Evgenia Medvedeva: “I hoped that ISU will follow the adequate approach of ATP and WTA, who refused to ban Russian tennis players from the competitions. But the miracle didn’t happen.”
Evgenia Medvedeva on her Telegram account commented on the decisions of ISU Congress and the reaction of the Russain side.
source: Telegram
Evgenia Medvedeva: For the past 24 hours, the media and speakers have been actively discussing raising the age minimum in figure skating. This was expected from the ISU. But the main news faded against the backdrop of endless discussions of the age minimum.
Until the last moment, I, personally, had a hope that our guys would be allowed to participate in international competitions. A positive attitude was inspired by the guys from the ATP and WTA, who refused to ban Russian tennis players from the competitions, despite the pressure. Wimbledon also lost rating points for the refusal to accept athletes from Russia and Belarus. I sincerely believed that such an adequate approach was also possible from the side of the International Skating Union. But the miracle didn’t happen.
We should fight for the right to let our athletes compete under the auspices of the ISU. Instead of throwing tantrums that someone might change citizenship, etc. This is pressure on our athletes. When I moved to Canada to coach Brian Orser, our media endlessly went on about that I would skate for the country of the maple leaf. Reporters was calling me, my agent, my relatives with hysterical questions “What is it like to betray the Motherland”? I denied the news about the change of citizenship several times, but they continued to call and ask questions when I would start competing for Canada. And I didn’t even have that in my mind.
Pressure on athletes is in our media and some rabid figure skating fans in their blood. I won’t be surprised if our skaters start thinking about changing their citizenship just because they get tired of all this. All that remains for us now is to focus on domestic competitions, support all those who are excluded from international events and fight for the right to return them there. Our skaters are used to standing on pedestals, and not in queues at migration centers.
Related topics: Evgenia Medvedeva
You should fight for the peace but obviously you dont care until the funds come…
they must be banned! their government also benefits of the athlete’s victories