- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
http://ptichkafs.livejournal.com/28773.html
“It’s a miracle we got out!”
Plushenko and Yagudin almost died in a terrible fire in Seoul. In a blink, Russia could have lost two of its greatest athletes.
In a blink, Russia could have its superstars who where in the epicenter of a terrible fire, and almost died under the collapsed vaults of the sports palace.
When Plushenko and Yagudin were warming up on the ice in one of the athletic buildings in Seoul, the vaults suddenly started collapsing.
An acute smell of soot and scared women’s screams contributed to the overall panic. According to Evgeny and Alexei, they also succumbed to the mass hysteria at one point. Together with hundreds of people, the guys tried to escape from the inferno. The flames engulfed the building so quickly that our boys didn’t even get to remove their skates in their haste to escape.
The two famous Russian athletes came to Seoul to take part in a large ice show “Supermatch” with other world stars.
The Russians arrived in Korea on the eve of the performance. Having slept off the jet leg, early in the morning Zhenya and Lesha set of for the dress rehearsal which was so terribly interrupted. They arrived among the first, and stated practicing without any inkling that just a few minute later they’d be leaving the building scared to death.
The Fire
Plushenko and Yagudin were calmly warming up before the evening performance when suddenly there was a great fuss in the palace. Evgeny and Alexei didn’t pay this any attention.
They decided that the alarm was nothing but a training exercise. Concentrated on the practice, the skaters didn’t notice how worried the employees became. Only when some Koreans screamed that a fire began, and that everyone within the building was in danger, did Evgeny and Alexei realize the seriousness of the situation. Everyone started panicking, and the scared Russians ran to the exit amid the mob. Hurried by the firemen who by then have arrived, Olympic champions rushed onto the street. Plushenko and Yagudin didn’t even get a chance to change their shoes, and ran out of the flaming building in their skates. Only when they were outside, in complete safety, could Zhenya and Lesha breathe deeply and understand what was going on.
“When we caught our breath, I got a question – are we going to have the evening show?” told Evgeny to Tvoj DEN. “Obviously, there was little chance of a mass show after such a colossal fire. Some time later, the organizers told us that the show was canceled, and that all skaters could return home.”
The Aftermath
When the fire was localized, Plushenko asked the show producers what caused the fire. It turned out to be quite the cliché – one of the workers didn’t put out a cigarette butt.
It was clear that after the fire, the ice palace building was in a serious disrepair and needed reconstruction. However, the skaters who have carved out days out of their busy schedules to take part in the show can also incur financial losses. As Tvoj DEN found out, show organizers had to pay the participants after the performance. As the ice stars, including our champions, never took the ice, the question of their remuneration is up in the air. However, the agents of Plushenko and Yagudin are confident that the skaters will receive their compensation since the show was canceled not due to their fault, while they themselves were ready to go onto the ice and give the Korean audience an unforgettable experience.
“It’s a miracle we got out!”
Plushenko and Yagudin almost died in a terrible fire in Seoul. In a blink, Russia could have lost two of its greatest athletes.
In a blink, Russia could have its superstars who where in the epicenter of a terrible fire, and almost died under the collapsed vaults of the sports palace.
When Plushenko and Yagudin were warming up on the ice in one of the athletic buildings in Seoul, the vaults suddenly started collapsing.
An acute smell of soot and scared women’s screams contributed to the overall panic. According to Evgeny and Alexei, they also succumbed to the mass hysteria at one point. Together with hundreds of people, the guys tried to escape from the inferno. The flames engulfed the building so quickly that our boys didn’t even get to remove their skates in their haste to escape.
The two famous Russian athletes came to Seoul to take part in a large ice show “Supermatch” with other world stars.
The Russians arrived in Korea on the eve of the performance. Having slept off the jet leg, early in the morning Zhenya and Lesha set of for the dress rehearsal which was so terribly interrupted. They arrived among the first, and stated practicing without any inkling that just a few minute later they’d be leaving the building scared to death.
The Fire
Plushenko and Yagudin were calmly warming up before the evening performance when suddenly there was a great fuss in the palace. Evgeny and Alexei didn’t pay this any attention.
They decided that the alarm was nothing but a training exercise. Concentrated on the practice, the skaters didn’t notice how worried the employees became. Only when some Koreans screamed that a fire began, and that everyone within the building was in danger, did Evgeny and Alexei realize the seriousness of the situation. Everyone started panicking, and the scared Russians ran to the exit amid the mob. Hurried by the firemen who by then have arrived, Olympic champions rushed onto the street. Plushenko and Yagudin didn’t even get a chance to change their shoes, and ran out of the flaming building in their skates. Only when they were outside, in complete safety, could Zhenya and Lesha breathe deeply and understand what was going on.
“When we caught our breath, I got a question – are we going to have the evening show?” told Evgeny to Tvoj DEN. “Obviously, there was little chance of a mass show after such a colossal fire. Some time later, the organizers told us that the show was canceled, and that all skaters could return home.”
The Aftermath
When the fire was localized, Plushenko asked the show producers what caused the fire. It turned out to be quite the cliché – one of the workers didn’t put out a cigarette butt.
It was clear that after the fire, the ice palace building was in a serious disrepair and needed reconstruction. However, the skaters who have carved out days out of their busy schedules to take part in the show can also incur financial losses. As Tvoj DEN found out, show organizers had to pay the participants after the performance. As the ice stars, including our champions, never took the ice, the question of their remuneration is up in the air. However, the agents of Plushenko and Yagudin are confident that the skaters will receive their compensation since the show was canceled not due to their fault, while they themselves were ready to go onto the ice and give the Korean audience an unforgettable experience.
