How does funding work for different skaters/countries?

andromache · Jan 30, 2019

A little off-topic - since Beverly trains in the US, does China still provide her with full funding? I assumed full funding meant training in China. So I’m just curious if China has taken over all of the expenses for their recruited skaters abroad or not.

Casual · Jan 31, 2019

andromache said:
A little off-topic - since Beverly trains in the US, does China still provide her with full funding? I assumed full funding meant training in China. So I’m just curious if China has taken over all of the expenses for their recruited skaters abroad or not.

Doesn't RusFed pay for Medvedeva to train in Canada? Doesn't North Korea pay for North Koreans to train in Canada?

Casual · Jan 31, 2019

On another point, I noticed during Olympics that plenty of skaters representing countries all over the world were actually training in the US or Canada; and quite a few of them originally came from the US. (Which begs the question, why have "nations" compete at all, instead of "clubs", like NFL? :rolleye:

)

Nicole Radjicova seemed an exception - while born and raised in New York, she fully embraced her Slovakian heritage and trains in Slovakia.

But I think it's only Russia, China, North Korea who systematically pay for their skaters training?

Casual · Jan 31, 2019

andromache said:
Money doesn't seem to be a problem for Alysa's family, and after Nationals, she is likely to receive sponsorships that will only become more lucrative as she gets older.

Uprooting a 13 year old to move to China and train away from her family? Uprooting the entire family, dad's job, etc.? Neither option is worth it - otherwise we would see far more US skaters representing China than just Beverly Zhu.

This sort of speculation just seems silly.

It's not a silly speculation, when you don't know just how much those countries may offer to switch.

I don't know about China, but I know that Russia regards their sport achievements as a very important tool for state propaganda (just like USSR). As a result, becoming an elite athlete in Russia comes with tremendous benefits from the state - including not just immediate benefits (such as free training and gifts of money, expensive cars, and real estate), but a guaranteed cushy future after retirement - for example, membership in State Duma (Parliament), insider business opportunities, etc.

That being said, in Alyssa's case, her value to Chinese state is questionable, given full details of her story (daughter of a gay political refugee with surrogate children might not make a perfect poster girl for state propaganda).

concorde · Jan 31, 2019

If you are traveling as part of Team USA, then someone is picking up your travel costs. It may be USFS or in the case of GP, then the host country.

You see skaters going all over the place to get various coaches and choreographers. My guess is families are picking up those costs. Same with summer competitions (Broadmoor, Detroit, Philly, Glacier Falls). I also expect families pay for Regionals, Sectuonals, and Nationals.

I think international travel is a small portion of an elite skater's yearly budget. I know of one skater who got several GP slots several years back. That family said they were spending $100k a year.

Lunalovesskating · Jan 31, 2019

Casual said:
Doesn't RusFed pay for Medvedeva to train in Canada? Doesn't North Korea pay for North Koreans to train in Canada?

No, she pays her training cost in Canada on her own. Russia only pays her flat and flights.

Lunalovesskating · Jan 31, 2019

Quelita said:
The fact that Russia pays for Medvedeva's trips and housing is very good. The thing is for how long? Also, I don't know if she can stay for more than one year in Canada since she is a tourist not an international student and is not attending a university. Does the Russian and Canadian federation pay for the trips, trainings and hotel stays of the skaters who are on their national teams? If those countries do that why doesn't the U.S.pay for the training of their best skaters who are on the national team and Alyssa Liu's trainings and trips? After her national title they really should help her out with those expenses and give stipends to the top 10 skaters every year who are working so hard to represent well the U.S. internationally. Just wondering, how old was Liu when she started learning her doubles and triples?? I am very curious about that.

Evgenia is a University student that is why she e.g. can qualify for Universiade competition. Evgenia also has a lot of sponsors and does a lot of commericals, her agent said they get a lot of offers.
Javier Fernandez and Yuzuru could also stay in Canada with just a visitor visa the first few years until they got different visas, they just had to fly to their home countries once in a while and get a new visitor visa. Visa should not be a problem.

Edwin · Jan 31, 2019

Countries rich in natural resources can and do "rent" foreign athletes to compete under their flag, see Azerbaijan for example. Lots of "second chance" Russians, Ukrainians, etc competing under AZE flag.

Sam-Skwantch · Jan 31, 2019

This is one use of my tax dollars I would hardly scoff at. Not because of some imagined pride I’d feel as an American but because it would be a good use of tax dollars that would benefit a select group of elite athletes from my country. Most likely hard working individuals giving it their absolute best. Good for them and with the amount crap my tax dollars go to it would be nice to know that some of it is going to something positive.

I may not be the most patriotic and often root for athletes from other nations but I’m always proud of those athletes that represent me and my country. It is an honor.

As an aside...sponsorships are pretty decent here relative to the rest of the world but sponsors usually only benefit freakishly top level athletes as opposed to funding an entire group of athletes. I guess that varies by sport though to some degree.

andromache · Jan 31, 2019

Obviously it's tricky given the topic, but let's avoid politics discussions so this thread can stay open.

Casual · Jan 31, 2019

True, but it's tough avoiding politics discussions once it's my tax dollars at stake. :laugh:

Just, no!

karne · Jan 31, 2019

andromache said:
A little off-topic - since Beverly trains in the US, does China still provide her with full funding?

Who is Beverly?

Funding. What a cute notion! :laugh:

The Australians all pay their own ways. I believe they get a tiny amount of funding from ISA, and Brendan, Brooklee, Kailani, Katia and Harley, and I think now Chantelle and Andrew too get a tiny amount of funding from the Olympic Winter Institute. But winter sports in Australia are poorly funded compared to the Summer Olympic sports and most of that goes to the skiiers and snowboarders, with very little left over for any other sport.

el henry · Jan 31, 2019

karne said:
Who is Beverly?

