Alexander Majorov insults the Swedish federation on Facebook (and later apologizes)

[Jun Y]

Except for the fact that it isn't.

Except that youths (or, as Joe Pesce says in My Cousin Vinny, "youts") nowadays think it is.

[meierfan]

Yes, that is what Wikipedia mentions, but I think that he moved to Sweden much later.

Yes, this. When I met him, maybe 6 years ago, his Swedish was very poor. I don't know how it is today though.

[Squibble]

Yes, that is what Wikipedia mentions, but I think that he moved to Sweden much later. I seem to remember having read that as the family was moving from Russia they also contacted the Finnish Skating Federation, but got an answer from Swedish Skating Federation quickly. All that makes me believe that he must have been some kind of a skater already in the time of their moving?

The following article was publishe in 2006:

Alexander Majorov times two – meet the father/son team

Majorov's father:

“At the beginning of the 1990s things were very hard in Russia. Alexander junior (Sasha) was born in 1991 and there were no food and no jobs. We had to get money somehow and Sweden was the first country to offer us something. A short while later I had another offer, from Finland… I didn’t think I’d stay in Sweden, I had some friends there and started out teaching maybe six weeks in a year and the second year it was three months and then five and after the fourth year I stayed. I didn’t like to move around and just do a little here and there. It’s a process to prepare for and do something, and I wanted to do it well.”

Majorov himself:

Sometimes you train in Russia, what is that like?

“It’s ok, but I’m not there all that much, maybe a couple of weeks during the summer is all. But I wouldn’t want to live there, Sweden is my home and I have all my friends here.”

Yes, this. When I met him, maybe 6 years ago, his Swedish was very poor. I don't know how it is today though.

Really? According to the author of the Absolute Skating article:

After that enlightening talk with Alexander Majorov senior, it’s Sasha junior’s turn. He has no problems whatsoever with the language. Although he always speaks Russian with his family there isn’t even a trace of a Russian accent, in fact he speaks with a genuine Northern Swedish accent. At first he appears somewhat withdrawn but gradually grows more talkative.

The dude is Swedish, through and through.

ETA:

Majorov Press Conference in Swedish: "I Am Not a Bad Person"

According to the Google translation, Majorov said he's "not a bad person," he just wante to be comforted by his friends, he would never say such things to an adult, and he's "not a racist."

[Ziggy]

I don't feel the slightest bit sorry for him. He's an adult; what he's done is disgusting.

Word.

1) Racist + Sexist speech

2) Admitting that he doesn't feel Swedish at all, that Swedes are a separate group to him - a PR disaster for somebody who's supposed to represent this country

And it's not like he's an immigrant who just moved there a few years ago. He's spent most of his life in Sweden.

3) Immaturity more akin to a 6 year old throwing a strop than to somebody who's supposed to be an adult.

Also, whilst it's interesting and valid to explain how his thinking might have worked, racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination are never ok.

It is not ok to use words like these in public. It was posted on Facebook and his friends don't just include his closest mates but a large number of people, a lot of whom he barely (if at all) knows.

To all the people who say that he isn't being racist and that this is being blown out of proportion:

Do you not realise that discrimination and all its institutional and psychological effects exist precisely because of speech like this existing in public discourse and being acceptable?

I'm not saying that he should be stoned to death. He made a mistake, he could have not fully understood what he was saying and so on, and so forth.

But it needs to be clearly said that language like this isn't appropriate, shouldn't be used and yes it's racist and sexist to use words like these. Using them as insults implicitly stigmatises those groups.

Is he racist and sexist? He's probably just a bit ignorant. But the words he used definitely are.

[julieann]

To all the people who say that he isn't being racist and that this is being blown out of proportion:

Do you not realise that discrimination and all its institutional and psychological effects exist precisely because of speech like this existing in public discourse and being acceptable?

I'm not saying that he should be stoned to death. He made a mistake, he could have not fully understood what he was saying and so on, and so forth.

But it needs to be clearly said that language like this isn't appropriate, shouldn't be used and yes it's racist and sexist to use words like these. Using them as insults implicitly stigmatises those groups.

Is he racist and sexist? He's probably just a bit ignorant. But the words he used definitely are.

I used the term blown out of proportion because it has been….3 pages worth???

I never said what he said was acceptable, far from it. He realized what he said in the heat of anger was wrong, took it down, apologized and was given a warning by his federation. I'm sure he clearly knows now (if he didn't know then) that what he said was not acceptable in any language or country.

That 19 year old learned a valuable lesson and I hope his parents did as well. I am granting the same leniency I would want for my kid's mouthy mistakes.

Is he racist or sexist, no, just uneducated.

[siberia82]

He has now received an official warning from the Swedish federation:
http://iof2.idrottonline.se/SvenskaK...andeuttalande/

I'll try to translate:

Thank you so much for the translation, meierfan!

