I think the responses here really underline why it's important that she and others continue to speak up. It's case in point of how normalized people have made totally abnormal and abusive things. Mostly from people intent on obsessively defending Russia and its coaches, even though in this article and in her interview with Dave Lease she only spends a fraction of the time specifically talking about anything to do with Russia. I think people need to take an honest look at why they feel so defensive about this. Mocking her for being inarticulate (I think she was incredibly articulate) when English isn't her first language, and maybe not even her second or third, the good old "she's just jealous" nonsense that gets trotted out every time someone says something someone doesn't want to hear, calling her a mediocre skater and implying that this disqualifies her from having a valid viewpoint, and cherry picking comments, then twisting them to make her into your super villain. It's all so over the top and irrational, one has to wonder what's behind it. Hitting a nerve or two, perhaps?
I started this thread, but had abandoned it to the people denigrating Kiira since they seem to have so much time on their hands to post again and again and again ad nauseum. But I thought her conversation with Lease was so interesting I'd chime in again. I thought her comments about the American system and coaching were very insightful. I would have been really curious to hear more of her take on the U.S. gymnastics situation, especially since, while I love The Skating Lesson, I want to throw something at my screen every time Dave starts in on his hero worship of the abusive Karolyis. And I was also really interested in her mentioning her own father and his old-style coaching of the women hockey players in Finland. I thought it was really interesting how she talked about how long it took her to gain perspective even on her own experiences as a skater, and the situations she put up with and saw as normal, because everyone around her pretended that they were.
I think Kiira is wonderful and hope she continues to speak out. I hope she does end up giving training for coaches, as well, focussing on positive coaching methods. Contrary to what seems to be accepted opinion (and boy, has that been an unwelcome revelation to me), nobody NEEDS an abusive coach. Nobody deserves one either.
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