Published: 28 October, 2008, 22:29
Edited: 28 October, 2008, 22:29
A full transcription of RT’s interview with Valentin Piseev, President of the Russian Figure Skating Federation.
RT: It’s 100 years since Russia won its first Olympic gold medal. What’s the legacy of that achievement for Russian athletes today?
Valentin Piseev: On the one hand, of course, it is nice to remember what happened 100 years ago. Naturally, the first gold medal was unexpected – for the athlete himself as well as the whole country. After the competition Panin said that he was leaving London feeling like he had fulfilled his duty. This was said 100 years ago.
If you think of all the victories of Soviet and Russian skaters – this is the most important thing – to fulfill your duty. So every time athletes remembered that very first victory and said practically the same words.
RT: Traditionally, Russia has been very strong in figure skating. Why has there been a decline recently?
V.P.: The late 1980s and 1990s were very hard on us, that was the main problem. Back then Russians did not think about sending their kids to figure skating classes, but were concerned with basic survival. Sports schools for kids were closed, there was almost no financing.
Today’s athletes were born during those years. But in recent years much attention has been paid to sports and a vast amount of funding has been invested – with the personal involvement of the President and the Prime Minister. I think this will bring about positive results. So I am sure this crisis is a temporary thing.
According to official data, 186 Russian specialists work in the United States, 16 in Australia, and that’s only the official statistics. They work everywhere, even in South Africa. Figure skating is a very expensive sport. For example just a costume, especially for dancers, will cost at least 5,000 dollars. Staging a programme costs between 8,000-10,000 dollars.
RT: What about the great work been done at the Novogorsk training facility in the Moscow region?
V.P.: Big thanks are due to the sports centre in Novogorsk. The administration there is very helpful. We never have any problems with them, but that’s not enough. They can’t do much when all kinds of winter sports need to use their facilities.
We need separate facilities: skating rinks with 40-45 centimeter tall sides, then hockey would not be able to use them. Unfortunately, today we don’t have anything of the sort. Until recently there has not been any unified policy as to where to build these facilities. They have been constructed in villages, small towns with no traditions, no coaches. For example, you can raise a skier somewhere where there is snow. Figure skaters are raised where there is a skating culture. It is not an accident that figure skaters from different parts of Russia become Olympic skates in Moscow and St-Petersburg. A skating culture exists is in these big cities. Also there is a need for traditions and coaches. So it is important to build skating rinks where there is tradition.
RT: What can we expect from Russia’s figure skaters in the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010?
V.P.: I am sure we will not be able to repeat Turin’s success at the next Olympics – three gold medals and one bronze. Three times we have taken three out of four Olympic golds. This will not be possible now. Figure skating is very popular in other countries – Japan, Korea, China, not to mention the US and Canada. Huge money is invested. Our sports needs big investments before you can see results. Nonetheless I think we will bring back at least on gold from Vancouver.