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

[Hedwig]

Hhey are also coached by Zhulin who we all know is a tremendous a$$hole.
Of course you don’t always share political values with your coach but if you train for so many years and so closely I guess it rubs off. And if you are totally different in your political views it might not work out.

 

[happycamper2554]

Look, both Sinitsina and Katsalapov have made more than enough money as World Champions and now Olympic medalists to have, if they were truly anti-war and horrified by Putin's actions, gotten out of the country 2-3 weeks ago. And they could have taken their immediate family members with them. It isn't as though they couldn't have done what Kazakova/Reviya did and fly to southern Russia then drive across the border into Georgia. They could have and they did not. Then, they showed up at this rally today. Even if they were told a day or two ago to show up, in their Olympic ream gear no less, they still could have packed up their cars and started driving south. They have made their choice and I do not believe they were coerced into anything.

K/R both have georgian passports. What county are S/K supposed to go. Unless they are citizens of another country we don't know about. It is incredibly difficult for russians to get visas to other countries right now. Where would they go?

 

[Barbara Manatee]

Wow, not only standing up in favor of war but using their Olympic medals to promote it. I guess those oaths and ideals they swore to last month didn't mean squat to them. I wish they could be stripped of them. Shameful.

 

[Karen-W]

K/R both have georgian passports. What county are S/K supposed to go. Unless they are citizens of another country we don't know about. It is incredibly difficult for russians to get visas to other countries right now. Where would they go?

Russians don't need visas to go to Georgia. They could have gone there and then figured things out. I imagine, as high-profile athletes, they probably could apply for asylum to almost any western nation and it would have been granted.

 

[aka_gerbil]

K/R both have georgian passports. What county are S/K supposed to go. Unless they are citizens of another country we don't know about. It is incredibly difficult for russians to get visas to other countries right now. Where would they go?

Having a passport to somewhere else makes it a lot easier to leave. There were also reports of intense questioning and not everyone making it past and being allowed to leave Russia in the very earliest days after the invasion. I believe the husband of a poster here on fsu had trouble being allowed to leave Russia. Leaving a dictatorship isn’t just going to an airport or driving over a border. There is a checkpoint.

 

[Bigbird]

Were the 'Z' symbols really on their jackets?

 

[airgelaal]

Were the 'Z' symbols really on their jackets?

Yes

 

[zebraswan]

Not everyone is in a position to just drop their entire life, leave everything and move abroad immediately. You realize that means they might never be able to come back. I wouldn't draw any conclusions about someone based on the fact that they are still there. Going to this crappy rally is another story.

 

[starrynight]

I’m really hoping the Channel One Cup won’t be like this. I really love Tuktamysheva and she is a global skater… I’ll just be so upset if they shove all the skaters into Z jackets and have Z emblems incorporated into the competition.

Ugh what a disappointing mess. It’s going to be a very long time until Russian skaters are welcomed back into international competitions. I’m going to bet now that there will be no 2026 Olympics for Russia.

 

[airgelaal]

Not everyone is in a position to just drop their entire life, leave everything and move abroad immediately. You realize that means they might never be able to come back. I wouldn't draw any conclusions about someone based on the fact that they are still there. Going to this crappy rally is another story.

Tell that to the millions of Ukrainians who have already left their homes and have nowhere to go back.

 

[Karen-W]

They could have asked to be booked for the Art on Ice shows in Switzerland a couple weeks ago if they needed a legit excuse to leave the country. There are ways for them to have left and not looked back.

Criminy, Jon Guerreiro is currently VP of the EOC Athletes Commission and he still managed to leave the country for Madrid in the last two weeks. And, from my understanding, Russia doesn't care if you have a passport from another country when you leave the country, so Jon would have certainly had as big of a challenge as any other more high profile athlete. He still was able to leave.

Those skaters made a choice. Period.

 

[marbri]

I’m really hoping the Channel One Cup won’t be like this. I really love Tuktamysheva and she is a global skater… I’ll just be so upset if they shove all the skaters into Z jackets and have Z emblems incorporated into the competition.

