ISU Statement on Russia's war against Ukraine - Participation in international competitions of Skaters and Officials from Russia and Belarus

[Xela M]

No Russian or Chinese skaters, podium finish will be a joke for pairs and women. Could the Americans actually have a podium finish in all disciplines since I don't know when? It's hard to believe that Scimeca-Knerim/Frazier has a good chance to be on the podium. I don't think it would feel as good if I won a medal when most of the main competitors are not competing as opposed to when I beat the main rivals.

I don't think the athletes should be punished for Putin's decision. Putin should be the one to be punished.

I LOVE Scimeca-Knierim/Frazier and hope they become World Champions Woohooo

 

[aka_gerbil]

Will Diana Davis stay in Michigan training if international competition is ceased? How is training in US dollars going to be paid for in the current environment?

It looks like Putin is going to take Ukraine (and then who knows what next) no matter what and I’m sure the humanitarian crisis is going to be huge. No way does this blow over by next season and business as usual commences again.

Diana was born here, so she can stay whether she trains or not. She is in a position to switch countries if it comes down to it. I presume if she were to switch counties and Eteri came her to coach, that would solve the how it gets paid for issue.

 

[Frau Muller]

I LOVE Scimeca-Knierim/Frazier and hope they become World Champions Woohooo

They would be the first World Champion pair from the US since Tai & Randy…who won when Rodnina was off on maternity leave…but Tai/Randy still won. Asterisk or not - a win is a win!

 

[Mme Bovary]

Diana was born here, so she can stay whether she trains or not. She is in a position to switch countries if it comes down to it. I presume if she were to switch counties and Eteri came her to coach, that would solve the how it gets paid for issue.

Yes, but... without the Russian push, would she even make the international team? Also, Eteri is not a dance coach, at least not a successful one. And someone pointed out that you don't just come to the US and coach - there are several organizations who accredit coaches at higher levels.

 

[Mme Bovary]

Japan has cancelled all flights to Europe -reuters for security reasons. So Japanese skaters have to fly via US or Canada I suppose as European and Canadian airlines are banned to fly over Russia?
I can't imagine that security over Ukrainian or Russian airspace will improve over the next 3 weeks

Oh no. I hope Japan finds it worth their while to actually try and find a way to send their skaters to this competition, should it be held at all.

 

[aka_gerbil]

Yes, but... without the Russian push, would she even make the international team? Also, Eteri is not a dance coach, at least not a successful one. And someone pointed out that you don't just come to the US and coach - there are several organizations who accredit coaches at higher levels.

Diana is coached by Shpilband. I don’t Eteri would be coaching her.

Yes, US dance is deep, but there are opportunities for skaters who do not make it out of nationals. The choice is highly likely going to be skate for the US to be able to skate at all or be done skating forever. The predicted length I’ve seen (from geopolitical experts) for sanctions to last is at least a decade if not a whole generation. If she wants to skate competitively at all, then it will most likely have to be for the US.

 

[skategal]

They should be able to fly via the gulf states (Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi) or Istanbul. I think this would be faster than going via the US.

Yes and if they can’t do that, they could fly to Bangkok (7 hours from Narita) and get a direct flight to Paris.

A bit out of the way but lots better than having to go via USA.

 

[Mme Bovary]

Diana is coached by Shpilband. I don’t Eteri would be coaching her.

Yes, US dance is deep, but there are opportunities for skaters who do not make it out of nationals. The choice is highly likely going to be skate for the US to be able to skate at all or be done skating forever. The predicted length I’ve seen (from geopolitical experts) for sanctions to last is at least a decade if not a whole generation. If she wants to skate competitively at all, then it will most likely have to be for the US.

Oh ok, in your post your wrote "Eteri came HER to coach" and you meant "here". I thought you maybe wanted to say Eteri would come to coach her. And that that would sort out the problem of paying the coaches since another point made was there would be significantly less money available for coaching.

But either way, banned from competing as Russian or unable to get out of the US, it's not a great loss for figure skating if you get me.

 

[PRlady]

Given the American perception of Russia for the foreseeable future, Avonley made it harder on herself switching a Ukrainian partner for a Russian one, if she’s still with Smirnov. Just a random thought.

 

[Dobre]

Yes, but... without the Russian push, would she even make the international team?

No way to know, but Diana would have a shot. It would have to be for the long haul, though, if she were to stay with Smolkin. There would be no Olympics in 4 years. (Unless he's already applied for U.S. citizenship without our knowing). If she were to leave him--it's a young team and a split could happen anyway--then she would be in the same difficult place as many a young female ice dancer in the U.S. with no partner. Starting over while your competition is not & while that competition is gaining ground due to international experience. She's with Shpilband, though, so he's got the connections.

