About the fundraiser and before people panic any further, this is just Alena's fan club's fundraiser for her birthday. They do this every year and were already in the process of collecting funds to buy birthday gifts. But it seems she might have the surgery on or around her birthday so they just want to make it extra special.
It is not my fault that I don’t like much anyone who is going to compete this coming season. From men both Hanyu and Chen retired. I can’t make myself like someone that I just don’t like. Perhaps Uno, but I like Chen more, even though you clearly don’t count him because he retired. From ladies I did like the Russian ladies. From pairs, if you take away Russian and Chinese pairs, there is hardly anyone left who can skate. Perhaps Miura/Kihara were not bad, but they still have some journey to improvement, despite having now world medal. I can see being a fan in the future, but not quite yet. They are still lacking finishing touches. The same Safina/Berulava, two Russians who are able to compete because they switched country. But everyone is happy for Safina/Berulava to compete…Name someone actually competing this season and get back to me.
I would prefer to punish those who actually did something wrong, not those whose only crime is that they were born in the wrong place at the wrong time. But clearly you can’t see the difference.
I can’t believe this is your thinking after Russia occupied your country for 20 years. Good for you I guess, that you can be so “fair and unbiased.” I couldn’t do that. To clarify, I was born and raised in USSR but left the country over 30 years ago. I’m not Russian ethnically though. If I were a Russian, I’d hang my head in shame right now. Their mentality that they should be allowed to go on with their lives as usual, under the circumstances is an abomination IMO. They tend to be protective of themselves, even when clearly in the wrong, and lack sufficient empathy. This type of mentality contributed to the system that came to power in Russia and therefore contributed to the war. It’s a shame that you don’t see it.
We don't even know the amount of this monthly stipend that Viktor lost, or how long he has been receiving it. He won his Olympic medals for the Soviet Union and Unified team so he may still have stipends coming from Russia. I think that the situation is really petty and the truth might be that the Ukraine may not even have the money to pay out this stipend since it has to rebuild its country after this war. So they publicize this to make it seem as if it relates to the ice show and not lack of funds.Viktor Petrenko situation made the NYT:
Ukraine Disowns an Olympic Champion Who Skated in Russia (Published 2022)
Viktor Petrenko, who won a gold medal at the 1992 Winter Games, has been shunned by Ukrainian figure skating officials — and by President Volodymyr Zelensky — after performing in Sochi, Russia.www.nytimes.com
Because these are extraordinary circumstances and many people in Ukraine go through insane suffering, and even more Ukrainians lost their income. Not a single Ukrainian can now make money in russia and not be considered a traitor. Petrenko is no exception.
Unfortunately, these skaters are citizens of a country that has invaded a sovereign nation, is killing innocent people, and is systematically destroying the country's infrastructure. Sports sanctions are an effective means of international protest.
Really? Who cares who that sexual predator has knocked up in 2022? She is or was a mature enough adult to know who she was dealing with. There was just nothing more to say. Please.
People lose access to their livelihoods all the time for varying reasons. We have all had to puck ourselves up by the bootstraps. Viktor has options-- coaching, choreography, his agent could have worked to get him into another show somewhere else (Japan?), or-- the horror-- he could get a 9-5 job. He chose to betray his nation.
Right. Let's not get it twisted here. Viktor Petrenko has more connections and access to opportunities than most of his fellow countrymen (or most people in the world). He just decided where his loyalties laid. No need to justify it or excuse him. He's a grown ass man. The world needs to need to see what's in front of them and stop trying to wish it away.
www.lrt.lt
What show opportunities does he have? It's not like there are North American shows for him to skate in like the past and you assume that Japan would even be interested in having him. There aren't that many old skaters in those shows and Viktor doesn't have the same Japanese student connection that Stephane Lambiel has, and Viktor is in his 50's as well.
I so agree with this. I have Russian skaters that I love but I do not speak or read Russian so unless they do a post in both languages so I know they are not discussing anything about the war (in proud terms) I never like anything. Obviously with what is going on it is a little insignificant thing but I definitely feel that until the war is over with Ukraine as the victor and appropriate restitution is established and being activated on I do not feel the Russians should be recognized in sport and when they are they should be on a sort of parole whereby any inappropriate behavior by an individual should result in instant suspension of that individual.
I think Navka specifically is problematic, and associating with her is a bad idea for any non-Russian skater at this point.
It's great that Victor has so many defenders from all over the world. And everyone is ok that he does not have the courage to explain his act.
Maybe he doesn't feel like he has to explain. And yes, to another post, I am a huge Viktor Petrenko fan. We have no clue his real feelings on Ukraine. He is probably used to it being part of the Soviet Union because that was how he was raised and he was part of the Soviet sport system.
It is strange that he hid such an attitude towards Ukraine. In hundreds of his interviews, he did not say that he wanted to see Ukraine as part of russia.
I am saying that you don't skate in a show that is created by a person who supports the active murdering of your people.
Can’t believe that had to be spelled out in such elementary and basic terms, but here we are.
And FWIW I'm pretty sure Petrenko has been doing some coaching in the US. I was rewatching the women's free skate from Junior Worlds (...it's the off season) and he was listed as one of Lindsay Thorngren's coaches. I have no idea how much he has earned from coaching but it's not like that one ice show in Russia was his only means of earning money.
He is performing in a skating show sponsored by the regime that is invading his homeland. I think we can surmise at the very least he doesn’t care.
