Tatiana Tarasova: “I’ve always said we should go, but in this case, when we can’t send pairs, dance duos, or even their coaches… In such a situation, I personally would 100% not participate. These scum hate our country.”
Tatiana Tarasova criticized the exclusion of Russian pairs and dance duos from Olympic qualification.
original source: Sport24 / TASS / Sport24 / RSport
Yesterday, the International Skating Union (ISU) granted neutral status to figure skaters Adelia Petrosyan, Alina Gorbacheva, Petr Gumennik, and Vladislav Dikidji, allowing them to participate in the Olympic qualification.
However, pairs and ice dance duos were not included on the list, as they were not approved for neutral status. The Olympic qualification tournament for the 2026 Games will take place in Beijing this September.
“I am absolutely shocked by the ISU’s decision to exclude our pairs and ice dance teams from participating in the Olympic qualification. Look at who has historically dominated pairs skating at the Olympics. From 1964, for a whole 50 years, Soviet and Russian skaters consistently took first place!
How can you exclude a country that has been so instrumental in shaping the development of pairs skating worldwide from the Olympic Games? This is nothing short of arbitrariness,” said Tatiana Tarasova.
She also commented in the FFKR (Russian Figure skating federation) decision to call Adelia Petrosyan and Petr Gumennik as main candidates. “A clear choice? Yes. As for their prospects, let’s not discuss that now. For now, we’ll just say that we believe in them. The ISU doesn’t know them yet — I hope they’ll come to know them,” said Tarasova.
“I’m not surprised that Gumennik was chosen as the first pick. The important thing is that two skaters were granted permission. We’ll have the right to send either of them. So, I’m not surprised by the selection. But this refusal for our pairs and ice dance duos shows that they won’t let us win.
It makes you want to stop living after such decisions. It’s so hard to think about the fairness in the selection of our singles skaters. I’m in shock from the ISU’s decision — I can’t even pull myself together. I didn’t expect this.
I’ve always said we should go, but in this case, when we can’t send pairs, dance duos, or even their coaches… In such a situation, I personally would 100% not participate. I can’t force my opinion on anyone, but that is my stance — because no one will be allowed to win,” Tarasova concluded.
“They only allowed the singles skaters through. There should have been more. So now we’re supposed to thank the ISU for this? These scum hate our country.
They didn’t allow us to compete in pairs skating. For 33 consecutive years, we dominated pairs skating and set the standard for the development of the discipline worldwide.
It’s incredibly sad — I didn’t even think I would feel so upset by this decision. It’s an unfair and dishonest ruling. There’s a sense of hopelessness. What they’ve done to us is terrible,” said Tarasova.
Related topics: ISU, Olympic Games, Tatiana Tarasova
To Dominique: shall we also start punishing the non-Russians who have taken a picture with Putin (f.ex. after annexation of Crimea)? Or this crime is only applicable to the Russian skaters?
ISU should explain in the decision document why the duos are not allowed to compete. This explanation has not been given. Commentators here (and others) are just guessing. It’s humiliating. A lot of foreign leaders, business people and stars have pictures with Putin. Putin has NOT changed over the last years….
Galliamov&Mishina and Stepanova&Bukin are clear Putin supporters and they are benefiting from that. You just cannot express admiration for the war criminal and shine together with him on the photos and then expect being welcome back at the international sport arena. The deleting of their posts and pictures talks its clear language as well. Like it would help. There are tons of people in the world having those pictures and posts safely documented.
This whole thing has never sat right with me. It’s too convenient for the non-Russian skaters to exclude the best skaters in the world, so they can get some medals. If the Russians shouldn’t be winning so much, based on technical issues, fix the judging system or the judges. If doping is the issue, that’s already been dealt with – though not well. Valieva losing her career while Eteri and the team doctor go unpunished doesn’t feel like justice to me either. I really don’t think Eteri’s skaters make their own decisions about what supplements or “energy drinks” to take.
To learn criteria you can search for ISU Communication 2680
Does anyone know how the approval process works? If the primary couple fails to pass checks, can the alternate couple still be added to the list of eligible athletes (assuming that the alternate couple passes checks)? Or, if the primary couple fails to pass checks, does the alternate couple automatically fail checks?
If the primary pair/duo didn’t pass the neutral criteria, the substitutes weren’t even considered.
To Carolina, which pro-war activities and shows you are talking about? I have not seen these duos doing any pro-war activities. Please, give some facts.
My guess about Stepanova Bukin: They attended Putin’s speech to the Federal Assembly. They deleted the post from Instagram, but as we all know, the Internet never forgets. Also, there’s Zhulin and all his statements. And let’s not forget they couldn’t compete at the 2018 Olympics for reasons that remain unclear – likely doping-related. And athlete’s lack of involvement in any doping-related cases was one of the criteria for attaining neutral status, and the same applied to their personnel.
It was Russia Fed choice to name dance and pairs skaters who they know do not meet criteria to be eligible, who participate in pro-war activities and shows. Why pretend to be surprised? If they put forward the skaters who were named to be alternate (which would only skate if first-named skaters qualify and later are injured before Olympics) no problem. I think Russia provoke this result to again say they are victim
Is there justification for not letting the duos go to the qualifications? Have no respect for ISU any longer. ISU does not understand what Olympic spirit is about. As Olympic spirit is not about promoting one political concept other another one.