German Skating News - 2022 / 2023 Season

[clairecloutier]

I wish Efimova would find a new partner. And represent her homr country, Finland.

I would love to see this!

So has anyone heard if the German funding situation for next year is really as dire as Ruben said? Because if so, I'm worried for the other German skaters too ....

 

[tony]

Yes. He should fight for it. Other pairs go through everything over years.

He’s 31 years old. Not everyone can go forever, and not having much support from the Federation has to be challenging.

 

[Ananas Astra]

I would love to see this!

So has anyone heard if the German funding situation for next year is really as dire as Ruben said? Because if so, I'm worried for the other German skaters too ....

I haven't heard anything recently, but judging by the last couple of years, being a professional figure skater in Germany is a losing game.
A couple of years ago they couldn't even afford team jackets and Katarina Witt had to step in and the fed had to beg for money for effing team jackets. This was absolutely pathetic.

 

[text_skate]

Last Sunday sportschau published a report about funding.

Alles zum Wintersport

Hier sehen Sie Nachrichten, Berichte, Interviews und Ergebnisse zum Wintersport.

www.sportschau.de

Nicole Schott, whose seventh-place finish was the best WC result by a German individual skater in 27 years, is worried about her future career:

The future is open. The financial situation of the federation is not good, we have to see if there are possible solutions. Otherwise our sport will be only an expensive hobby

The ninth pace at Olys did harm funding of German fed, so there is a tiny bit of hope.

For more than a year, the German fed has been desperately waiting for a decision from the CAS in the case of Kamila Valieva, who is suspected of doping - and thus indirectly for a financial supplement. ... If she were to be banned retrospectively, the Russian team's victory in the Olympic team event would null and void. The medals would go to the USA, Japan and Canada, the German team would move up to eighth place and could subsequently hope for additional state funding.

ETA:
Kunkel decided to use pain killers instead of physio, because it's cheaper (I quite don't understand this point as physio is covered by health insurance, although not sure how that works with training in Italy)

 

[Finnice]

Efimova is disappointed, because they had big goals for next season. She wants to find a new partner and continue to represent Germany.

 

[text_skate]

Efimova is disappointed, because they had big goals for next season. She wants to find a new partner and continue to represent Germany.

I'm glad to year. Also Finland would fine by me, too. I would love to see Finland with a strong pairs team.

I understand Ruben, when he says mental health comes first. Nonetheless, I'm disappointed too. They could have achieved their big goals imo.

 

[Wyliefan]

It's really infuriating that all this foot-dragging in the Valieva case is doing so much harm to these skaters. It's not just a question of waiting for medals, although that would be bad enough.

 

[Karen-W]

I'm glad to year. Also Finland would fine by me, too. I would love to see Finland with a strong pairs team.

I understand Ruben, when he says mental health comes first. Nonetheless, I'm disappointed too. They could have achieved their big goals imo.

Finland will have a pairs team debuting next season - Milania Vaananen & Filippo Clerici (last skated for Italy at Jr Worlds 2022, so they've sat out this season internationally).

 

[text_skate]

It's really infuriating that all this foot-dragging in the Valieva case is doing so much harm to these skaters. It's not just a question of waiting for medals, although that would be bad enough.

In this case, without the Valieva case, the case would be closed: no additional funding.
In short: Her doping might help the German skaters to get more funding.
I agree: the dragging on and on is infuriating

 

[sus2850]

I don‘t think it has to do with funding. He used that as an excuse. He wanted a medal and it did not happen. He never was really supportive of Alisa, you could tell that they get not along that well, having different personalities, the atmosphere was tense almost all the time. They never seemed to have fun together. She is an earnest young woman, but still. I think she deserves a partner who is really caring, maybe the jumps work better then as well

I suggest Nolan should come back to skate with her. He is a nice guy and knows the feeling of getting dumped.

 

[sandra_persch]

Kinda makes you wonder how much of the prize money the skaters get to keep and how much they have to hand over to the Fed to keep it going

 

[Miezekatze]

Kinda makes you wonder how much of the prize money the skaters get to keep and how much they have to hand over to the Fed to keep it going

I think the price money is the last of the funding problems for the upcoming season. There's a new funding guideline for the upcoming season that I read about in a German forum. The problem are mostly financing the travel to the competitions.

First of all, the federation only pays the accommodation and travel costs for skaters and 1 coach for ISU championships (Euros/Worlds).
For the Grand Prix series, the Grand Prix hosts pay for accommodation costs of the skaters, but the German skaters would have to pay the travel expenses for their coach alone next season.
For the challenger series and other B internationals it's even worse, the skaters would have to finance everything themselves, their own travel/accomodation and for their coach.
Which makes it pretty impossible to get competition experience if you aren't rich? Or you could try going everywhere without a coach and live in a hostel

For other funding (training), there's small amounts of money for skaters who attended Worlds 2023..
And in pairs and dance there will be small amounts of extra bonus for pairs skaters and ice dancers who qualify for Euros (next season as I understood it), nothing for singles skaters (because the German fed thinks there's more. potential for success in pairs and dance), which would be a bit of a slap in the face of Nicole Schott, who ended up being more successful than everybody else, but that funding plan was made before Worlds, maybe they'll shift stuff around a bit. I don't quite fathom how objectively Janse van Rensburg & Steffan can be seen as seriously more promising.

