Agafonova/Ucar are forced to leave Zhulin | Golden Skate

Agafonova/Ucar are forced to leave Zhulin

Snow63

Pray one day we'll open our eyes.
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Mar 26, 2014
Turkey's Ministry of Sports FORCED Agafonova/Ucar to leave Russian coach Alexander Zhulin.

They've left Russia today. All were crying. It is a pity that politics interferes with sports. Turkey's Ministry of Sports has decided to return the athletes [in Turkey], what will happen next is unknown. Cooperation between us is actually terminated.

Source: http://lenta.ru/news/2015/12/05/turks/

This is SO Stupid. And sad.
 
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daphenaxa

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Mar 17, 2015
oh no :( poor them.

Can they even properly train in Turkey?
 
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Totentanz

Ursula Gumennik
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Feb 28, 2012
They were so happy in Team Zhulin :( I hope if they can't go back there, they will move to a successful coach as soon as possible.

There is no ice dance coach who can help them in Turkey here :(
 

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
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Oct 25, 2012
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Given the tensions between the 2 countries, you can understand a politician saying something like this should happen. Politicians live on soundbites like this.

But, what is really shocking is that it is being enforced! :jaw:

Like, what if Alisa had been Russian rather than Ukrainian? Would the politicians have forced the partnership to split?!

Perhaps we should expand on that hypothetical situation to see how far political interferance could go.

Alisa and Alper are the most successful skaters Turkey have ever had. And I do think they have a realistic chance of getting into the Top 8 in Europeans within the next few years. But Alper is at an age that he is unlikely to get a new partner if they split.

So, if this scenario had been the case, the politicians would not only have been splitting up their country's best prospects in a sport they have never been a force in before. They would be ending the career of one of their most promising athletes.

I know this was only a hypothetical scenario. But, what is happening in reality is just one step away from this.

It's a disgrace! I hate it when politics interferes in sport. :mad: :bang:

CaroLiza_fan
 

noskates

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Jun 11, 2012
I don't know this couple but I agree that when politics enters into sports it's oftentimes disastrous. I think figure skating on a competitive level is stressful enough as it is without having to deal with your government. Feel badly for them.

And do you mean Zhulin? The spelling threw me off for a minute there.
 

lyndichee

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Sep 16, 2014
Can't they find them a temporary coaching situation? Possibly in the US or Canada? Seems unfair that they are forced to leave and don't get any sort of comparable training arrangements.
 

tulosai

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Dec 21, 2011
Oh my gosh I am devastated for them. This is just awful news. Something kind of similar happened to Elene G. and she never recovered from it.
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
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Dec 29, 2013
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Too bad it's never the politicians that seem to lose out in these types of situations :gaah:
 

CaroLiza_fan

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Oh my gosh I am devastated for them. This is just awful news. Something kind of similar happened to Elene G. and she never recovered from it.

I had forgotten about that. Mind you, it was slightly different in Elene's case in that she was the one that was persona non grata, rather than the coach.

Can't they find them a temporary coaching situation? Possibly in the US or Canada? Seems unfair that they are forced to leave and don't get any sort of comparable training arrangements.

This is where things are getting a bit confusing. It is not the Russians forcing Alisa and Alper to leave Russia (as happened with Gedevanishvili). It is the Turks telling Alisa and Alper to have nothing to do with the Russians.

Given how much potential they have, I am sure they will be able to find a coach willing to take them on. But, my worry is that this sounds like we are heading towards the situation where the government is going to have to approve the coach before the skaters can work with them.

Politicians choosing coaches? I don't think anybody would want to see the sport going down that road!

Too bad it's never the politicians that seem to lose out in these types of situations :gaah:

Never a truer word said! :agree:

CaroLiza_fan
 

TheGrandSophy

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Apr 14, 2014
Whilst I agree that this is a distressing and unfair situation, I don't agree that politics should never 'enter' sport. The sporting boycott of South Africa whilst under apartheid is one example of where politics can have a moral purpose in sport. I wish this pair well and hope they can either be allowed back to Zhulin or are found another excellent coach asap.
 

noskates

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Jun 11, 2012
Okay...I totally agree with that remark about South Africa. My son played rugby for many years and the best team in the world during that time was from South Africa. Rugby was banned from Olympic competition because of apartheid and that DID serve a moral purpose.
 

Amei

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Nov 11, 2013
Can't they find them a temporary coaching situation? Possibly in the US or Canada? Seems unfair that they are forced to leave and don't get any sort of comparable training arrangements.

This is probably One of the pitfalls of training being supported by the Fed - politics can affect you.
 

Anastasi14

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Feb 14, 2014
I wouldn't be so sure that it was Turkish side who made them leave. Here a saw the reference to Zhulin commenting on it, but what else he could say? He lives in Russia, work in Russia with Russian skaters, paid by the Russian fed, so, I wouldn't expect any other comment. And I'm really worry about Nazarova and Nikitin now(
 

tulosai

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Dec 21, 2011
I wouldn't be so sure that it was Turkish side who made them leave. Here a saw the reference to Zhulin commenting on it, but what else he could say? He lives in Russia, work in Russia with Russian skaters, paid by the Russian fed, so, I wouldn't expect any other comment. And I'm really worry about Nazarova and Nikitin now(

The Russian fed has been quite honest in the past when they've kicked foreign skaters out.
 

Snow63

Pray one day we'll open our eyes.
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Mar 26, 2014
I wouldn't be so sure that it was Turkish side who made them leave. Here a saw the reference to Zhulin commenting on it, but what else he could say? He lives in Russia, work in Russia with Russian skaters, paid by the Russian fed, so, I wouldn't expect any other comment. And I'm really worry about Nazarova and Nikitin now(

I am sure. Besides, except your baseless speculation there is literally nothing which indicates otherwise.
 

Anastasi14

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Feb 14, 2014
It's just not for the first time. And it's not only about figure skaters. Studens are have to leave their univercities also, for example. I just hate that politics interfere a lot into the sport( as i wouldn't take the first explanation the one side is giving.
 

tulosai

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Dec 21, 2011
It's just not for the first time. And it's not only about figure skaters. Studens are have to leave their univercities also, for example. I just hate that politics interfere a lot into the sport( as i wouldn't take the first explanation the one side is giving.

And what Agafonova said doesn't count as another side?
 
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