding how anyone can leave home on such family holidays as New Year and Christmas! Those people just could get it into their heads that it’s during the holidays that the skaters make money! They expressed their concerns to Zhenya, who’d tell me we needed to spend more time with the parents. My response about a signed contract, I guess, wasn’t a strong enough argument. We started having fights, things kind of built up… After six years of living together, we shook hands and decided to live apart. They we broke up. Got bored with each other, I guess.”
Just a few days after leaving Zhenya, a new figure appeared on Oksana’s horizon. Jim, age 43, American, a businessman involved in road building.
O.B. “Jim asked me out for a cup of coffee. I liked him a lot, and we moved in together almost immediately. However, I soon understood that he wasn’t the one. I don’t think I’ll ever date Americans again. Our culture is so different; we grew up with different films, different fairy tails, and different humor. I don’t fully understand what Americans live for beside business. In the USA, money as opposed to emotion always rules. Besides, it depressed me that Jim understood nothing of figure skating. ‘Jim, you like my dress?’ ‘Yes!’ ‘Jim, did I skate well today?’ ‘Yes!’ He didn’t see the nuances, and I need someone who understands my life.
By the way, Jim also gave me an engagement rink. But I ran away when he wanted to introduce me to his parents. I am like a Gingerbread man: ‘I ran away from the pig, I ran away from the cow’.[4] I see family creation as a grave responsibility.
Right now, I just want to find a lame, deaf, mute, and blind rich man, who won’t see, hear, or run after me. I guess a man like that will be able to get along with me.”
There were rumors of Oksana’s third engagement. The scenario is familiar – love, ring, and running away. She doesn’t comment on those rumors, just affirms that she isn’t seeing anyone right now.
Her life now is very full. She takes part in ice shows and directs her own business of figure skating costumes. Stylish, sexy, and bold, Baiul costumes are very popular. Besides, Oksana is actively rehearsing a part in a Broadway show written for six famous skaters. Oksana’s character is madly in love…
O.B. “In America, I recently closed a fashion show; tradition dictates that the designer’s muse does this in a wedding gown. I entered to my key music, the “Dying Swan”, with a cigar in hand. This shocked everyone. In reality, I don’t smoke as I quit a few years ago. But the entrance was very effective. I was so proud to have worn a wedding gown. It’s so indescribable, as if I tried myself in a new part. In reality, though, I’m not yet ready for it.
I have a hard time being with the same person all the time. It’s also difficult for a man to be with Oksana Baiul – I’ll break, squeeze, and throw away anyone. I am just messed up like that. I still don’t understand what real love is. I just know that there is Oksana, and there is her talent. I need someone as crazy as myself. Perhaps, two bears in the same lair can find common ground.”
Marina MAKUNINA
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[1] DK is an abbreviation for “Dom Kultury”, or “House of Culture”. Those wonderful Soviet inventions would house a variety of classes for all ages (often including for adults) under one roof.
[2] What did they expect if they only did the tests in the hospital, a considerable time after the accident has occurred?!
[3] Traditional welcome is expressed through bread and salt.
[4] The fairy tale Oksana recalls is the Russian “Kolobok”, which is similar to the English Gingerbread man, though it is spherical rather than human-like in appearance.
Methinks there is a bit of airbrushing...or photoshopping...or whatever is more commonly used these days, going on there. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