IMO the main problem with that is, that even if you got a Grand Prix spot, you'd probably spend all your money on financing your coach going there.

There apparently was more funding in the last years, before it was cut even more, because of the German team placing 9th at Olympics and even then Hocke & Kunkel needed crowdfunding already to finance their move to Bergamo.

Meanwhile I'm irritated by how arbitrarily fans are in their decision on how important mental health is to skaters.
Apparently being unconditionally supportive of skaters mental health only applies to Alex Knierim, Bruno Mason and Hawayek & Baker and not to German male pairs skaters who apparently are not very well liked?

From what I read in Rubens message, I'd rather guess that Efimova wants to win medals and he doesn't care as much about results.

 

[Quadjump]

Meanwhile I'm irritated by how arbitrarily fans are in their decision on how important mental health is to skaters.
Apparently being unconditionally supportive of skaters mental health only applies to Alex Knierim, Bruno Mason and Hawayek & Baker and not to German male pairs skaters who apparently are not very well liked?

Massot, Knierim and others have been under extreme pressure over years and still are. Some of them really suffered. But Ruben?

After two years of practice in little Oberstdorf, one year of competition with some good results and much more to come you do break up. This decision you could have made earlier without blocking Alisa's career for two years.

 

[airgelaal]

Google translation of her words for Russian media

In short, indeed, referring to the words in Ruben's post, all his best results, which he is proud of, were achieved with me. Perhaps I opened a big sport for him in terms of the work invested and overcoming oneself..

Turns out he wasn't ready for it. This is my point of view, and professionals, having read Reuben's post, will understand what I'm talking about. But on the other hand, it's good that he understood this now, and not just before the Olympics. As for me, I do not plan to finish. I have been contacted by several partners and we will have trials soon

Фигуристка Ефимова не планирует завершать карьеру после распада их пары с Бломмартом

Фигуристка Алиса Ефимова заявила «Матч ТВ», что намерена продолжать карьеру после ухода из спорта ее партнера Рубена Бломмарта.

matchtv.ru

 

[Miezekatze]

Massot, Knierim and others have been under extreme pressure over years and still are. Some of them really suffered. But Ruben?

After two years of practice in little Oberstdorf, one year of competition with some good results and much more to come you do break up. This decision you could have made earlier without blocking Alisa's career for two years.

Oh i see. Mental health and physical hwalth always come first,
but only if fans who don't know the skater have decided that he's actually been under pressure and not just being a whiner who's depressed for no good reason.

But I guess we now know how some fans would have actually reacted if Bruno massot had decided to quit after one year of training in little oberstdorf and competing with Aljona giving the reason that she's too ambitious and pushing for him and he doesn't have fun skating anymore.

 

[Hedwig]

Yes, we dont need no stinking psychologists when we have armchair fans who have never been on the ice, let alone competed at international level or have a degree in psychology who can tell you just as well if you are allowed to feel under mental pressure or not.

 

[text_skate]

I don't quite fathom how objectively Janse van Rensburg & Steffan can be seen as seriously more promising.

As far as I understood from German fed, they want to focus on Pairs an Dance

 

[sus2850]

Google translation of her words for Russian media

Фигуристка Ефимова не планирует завершать карьеру после распада их пары с Бломмартом

Фигуристка Алиса Ефимова заявила «Матч ТВ», что намерена продолжать карьеру после ухода из спорта ее партнера Рубена Бломмарта.

matchtv.ru

Thank you for that, I just do not understand what she means by the bolded part?
„Opening a big sport for him?“ Is „opening“ the right verb?
And „not ready for“ or „overcoming oneself“. Is she implying he did not put in enough work?
I guess they were really quite different in their personalities.

And I think I better take back my criticism of him. Of course none of us where there in their regular training.

 

[Miezekatze]

I tried a few Online translators , but they always came out similar. I'd also read from it that she thinks he wasn't willing to work hard or put in enough. I hope she finds a partner, who suits her better and who hopefully also "likes/dislikes" the same sbs jump.
I think the jump issue would have stayed problematic anyway. It was mentioned earlier in the season, that one of them hates the 3s and the other hates the 3t, which is unfortunate, when both aren't very reliable jumpers. I think Efimovas jumps are both weak, but it would probably already work better if she had a partner who jumps the triple very well that she prefers.

 

[Wyliefan]

Oh my, we may have a little Savchenko in training.

