Igor Shpilband: In Russia the very prestige of being a skater is much higher
Igor Shpilband about popularity of figure skating in the USA.
by Maia Briagintseva for sports.ru dd. 8th March 2020
How much are people interested in figure skating in America today?
– You know, only few people know even such a famous and glorified skater as Nathan Chen. That is, only those who are interested in figure skating know him, he is not a star of national scale.
Probably the most famous skater for America is Michelle Kwan, if you talk to people who were not specifically interested in figure skating, then they know Michelle Kwan, they may have heard about Tara Lipinski.
That is, in spite of a quick career, they didn’t forget about Tara? Now they talk a lot about how quickly girls finish their skating careers, that then no one remembers them.
– Well, Tara is still working as a commentator, plus she regularly performs in shows. She shone so brightly, won the Olympics so people remember her.
Can something similar happen to Russia? Can figure skating pall on us?
– Of course, I support this rise in Russia, it seems to me that Russia has a much deeper roots of this sport, which is why it is so popular. Everything is on a grand scale: shows, public attention. And the very prestige of being a skater is much higher.
Related topics: Igor Shpilband, Nathan Chen
Agreed!!