I hope Majorov realizes how fortunate he is that he got a slap on the wrist. We've heard stories of people insulting their boss or their workplace on Facebook and getting fired for it. I'm not saying that the Swedish federation would've dumped him or anything like that, but they could've denied him the chance to go to senior Worlds this season since he needs to mature a little. (The top 3 Swedish men will have to battle for the 2 Worlds spots at the Nordic Championships.)

2) Admitting that he doesn't feel Swedish at all, that Swedes are a separate group to him - a PR disaster for somebody who's supposed to represent this country.

Wait, where did he say this? I might have missed something with Google Translate, or perhaps this was mentioned in either the video or radio interview.

[Squibble]

Wait, where did he say this? I might have missed something with Google Translate, or perhaps this was mentioned in either the video or radio interview.

Did you read his original Facebook message, first link in the first post in this thread?

"F***ing Swedish pussies idiots n*****s! ...."

[siberia82]

Did you read his original Facebook message, first link in the first post in this thread?

Actually, I was the one who started this thread. And you must have missed my post which contained the links for the video and radio interview because you reposted the latter unnecessarily. (Not that it really matters or anything. )

I assumed when Sasha used the word "Swedish" in his status update, he was referring to the federation, not Swedes in general. I may not know this young man, but based on other articles I've read about him within the last couple of months, he identifies himself as being more Swedish than Russian.


Tony Wheeler spoke to Majorov about this incident, so at least English-speaking FS fans have one statement from him which doesn't require Google Translate : http://www.flutzingaround.com/2010/1...gizes-for.html

I certainly don't blame his mother for being furious... Not only did Sasha potentially ruin his own career, but he could've ruined his parents' as well. Luckily it never reached that point, but the tabloids could've made accusations that the Majorovs didn't raise their boy properly and whatnot.

[clarie]

I sure am glad it wasn't Patrick Chan who spouted that kind of verbal diarhhea.

[genevieve]

I used the term blown out of proportion because it has been….3 pages worth???

The thread is only this short because the skater involved is a relative unknown.

I sure am glad it wasn't Patrick Chan who spouted that kind of verbal diarhhea.

We would be well into thread #2 by now if Chan had said this (1000 posts per thread for the uninitiated).

[Mafke]

I may not know this young man, but based on other articles I've read about him a couple of months ago, he identifies himself as being more Swedish than Russian.

He probably feels more Swedish in Russia but has the Russian thing to fall back on when things don't go his way in Sweden. In other words, he's human....

[Squibble]

Luckily it never reached that point, but the tabloids could've made accusations that the Majorovs didn't raise their boy properly and whatnot.

They don't have to.

As for the "Swedish pussies" bit, I would say it could be read either way. Not that it matters. I think he wanted to be outrageous and offensive, and he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.

[julieann]

The thread is only this short because the skater involved is a relative unknown.

True and there haven't been any major competitions the past couple days to occupy our time.

[poths]

Alexander Majorasshole

[CantALoop]

We would be well into thread #2 by now if Chan had said this (1000 posts per thread for the uninitiated).

Half of the posts being by apologists who say Chan's vocabulary and mastery of language is so far superior to that of other skaters that he's allowed several epithets under current regulations.

[luCN]

wow,he may go to another sw.... Switzerland got 3 spot and couldn't find a good skater

as for Chan,after meet him several times in person,I found he is a intersting,cute and handsome man,and get along sooooooooo well with every skaters and workers,strange!now I curious why the media always try to make him like a ugly devil,just because he's not white?...

[skateboy]

as for Chan,after meet him several times in person,I found he is a intersting,cute and handsome man,and get along sooooooooo well with every skaters and workers,strange!now I curious why the media always try to make him like a ugly devil,just because he's not white?...

No racial issue with Chan. Patrick has made a number of inappropriate comments to media regarding other skaters, along with other issues that would be better for him not to mention. The first time I chalked it up to being naive, but he has continued in this manner for a long time.

[Domshabfan]

I sure am glad it wasn't Patrick Chan who spouted that kind of verbal diarhhea.

Majarov is not a world championship medalist or a GPF winner, in fact he made very little headway as a junior. So many people are not aware of him or not impressed by his skating to bother writing a comment about. Saying that there is no excuse for making that kind of statement.

P.S. why did you have to bring Chan into a thread about Majarov. Are you that obsessed with Chan that you see the every issue w.r.t to how it will effect Chan.

[poths]

Tony Wheeler spoke to Majorov about this incident, so at least English-speaking FS fans have one statement from him which doesn't require Google Translate : http://www.flutzingaround.com/2010/1...gizes-for.html

Random: But Tony Wheeler is a Void.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Except that youths (or, as Joe Pesce says in My Cousin Vinny, "youts") nowadays think it is.

Just because many young people think it is doesn't make it so. People can lose their jobs or suffer consequences far greater than they would have by posting things publicly on Facebook than they would if they just vented to a few of their closest friends (even if a few of their closest friends have big mouths).