And per wikipedia, she is only 5'4." (Which, ironically, is short enough to skate with Kolesnik, who is from Ukraine & doesn't have citizenship yet either; but providing he applied as soon as he was age-eligible, I think he might be far enough along in the process to get it before 2026).

Anyway, I never recommend splits for successful young ice dance teams. I'm just looking at where she is, and the answer is yes, she could skate for the U.S. And same partner or not, she would have a shot.

 

[Dobre]

]The predicted length I’ve seen (from geopolitical experts) for sanctions to last is at least a decade if not a whole generation.

Would you mind posting a link to where you are seeing this? (I'm just curious what the line of thought is. I mean, to me, the point of the sanctions is to get Putin to stop terrorizing the World. I'd certainly like to believe there's hope that might be achieved in less than a decade).

 

[PRlady]

Ask the Iranians how easy it is to get rid of sanctions once they’re imposed. The international will to punish Putin is going to outlast the war, other countries want regime change.

 

[clairecloutier]

Given the American perception of Russia for the foreseeable future, Avonley made it harder on herself switching a Ukrainian partner for a Russian one, if she’s still with Smirnov. Just a random thought.

But who exactly is going to hold it against her? The skating community is small, and I think everyone understands her reasons for teaming up with Smirnov. And he did make the choice to leave Russia for the U.S.

 

[Hedwig]

Ask the Iranians how easy it is to get rid of sanctions once they’re imposed. The international will to punish Putin is going to outlast the war, other countries want regime change.

If official sanctions are over, what do you think how many governments in Europe are ready to forget and forgive and start relationships with Putin and Russia again?

How many businesses?

I think if there ever was the necessary push even for conservative "you are all tree huggers" types to start using renewable energy, it is now.

The guy bombed a nuclear reactor. That is not something you will forget in a month or even 5 years. He essentially cut all ties with Europe forever.

 

[Mme Bovary]

No way to know, but Diana would have a shot. It would have to be for the long haul, though, if she were to stay with Smolkin. There would be no Olympics in 4 years. (Unless he's already applied for U.S. citizenship without our knowing). If she were to leave him--it's a young team and a split could happen anyway--then she would be in the same difficult place as many a young female ice dancer in the U.S. with no partner. Starting over while your competition is not & while that competition is gaining ground due to international experience. She's with Shpilband, though, so he's got the connections.

And per wikipedia, she is only 5'4." (Which, ironically, is short enough to skate with Kolesnik, who is from Ukraine & doesn't have citizenship yet either; but providing he applied as soon as he was age-eligible, I think he might be far enough along in the process to get it before 2026).

Anyway, I never recommend splits for successful young ice dance teams. I'm just looking at where she is, and the answer is yes, she could skate for the U.S. And same partner or not, she would have a shot.

But she's not really very good, and without Russia to give them a boost...

 

[Trillian]

I LOVE Scimeca-Knierim/Frazier and hope they become World Champions Woohooo

I’m a fan of both U.S. teams and Miura & Kihara, so I’d enjoy seeing that podium in any order. I’m rooting for Cain-Gribble & LeDuc to pull an upset.

But she's not really very good, and without Russia to give them a boost...

I don’t think Davis is that bad - between the two rising nepotism stars in Russian dance, Morozov is the one I thought was more overrated. I could see Davis & Smolkin being competitive for the top five or so in the U.S., but I don’t see the passing any of the teams that were top four this year and they would definitely be vulnerable to others who placed below that. Whether or not it’s worth it would depend on their goals.

 

[aka_gerbil]

Would you mind posting a link to where you are seeing this? (I'm just curious what the line of thought is. I mean, to me, the point of the sanctions is to get Putin to stop terrorizing the World. I'd certainly like to believe there's hope that might be achieved in less than a decade).

One article specifically gives 10 years as an estimate. The others talk about that it’s take a long time to work and what the impacts will be.

Redirect Notice

Redirect Notice

Redirect Notice

This is not just sitting Russia in the corner for a time out. This is not going to be quick, and even if/when regime change comes, it will take a very long time for Russia to recover and be accepted by the world again.

Given the American perception of Russia for the foreseeable future, Avonley made it harder on herself switching a Ukrainian partner for a Russian one, if she’s still with Smirnov. Just a random thought.

But who exactly is going to hold it against her? The skating community is small, and I think everyone understands her reasons for teaming up with Smirnov. And he did make the choice to leave Russia for the U.S.