Ugh what a disappointing mess. It’s going to be a very long time until Russian skaters are welcomed back into international competitions. I’m going to bet now that there will be no 2026 Olympics for Russia.

Are people outside of Russia going to still watch this? I know some were saying they would when it was first announced but now? It's not like we all haven't already watched these skaters and programs already over the past season.

 

[aka_gerbil]

I don’t think they would have been welcome to perform at Art on Ice or possibly even have been able to have gotten the visa to get there.

If someone did want to leave with immediate family… withdrawing all funds from the bank and taking off with all parents, siblings, grandparents, etc probably would raise red flags with border checkpoints unless someone wanted to Movie Von Trapp out of Russia on foot.

Edit: I was going to watch just a few skaters, but now I just want written reports on how full-on propaganda this goes because I’m now expecting something on par with that North Korea propaganda dance number from 2017.

 

[mtnskater]

Are people outside of Russia going to still watch this? I know some were saying they would when it was first announced but now? It's not like we all haven't already watched these skaters and programs already over the past season.

No way in hell am I watching. Not giving the Putin sports machine any clicks. I would be very surprised if Russia Channel One or the athletes don’t display pro war symbols during the broadcast. Or the audience. It is after all the state run television channel and Putin uses the state run sports program to further his political aims.

 

[misskarne]

Anyone who watches Channel One Cup is supporting Putin's regime.

 

[PRlady]

K/R both have georgian passports. What county are S/K supposed to go. Unless they are citizens of another country we don't know about. It is incredibly difficult for russians to get visas to other countries right now. Where would they go?

Russians are fleeing to Georgia, Armenia and Turkey every day. The star skaters have more money than the ordinary Russians, and some have long-term visas to the US and elsewhere. They could have left if they wanted but of course all those state-provided goodies are a counter-incentive.

 

[airgelaal]

There were only 9 athletes. Nine! Not skaters and not even representatives of winter sports. Only 9 athletes! And not even the most legendary ones. Only they were offered or only they could not refuse?

 

[PRlady]

What gets me is that Morozov looks happier than he ever did while skating.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

They’re made of ribbon material hence the weird look. If you zoom in on this image shared by @airgelaal in another thread, you can see Tarasova’s very clearly:

https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v1/items/d39de043dc7b48fbb646b5089e7c711f/preview/AP22077513098630.jpg

I don't know what to say. I have met Tarasova on several occasions, and she came across as a very lovely young woman. She is shy, not as sophisticated as Boikova or Sherbakova. But so kind. And here she is, at some sort of disgusting rally. Zasport logo is on the jackets, but the Z symbol is separate and pinned on. She looks proud to be there. I question to what extent the Russians are brainwashed to believe that the war is to defend their country.

I have spoken with a few people I know in Russia. They are your regular, professional, English speaking folks. Their perspective is that Ukraine / NATO / US provoked the war, and Russia had no choice but to defend itself. There was much talk about bio weapons as well. Russian athletes are being further alienated by being banned from competition. Of course, they must be banned under the circumstances. Yet Putin is probably thrilled - his "stars" are getting even less exposure to any information that comes from outside of Russia.

Wimbledon may not permit tennis star Daniil Medvedev to compete unless he publicly denounces Putin. No Chinese or any other athlete had been asked to denounce their government. In this case, it's not simply a government - it's a a deranged dictator who can order anyone to be jailed or murdered. There is a thin line here. We don't want to encourage a whole generation of Russians to hate us. We also don't want to fight Putin by being just like him. Conform or die is not the mentality we should encourage, in my humble opinion.

 

[Bigbird]

There were only 9 athletes. Nine! Not skaters and not even representatives of winter sports. Only 9 athletes! And not even the most legendary ones. Only they were offered or only they could not refuse?

Look, the Russians have no choice especially if their family all reside in Russia. Damned if you go and damned if you stay. If they have close relatives in Ukraine for example, things could get very complicated. Relocating to Russia would be an issue, remaining in Russia would also be an issue. Living in a country where free speech or the opposition is punished is a challenge. Choosing to voice your dissent comes at a high price. Very few will choose to wear their hearts on their sleeves.

