What do you mean by "release"? The athletes can't pack up and go wherever they please?
Medvedeva's boot problem at Nationals
- Thread starter skateluvr
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What do you mean by "release"? The athletes can't pack up and go wherever they please?
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- Nov 9, 2009
We aren't talking about her past results (except in relation to it making it difficult to get released by Russia if she chooses to go down that road) but what she can do going forward at the major international competitions as of right now she's the 5th best skater in her country which pretty much guarantees that she won't be at those major international competitions.
I'm confused. No one will be skating for Russia in the next Olympics?
Wada recommended banning Russia for another 2 Olympics due to what Wada alleges is more non-compliance, however from what I've heard/read it will be a similar situation to Pyeonchang - clean athletes will be able to compete under the Olympic flag as neutral athletes. I'm sure Russia is appealing it. There's probably a thread somewhere on the Edge about it.
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- Sep 15, 2017
Russia Fed has to give permission for Evgenia or any skater to switch countries. If Russia dont let her go, she cannot go.
In any case, dont think Evgenia will ever switch countries, she's very patriotic.
I don't understand how it's possible. Sounds like slavery. Wow. I didn't know.
So if a skater decides to emigrate, he/she can't skate anymore, unless he/she gets permission from RusFed? No wonder everyone's so patriotic.
Is it the same in other sports?
And ISU supports this. I guess because they're paid by federations?
The federation paid/pays for her training, travel, and equipment. She’s a World and Olympic medalist. Why would Russia release her so she can win medals for another country after they financed much of her success?
(She wouldn’t want to anyway, as many have mentioned).
(She wouldn’t want to anyway, as many have mentioned).
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- Oct 27, 2019
I doubt she would want to switch nor would Russia let her. She placed 5th after the short program. It’s not over. Anything could happen in the long program. But if she remains 5th she will be okay. She knows she needs the harder jumps. But I’ll play hypothetical, and if she gets to skate for any country other than Russia then I hope it’s Canada. She seems to like it there.
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- Sep 15, 2017
<facepalm> Dont you guys follow other sports?
Yes, it is the same for other sports. There's usually also a requirement to wait 2 years before representing the new country.
This was how USA got an Olympic Gold medalist to represent them in badminton.
https://www.teamusa.org/usa-badminton/athletes/Tony-Gunawan
For figure skating, it's been reported the waiting period is shorter, perhaps due to the fact difficulty in finding suitable partners for pairs. It is the same for other sports that have doubles discipline - both partners must represent the same country, so someone has to switch.
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- Mar 14, 2007
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I don’t know about other sports but this is very very common in skating. Keegan Messing could not compete for Canada until US Fed released him. There’s a former Ukrainian skater skating in US Nationals who had to get released by Ukraine. That doesn’t include citizenship issues, although as I understand it that’s only important for Olympics.
Nope. I prefer art.
As I kept seeing American skaters representing many other countries, I assumed switching was no problem. And I could never imagine a federation could just say "no". That's barbaric.
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- Sep 15, 2017
Nope. I prefer art.
As I kept seeing American skaters representing many other countries, I assumed switching was no problem. And I could never imagine a federation could just say "no". That's barbaric.
For state funded sports(ie taxpayers money), the Fed or government paid all that money to develop the athlete and another country snatches them ready made? There'll be public outcry.
In the example I gave,Tony Gunawan was already in his 30s when he switched to USA. He won Olympic Gold for Indonesia, World Championship, etc, etc. Did his duty for his birth country, so to speak.
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But taxpayers don’t fund sports in USA, so that part doesn’t apply.
Where there's a will there's a way. Remember Germany paid France €30,000 for Massot's release in 2015?
Skate Canada could negotiate with RusFed for Medvedeva's release if all parties have the intention. I wish Zagitova could join team Raf and skate for the US if she can no longer get on Russia's worlds and Olympic teams.
Skate Canada could negotiate with RusFed for Medvedeva's release if all parties have the intention. I wish Zagitova could join team Raf and skate for the US if she can no longer get on Russia's worlds and Olympic teams.
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- Oct 23, 2017
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Remember how Bruno and Aljona spent over a year in limbo, with Bruno living on approximately €200 a month, because the French federation didn't initially want to release him and asked the German federation to pay way, way more than €30,000 for his release?
Federations don't have to let skaters go, and they can make life very difficult for skaters who want to change countries without technically doing anything against the rules in an attempt to change their minds.
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- Sep 15, 2017
It applies to Evgenia as she gets Russia Fed funding. And was coaching by a state funded coach for most of her career.
It applied to Tony Gunawan as badminton is at least partially state funded in Indonesia. Indonesia was the one which released him to go USA, not the other way round.
Sitting out a year w/o being paid by either of the federations is a given for any skater who is changing federation.
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- Oct 23, 2017
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No, this was on top of the standard year out of competition (and the €200 per month was while Bruno was still with the FFSG). It took about two years for FFSG to bring their asking price down enough that the German federation would pay it, IIRC, and by then Bruno had already sat out the required year out of international competition and then some, lost his apartment and spent some considerable time basically living on thin air. He got more support from his parents and fiancee than from the federation that allegedly wanted him to stay in France.
Federations do not have to let anyone go, and they can be petty and nasty about it if there are petty, nasty people in charge. I remember hearing about more than one pair skater who's requested release from Russia and just been flatly denied in the wake of Katia Alexandrovskaya switching to Australia and promptly scooping some key junior medals out from under Russia's nose with Harley.