One of my good friends has a friend who immigrated from Russia who has been treated horribly/harassed since the invasion started. Do a quick Google search on Russian immigrants and businesses here in the US and the rest of the world that have been harassed or damaged. There was a Russian Orthodox Church burned in Calgary. This is going to be like how German immigrants were treated during and after WWI, Japanese during/after WWII, Muslims and those of Arabic descent after 9-11.

 

[PRlady]

I'm wondering how Russian immigrants are being treated in Israel @TAHbKA and @Andrey aka Pushkin and @MsZem ..... They are a huge and visible segment of the population there, unlike in the U.S. Actually, they are FSU -- some Russian, some Ukrainian, some from Caucasus, etc.

 

[skategal]

One article specifically gives 10 years as an estimate. The others talk about that it’s take a long time to work and what the impacts will be.

Redirect Notice

Redirect Notice

Redirect Notice

This is not just sitting Russia in the corner for a time out. This is not going to be quick, and even if/when regime change comes, it will take a very long time for Russia to recover and be accepted by the world again.





One of my good friends has a friend who immigrated from Russia who has been treated horribly/harassed since the invasion started. Do a quick Google search on Russian immigrants and businesses here in the US and the rest of the world that have been harassed or damaged. There was a Russian Orthodox Church burned in Calgary. This is going to be like how German immigrants were treated during and after WWI, Japanese during/after WWII, Muslims and those of Arabic descent after 9-11.

The church in Calgary was vandalized with red paint thrown at the door (water-based paint so thankfully, it was removed easily.)

They have the suspect on camera and police have released a photo.

No confirmed motive yet but the Hate Crimes Unit is investigating.

The priest is from Ukraine and many parishioners have family there.

Photos of Russian Orthodox Church vandalism suspect released by Calgary police

The Calgary Police Service has released photos of a suspect connected to vandalism at a Russian Orthodox Church over the weekend and Calgarians are asked to help identify him.

calgary.ctvnews.ca

 

[Nadya]

One article specifically gives 10 years as an estimate. The others talk about that it’s take a long time to work and what the impacts will be.

Redirect Notice

Redirect Notice

Redirect Notice

This is not just sitting Russia in the corner for a time out. This is not going to be quick, and even if/when regime change comes, it will take a very long time for Russia to recover and be accepted by the world again.





One of my good friends has a friend who immigrated from Russia who has been treated horribly/harassed since the invasion started. Do a quick Google search on Russian immigrants and businesses here in the US and the rest of the world that have been harassed or damaged. There was a Russian Orthodox Church burned in Calgary. This is going to be like how German immigrants were treated during and after WWI, Japanese during/after WWII, Muslims and those of Arabic descent after 9-11.

My youngest child goes to an immersion Russian-language preschool just outside of Washington DC. It was picketed a few times since the war started, most recently on Saturday. Not sure what the purpose of this is since their contingent is Russian-speaking vs. ethnic Russian.

I predict a rise in country shopping for those who are able. I am eligible for citizenship of two other countries and I'm seriously looking into applying. It's going to be an inconvenient passport to have for a few years so it's best to hedge one's bets.

 

[olympic]

Davis + partner in the U.S. would still likely be #3 behind H/B and G/P

 

[aka_gerbil]

Davis + partner in the U.S. would still likely be #3 behind H/B and G/P

I think D/S are a young team that does have legitimate potential.

I think the real question is going to be do they want to compete at all. US is pretty good about making sure as many teams/skaters as possible compete internationally, making sure to utilize every competition berth they can.

I also think Annabelle Morozov has potential, but needs a different, stronger partner. She could find someone from here.

 

[Karen-W]

Davis + partner in the U.S. would still likely be #3 behind H/B and G/P

I suspect they would also be behind CarPon and possibly also Wolfkostin/Chen, but W/C are a bit younger. There's also Bratti/Somerville. They would slot right in with those teams and certainly would get GP assignments based on their WS.

Morozov could definitely find a good partner here in the US, I think,if she was interested. She also has French citizenship, so that coils be another option for her.

I wonder if we'll any of the younger junior pairs teams have any Estonian ties. All Estonia needs is a pairs team or two to become competitive for the 2026 TE event.

And, I really will not be surprised if we see some skaters with Jewish ancestry suddenly representing Israel in the next season or two.

It's certainly going to be interesting to see what happens and how things shake out in the coming months.

 

[MacMadame]

Davis + partner in the U.S. would still likely be #3 behind H/B and G/P

Thank you for saying this! I am so sick of the narrative that Davis sucks as an ice dancer and is only where she is because of the Eteri/Russian push. it's ridiculous. The team is engaging and has reasonable skills for where they place in international competitions.