Funding. What a cute notion!

The Australians all pay their own ways. I believe they get a tiny amount of funding from ISA, and Brendan, Brooklee, Kailani, Katia and Harley, and I think now Chantelle and Andrew too get a tiny amount of funding from the Olympic Winter Institute. But winter sports in Australia are poorly funded compared to the Summer Olympic sports and most of that goes to the skiiers and snowboarders, with very little left over for any other sport.

Beverly is Beverly Zhu, an American who as of this fall ? skates for the Chinese Fed.

Respect for the Australian skaters :rock:

Sam-Skwantch · Jan 31, 2019

karne said:
Who is Beverly?

Funding. What a cute notion!

The Australians all pay their own ways. I believe they get a tiny amount of funding from ISA, and Brendan, Brooklee, Kailani, Katia and Harley, and I think now Chantelle and Andrew too get a tiny amount of funding from the Olympic Winter Institute. But winter sports in Australia are poorly funded compared to the Summer Olympic sports and most of that goes to the skiiers and snowboarders, with very little left over for any other sport.

The results of that funding are certainly paying off big time for this proud Australian.

https://snowboarding.transworld.net/videos/scotty-james-wins-mens-halfpipe-gold-x-games-2019/

Harriet · Jan 31, 2019

karne said:
Who is Beverly?

Funding. What a cute notion!

The Australians all pay their own ways. I believe they get a tiny amount of funding from ISA, and Brendan, Brooklee, Kailani, Katia and Harley, and I think now Chantelle and Andrew too get a tiny amount of funding from the Olympic Winter Institute. But winter sports in Australia are poorly funded compared to the Summer Olympic sports and most of that goes to the skiiers and snowboarders, with very little left over for any other sport.

From what I remember reading on the ISA website, Australian skaters who compete internationally get theirentry fees for each competition reimbursed. There are also a set of incentive payments ranging from $250 for making the Four Continents tech minimums to $5000 for finishing in the top 50% of the free skate at Worlds (previously it was $1000 for making the free skate and $1000 for making the top 50%, but they introduced a new structure this year). No costs covered, not even transport or accommodation. The dAIS funding (Olympics prep) can be up to about $18,000 per six months, but how much you get depends, among other things, on how strong a medal chance you're perceived to be and how much you've earned, on average, during the past four years - not just earned from sport, earned overall.

fzztsimmons · Feb 1, 2019

UK sport cut its funding for British figure skating from £1.2 million to a grand total of £0...
So in the case of Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson, who train at the Montreal school, I believe the costs are being paid for by her family, and I don't even want to think about how expensive that must be...

DSQ · Feb 1, 2019

In the UK it’s a mixture of National Lottery funding, Federation funding and private/charity funding.

In the lottery 50p out of every pound goes into the next jackpot and the rest is given to various charities and government programs including UK Sport who fund elite athletes who have “medal potential”.

British Figure Skating funds travel and hotel costs for skaters from their own revenue streams like money they get from coach qualification courses etc.

There are skaters who are able to fund themselves and certain charities dedicated to funding elite athletes like QTS and Kensington Better Health who partly fund Fear and Gibson.

After Pyongchang British Figure Skating, then called NISA, lost all of it’s funding so now any British skaters you see only are funded in the last two ways.

DSQ · Feb 1, 2019

fzztsimmons said:
UK sport cut its funding for British figure skating from £1.2 million to a grand total of £0...
So in the case of Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson, who train at the Montreal school, I believe the costs are being paid for by her family, and I don't even want to think about how expensive that must be...

Yeah it sucks but I know in the case of the Fear sisters they have a couple of other supporters financially. I feel bad for their family having such a financial burden! It’s skaters like Luke Digby who I don’t know how they fund themselves as he trains in Switzerland but he must somehow!

mishulyia · Feb 1, 2019

I was surprised to read that USFSA paid for Gracie’s mental health inpatient treatment. Then again you think, who supports that USFSA funding? Parents of kids (members) and perhaps some donors? USFSA did receive government money for implementing the SafeSport program.

Hevari · Feb 1, 2019

bigsisjiejie said:
I'm with @Casual on this ^^. If that means US skaters will forever be at a disadvantage against Russia and China, then so be it. The vast majority of the US taxpayers would find it irrelevant to their current and future lives, whether the US wins skating medals or not. Most of the US population thinks its nice when US athletes win stuff, but it's not essential to one's individual or national self-esteem.

Agree with that! Being a great fan of US figure skating (since mid-90-th when I was a 10-year-old-kid who watched Figure Skating Worlds on TV and watched the skaters like Michelle, Jenny - Todd, Kyoko - Jason/John, Eldredge, Goebel, Weiss... and so on) and figure skating in whole I agree with you.

And in my homeland Ukraine the talks goes on and on and on about that the state must fund the sports and arguments are that the sports should be a state propaganda and so on... But I wanna say that I'd better want that the taxes I pay wold be used to bild a new rink in my area for the kids to have place where to skate than for funding our "elite" athletes...

How does funding work for different skaters/countries?

andromache

Casual

Casual

Casual

concorde

Lunalovesskating

Moonbear power 🐻

Lunalovesskating

Moonbear power 🐻

Edwin

СделаноВХрустальном!

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

andromache

Casual

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

Harriet

fzztsimmons

DSQ

DSQ

mishulyia

Hevari

Drivers start your engines!

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