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

Look, the Russians have no choice especially if their family all reside in Russia. Damned if you go and damned if you stay. If they have close relatives in Ukraine for example, things could get very complicated. Relocating to Russia would be an issue, remaining in Russia would also be an issue. Living in a country where free speech or the opposition is punished is a challenge. Choosing to voice your dissent comes at a high price. Very few will choose to wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Artemi Panarin, a Russian NHL star, mildly criticized Putin in 2019 or so. Nothing crazy, just stating the obvious. Within days of speaking out, he was accused of assaulting a young female 10 years prior. No proof was ever presented. The guy had to rush to Russia to get his family out. He was lucky the alleged incident occurred outside of Russia, and it was stated no evidence of such assault existed. Or his entire career would be in jeopardy.

 

[Bigbird]

Artemi Panarin, a Russian NHL star, mildly criticized Putin in 2019 or so. Nothing crazy, just stating the obvious. Within days of speaking out, he was accused of assaulting a young female 10 years prior. No proof was ever presented. The guy had to rush to Russia to get his family out. He was lucky the alleged incident occurred outside of Russia, and it was stated no evidence of such assault existed. Or his entire career would be in jeopardy.

It's an alternate universe.

 

[Vagabond]

Barring being forced at gunpoint, every athlete -- indeed, every person -- who attended that rally had a choice: go or not go.

What would have happened to those who went if they had not gone? Most likely, they would neither have been killed, tortured, or imprisoned. Perhaps (and I don't know for sure), they would have been blacklisted. If so, then skaters lake Evgenia Tarasova made a choice of money over principle. Better to scrub floors with a clean conscience than to be Putin's puppet.[/RANT]

 

[Karen-W]

Barring being forced at gunpoint, every athlete -- indeed, every person -- who attended that rally had a choice: go or not got.

What would have happened to those who went if they had not gone? Most likely, they would neither have been killed, tortured, or imprisoned. Perhaps (and I don't know for sure), they would have been blacklisted. If so, then skaters lake Evgenia Tarasova made a choice of money over principle. Better to scrub floors with a clean conscience than to be Putin's puppet.[/RANT]

THIS! Those athletes on the stage are well-known enough that they're not going to be killed, tortured or imprisoned - and probably not their immediate families either. To do so would invited unwanted attention and scrutiny on the government.

 

[AYS]

Not to throw gasoline on the fire, but Nazarova/Nikitin both posted the following along with photographs from the propaganda event on their Instagrams @ Victoria and Nikita:

"Not so long ago we supported them in this difficult Olympic season, now they support the war against us and our country."

Do you have a link to the account where they posted this?

 

[tony]

Do you have a link to the account where they posted this?

It's on both of their Instagram stories and now being shared by other skaters as well.

 

[aka_gerbil]

THIS! Those athletes on the stage are well-known enough that they're not going to be killed, tortured or imprisoned - and probably not their immediate families either. To do so would invited unwanted attention and scrutiny on the government.

I’d think being more well known and an investment of the government could put you in more danger for not going along. Kind of like Stalin’s political purge…

 

[AYS]

It's on both of their Instagram stories and now being shared by other skaters as well.

Thanks

 

[Karen-W]

I’d think being more well known and an investment of the government could put you in more danger for not going along. Kind of like Stalin’s political purge…

Well, I suppose that's possible, though I think, in this day and age with almost instant information sharing, it would be a lot harder for Putin to do something like that to well-known Russians or their families.

 

[aka_gerbil]

Well, I suppose that's possible, though I think, in this day and age with almost instant information sharing, it would be a lot harder for Putin to do something like that to well-known Russians or their families.

That speech he made the other day about eliminating the fifth column blah blah blah sort of makes me think he doesn’t or wouldn’t care about the optics of well-known public figures being disappeared even in this day and age. The man is a few fries short of a happy meal….