 

[airgelaal]

Thank you for that, I just do not understand what she means by the bolded part?
„Opening a big sport for him?“ Is „opening“ the right verb?
And „not ready for“ or „overcoming oneself“. Is she implying he did not put in enough work?
I guess they were really quite different in their personalities.

And I think I better take back my criticism of him. Of course none of us where there in their regular training.

I think she was not ready for the fact that Ruben was not ready to look for a million part-time jobs and at the same time train 24/7

 

[clairecloutier]

I think these comments are harsh on Efimova and based on very limited knowledge of the situation.

I agree her statements to the Russian press aren't the most generous, but neither were Ruben's comments about her on his IG.

There are probably elements of truth on both sides.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Well now that I'm caught up I hope Ruben finds happiness away from skating. It doesn't sound like they were good partners for each other. That combined with the financial stress doesn't sound like it's worth continuing.

 

[Sylvia]

Alisa Efimova's post yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqi7KJ6IVTT/
Excerpt from the end:

I am really disappointed that I let myself being mislead. Our goals turned out to be different from the beginning.
I am happy that all of this happened now and not in the Olympic season. Right now my career is only in my hands and I am responsible only for myself and my family.
The new chapter has already started. It’s already been a real adventure. I continue with a positive mindset.

 

[Sylvia]

Hocke/Kunkel's joint post today ("Thank you for the invitation to the @bundestag and for the insightful conversation about the situation in the German figure skating"): https://www.instagram.com/p/CrJdUyrrLer/

 

[Sylvia]

Nikita Starostin's March 30th post after his second Worlds (16th in SP, 19th overall): https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqaGVD9oWSV/

My Short Program music was sang by a famous German Artist - Mark Siebert @mark.seibert
It was a great honour and nice pairing of a German Artist and a German Skater, I really enjoyed our journey together through in this season.
I’m really proud of myself that I could give a good performance and what I could achieved with this short program in Japan and during this season.

I will miss my ‘Maria’, but the new short program for the next season will be as exciting as her.
And I’m looking forward to start to work on my new program(s)!️

He is answering fans' questions today via his Instagram stories for chiquesport.

ETA that Starostin said he will get two new programs from his choreographer, Adam Solya, and that he will announce his music "after my test skate in August."

 

[Sylvia]

German news report on Hocke/Kunkel starts around the 45-second mark - can our German speakers give us a recap of what they said?

Sport am Dienstag

Das Berliner Eiskunstlauf-Duo Annika Hocke und Robert Kunkel hadern mit finanzieller Förderung: Obwohl sie die erfolgreichste Saison ihrer Karriere hingelegt haben, bangen sie um ihre sportliche Zukunft +++ Füchse Berlin gewinnen im entscheidenden Rückspiel der European League gegen die...

www.rbb-online.de

The Berlin figure skating duo Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel are struggling with financial support: Although they had the most successful season of their careers, they fear for their sporting future.

 

[Ananas Astra]

German news report on Hocke/Kunkel starts around the 45-second mark - can our German speakers give us a recap of what they said?

Sport am Dienstag

Das Berliner Eiskunstlauf-Duo Annika Hocke und Robert Kunkel hadern mit finanzieller Förderung: Obwohl sie die erfolgreichste Saison ihrer Karriere hingelegt haben, bangen sie um ihre sportliche Zukunft +++ Füchse Berlin gewinnen im entscheidenden Rückspiel der European League gegen die...

www.rbb-online.de

The Berlin figure skating duo Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel are struggling with financial support: Although they had the most successful season of their careers, they fear for their sporting future.

Some tidbits:

• Kunkel says it's difficult to concentrate on practising if you always have to worry about the finances
• Hocke says it would be the "worst case scenario" if they just weren't able to finance their careers anymore
• their season costs around 45000 € which they pay for mostly out of their own pockets
• with their prize money from this season they can survive until October
• Kunkel on the fact that they are barely able to pay for their expenses although their season was very successful: "If the DEU doesn't change anything, then next season, instead of 3rd- and 4th-place-finishes [at Euros], they might not even have a participant."
• they are looking for sponsors because figure skating is not too popular in Germany and the media doesn't care about it
• they still want to try their best and maybe find someone who wants to work with them (sponsoring-wise)

 

[Sylvia]

Thank you for summarizing, @Ananas Astra! English subtitles have been added to the Hocke/Kunkel video segment here: https://twitter.com/TwizzleBlister/status/1649111507202875396

 

[Miezekatze]

Here's a newer article about Hocke and Kunkel that says they'd not stop, but switch countries if the funding isn't improved until October

Vereiste Fronten

Trotz zuletzt großer Erfolge steht das Berliner Eiskunstlaufpaar Annika Hocke und Robert Kunkel finanziell vor dem Aus. Ihre Vorwürfe in Richtung Verband stehen sinnbildlich für die mangelhafte Sportförderung in Deutschland. Von Marc Schwitzky

www.rbb24.de