Diana is coached by Shpilband.

Who is quite willing to break up teams to get new, supposedly better teams.

One article specifically gives 10 years as an estimate. The others talk about that it’s take a long time to work and what the impacts will be.

I have read articles about how long it will take. I think the way you are presenting things is misleading and/or a misreading of what the experts are saying. They aren't saying it's going to take really, really long, at least 10 years.

In particular, the 10-year estimate came from the UK government and is tied to a piece of legislation that has an appraisal period of 10 years. The expert said that it's possible the sanctions could last the entire appraisal period. This is true. OTOH, the following is also true: (a) new legislation could be passed that would change the appraisal period. (b) legislation could be passed to remove the sanctions altogether. And this is just the UK. That doesn't mean all the other countries will go along with this if big changes happen in Russia in the meantime.

The second article says that the sanctions could take "years" to have an effect. This is not the same thing as saying that the experts think that the sanctions will last any particular length of time. It's an article about how sanctions work, if they work at all, and how the US uses this particular tool. It does say that the sanctions in 2014 did slow down the Russian economy and did keep Putin in check, btw. This is important because:

The third article is all about how sanctions don't work. It's a history of sanctions and whether or not they worked. It also says the 2014 sanctions didn't work. So which is it and how credible is this article? Regardless, it says absolutely nothing about how long these particular sanctions will last.

IME, I don't think we can say how long it will take. If Putin is taken out tomorrow and replaced by someone more willing to appease the West or at least remove all troops from Ukraine, they could be fairly short. Maybe only a year or two. Or revoked by some countries but with built-in safeguards that would put them back if Russia goes down this path again. OTOH, if Putin remains in power, takes over Ukraine, or at least continues the war there for as long as the US (and others) were in Vietnam as an example, yeah, it could take as much as a decade.

It really depends on what the Russians do next. And how the world responds to it.

 

[Miezekatze]

I also think sports sanctions might not necessarily last exactly the same amount of time as business sanctions.

Because businesses and governments can choose freely who to make business with, but with sports sanctions there might be other legal issues.

Like even North Korea occasionally competes. As does Iran, despite sanctions and conflicts when there's Israeli athletes..

That said, I think at the moment the sanctions are completely necessary.
But it's certainly pretty impossible to predict how long they will last.

 

[TAHbKA]

I'm wondering how Russian immigrants are being treated in Israel @TAHbKA and @Andrey aka Pushkin and @MsZem ..... They are a huge and visible segment of the population there, unlike in the U.S. Actually, they are FSU -- some Russian, some Ukrainian, some from Caucasus, etc.

The Israelis finally learned Russia and Ukraine are not the same country. Now they have to deal with the fact most of us immigeated from the USSR which made it the same country. Confused? So they are

 

[Mme Bovary]

Thank you for saying this! I am so sick of the narrative that Davis sucks as an ice dancer and is only where she is because of the Eteri/Russian push. it's ridiculous. The team is engaging and has reasonable skills for where they place in international competitions.

I honestly disagree. When I watch Diana, I see juniorish skating, flat edges, poor knee bend and lack of polish. I can't say if there's potential, but I can say there was at least one better team overall at Russian nationals who finished below them. Gleb looks better.

 

[Trillian]

I honestly disagree. When I watch Diana, I see juniorish skating, flat edges, poor knee bend and lack of polish.

To be fair, she’s quite young by senior dance standards and was competing in juniors not long ago. She could have plenty of room to develop. I’m sure Diana has benefited from some generous judging at times, but she also gets more criticism than she deserves. For her age and where she is competitively, she’s fine. I don’t like her mom, but Diana is not her mom.

 

[skatingguy]

To be fair, she’s quite young by senior dance standards and was competing in juniors not long ago. She could have plenty of room to develop. I’m sure Diana has benefited from some generous judging at times, but she also gets more criticism than she deserves. For her age and where she is competitively, she’s fine. I don’t like her mom, but Diana is not her mom.

I hope they move away from Shpilband - Shpilband has never been good at packaging, or really improving the skating quality of female skaters. They seem like a team that is made for IAM, but I don't know that they'd ever make that move.

 

[Excidra]

Am I the only one that is against the idea of Russian skaters, whether they support the war or not, switching countries in order to compete in ISU and IOC events? How is it fair to the skaters, who may or may not be as skilled as the Russians, whose careers will suffer if this were allowed to happen. And, for argument sake, let say the Russians did compete for a other country. Are they going to go back to competing for Russia once the country is allowed to participate in ISUnand IOC competitions again?