On the other hand, it first of all is not their business nor their culture(important! these days) and secondly, they're convinced they're correct and won't listen to anything suggesting otherwise. Let's remember Kiira herself had it pretty rough and herself had severe issues with eating disorders and also suffered several injuries due to malnutrition - that to me doesn't sound like someone who can be objective about these matters.
To the contrary, I find her voice to be one of the most important precisely because she has gone through so much.
And Kiira spoke in general terms about harmful trends in coaching, such as "humiliation". Harmful trends that every culture should reject:agree:
I'm pretty convinced, that every culture is actually rejecting "harmful trends". Yet many cultures may disagree about what is considered as "harmful trends".
Folks from different cultures may disagree on certain aspects of coaching, absolutely.
But the harmful trends that Kiira identified can't be excused by "culture". I am not a proponent of relativism in that respect.
In particular, in my mind, I was referring to humiliation as a harmful trend. Some wrongs can't be excused by "culture", and humiliation is one of them.
And that's precisely what I'm talking about. Who from the outside, esp. from different country, different backgroud, and even without personal experience with the local circumstances has the right to just come and without anything just saying "you are doing it wrong". Trying to violently impose standards from one environment to another without anything doesn't make any good (esp. when nobody asks for it, but that's the main problem, when people feel the "higher right" to decide about others when nobody asked about it).
Just hear what Aliona said in the last interview, she is not innocent victim, she knows very precisely what she wants to achieve, no matter how strong Kiira or people who speak like her are pushing their agenda.
And that's precisely what I'm talking about. Who from the outside, esp. from different country, different backgroud, and even without personal experience with the local circumstances has the right to just come and without anything just saying "you are doing it wrong". Trying to violently impose standards from one environment to another without anything doesn't make any good (esp. when nobody asks for it, but that's the main problem, when people feel the "higher right" to decide about others when nobody asked about it).
Just hear what Aliona said in the last interview, she is not innocent victim, she knows very precisely what she wants to achieve, no matter how strong Kiira or people who speak like her are pushing their agenda.
Yes. Korpi's insulting behavior.Some things are just plain wrong
Yes. Korpi's insulting behavior.
What things exactly are "just plain wrong", though? Things that Kiira Korpi has knowledge of, that is. Not just speculation.Sorry but I take a different view. Some things are just plain wrong, no matter what environment they happen in. And maybe because I lived through the AIDS crisis, I do believe that Silence=Death. When you do nothing, nothing changes. When you say nothing, you are giving tacit approval to what is just plain wrong.
Then you really shouldn't be commenting on any skater except those from your own country, no? Wouldn't that be "imposing standards from one environment to another"?
Sorry but I take a different view. Some things are just plain wrong, no matter what environment they happen in. And maybe because I lived through the AIDS crisis, I do believe that Silence=Death. When you do nothing, nothing changes. When you say nothing, you are giving tacit approval to what is just plain wrong.
If she's REALLY concerned and not just jealous then why she didn't say anything abiut Gracy and Gaby and how their coaches abused them that they got a depression and eating desorders if it's "a global problem"? Before she spoke ONLY about Russian ladies and how difficult for them skating is even through she NEVER coached there. She had problems under Canadian coaching too, why she doesn't tell us all about them to warn?
To be objective, she said a few words about Finland. But who cares about Finland in figure skating? If they do abuse children there let's close their Fed for a while until they straighten up things. I don't think it will affect any podium this season. Jenni SAARINEN 4th place at the Cup of Finland with 181.20 is the maximum they can get.
But she originally specifically picked on Anna Scherbakova right after her win. And this is either a stupid mistake or a conscious decision. And if the latter is true no matter what "save the world" rhetoric she uses now she won't "hide donkey ears behind the hat".
You are mixing two completely different things. When skater falls and messes program (or skates well), anybody can say that. Anybody can also say that according to results, programs etc. this skater is weak or strong, his team is preparing him well or not, etc. That's one thing. The other thing is speaking "there is something rotten in the state of Denmark", when you've never been there and have absolutely no knowledge to support your statment. She didn't provide any, you didn't provide any.
Sorry but you can't have it both ways. By your own logic, it would be perfectly fine to comment, the skater performed x, y, z and fell on a. Anything above and beyond that--even so much as saying the skater "messed up" or if they're "weak" or "strong" (culturally loaded terms if I have ever heard any) or if they were "prepared" or not--would be imposing your cultural standards on something that by your own admission, is none of your business.
For the record, the ONLY thing I said about skaters was that Tara Lipinski required hip surgery at age 18, something that is extremely unusual among 18 year olds the world over.
For the record, the ONLY thing I said about skaters was that Tara Lipinski required hip surgery at age 18, something that is extremely unusual among 18 year olds the world over. And that these girls are canaries in a coal mine. Because they are. And that transcends where they come from. Technically, bravo. It's an impressive thing to land quads and 3As. But the fact--and it is a fact--is that it is not known what the long term impact of all these incredibly physically demanding feats will be on their bodies. And in no way should anyone anywhere apologize for raising that very legitimate concern.
You've probably missed this: "When skater falls and messes program (or skates well), anybody can say that". So that's not true that according to me you can't say that as "Anything above and beyond that would be imposing your cultural standards". I've explicitely said the opposite.
And why it is so? Points, scores and performances are international, there is one set of the rules that everybody must obey and one set of score that says who was strong and who wasn't by his results. There is nothing that would be conditioned culturally when saying that United States, for instance, were crushed by OAR in the match on 17th february 2018 at Olympic Games in Peyongchang. Because that's how the sport works, when one team beats the other 4:0, it was stronger team that defeated weaker. You can also easily say that the defence of the defeated team messed it up, wasn't able to hold the defending zone etc. That's all that describes the game, performance of the teams etc.
As well as there is nothing conditioned culturally when saying that figure skater Anna Sherbakova defeated her opponets at Skate America, because performed stronger program than her opponents, or that Karen Chen messed up her free skated and fell three times. According to rules, it is just so, the rules are valid no matter the culture etc.
The differences are, as I've already said, for instance in "opinions on what is humiliation or where the barrier that shouldn't be crossed lies". The differences can be seen in the debates here daily. E.g. once I've received an infraction for saying something that was considered "political", while in my country it would be completely absurd to consider it political. But if we are talking about things that should be universal, than I think that blaming (even just alluding) somebody of some wrongdoing without evidence (as Kiira did when made her comment about Anna) should be considered wrong universally.