So much has changed in the world of figure skating, yet the Kamila Valieva situation remains unresolved. Journalist Maya Bagriantseva joins us to break down the latest news in Russian figure skating and preview this week's 2023 ISU Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating. There is much to discuss - is it Ilia Malinin's time to shine? Should the quad axel be worth more? Is anyone challenging Kaori Sakamoto? Will the Kamila Valieva situation ever be resolved? Where is Daniel Grassl and why isn't anyone talking about it? Why must every skater touch the boards? Will Chock and Bates or Gilles and Poirier be victorious? Is there any Russian figure skating drama anymore? We debate it all on the latest edition of 'This and That'.
Links:
2024 4CC
www.usfigureskating.org/sites...
Roca and Sur vs. Punsalan and Swallow:
• Piece on the Relations...
"In January 1990, Sur was taking part in a month-long Russian All-Stars skating tour in the U.S., headlined by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, when he defected to the U.S., on January 24, 1990. He was joined by Elena Krikanova, Igor Shpilband, Veronica Pershina and a tour official. The group moved in with Russian immigrants in Brooklyn and eventually pooled their money to rent a one-bedroom apartment.
Roca/Sur worked together in Detroit and were soon invited to audition for tour organizers and to compete at professional competitions. A year later, the ISU changed its eligibility rules, allowing professional skaters to reinstate as amateurs to compete at the World Championships and Olympics; Sur convinced Roca to return to eligible competition.
The duo choreographed the free dance that Punsalan and Swallow used to win the 1991 U.S. Nationals.
Roca/Sur began competing in the 1992-93 season. They were coached by Sandy Hess in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Roca and Sur won the 1993 U.S. national title. Roca and Sur hoped to win the United States' single berth to the ice dancing event at the 1994 Winter Olympics. To do so, the couple had to not only win the 1994 U.S. national title but also receive accelerated citizenship for Sur due to the Olympics' citizenship requirements.
A Republican Representative and Democratic Senator, both from Colorado, lent their support to speed up Sur's naturalization in Congress. It was argued that his case differed from other athletes because not speeding up the process would hurt an American citizen, Renee Roca. However, their efforts were stymied in late Dec. 1993 when the USOC denied a request for a waiver to the requirement that athletes be citizens by the national championships. Their main rivals for the Olympic spot, Punsalan and Swallow, were involved in a letter-writing campaign to Congress to attempt to prevent Sur from receiving expedited citizenship.
Artem Fedotov:
• Artem Fedotov(2012),1s...
Subscribe to this channel for everything all of your figure skating fan needs.
Access exclusive TSL content (including live shows), listen to audio versions of our latest episodes and support TSL by becoming a Patron: / theskatinglesson
Backpod Posture Correction Device: amzn.to/2NRh8Lx
Dave's Recommended Reading List
Christine Brennan 'Inside Edge' amzn.to/37YV1cN​
Christine Brennan 'Edge of Glory' amzn.to/302NsNL​
Toller Cranston 'When Hell Freezes Over, Should I Bring My Skates: amzn.to/3bX9FCG​
Toller Cranston 'Zero Tollerance' amzn.to/303xrY8​
Dick Button 'Push Dick's Button' amzn.to/3rLS2MD
Joy Goodwin 'The Second Mark' amzn.to/3rbrbsY​
Ekaterina Gordeeva 'My Sergei' amzn.to/3uJ6DKx​
Scott Hamilton 'Landing It: My Life On and Off The Ice' amzn.to/38y9GvV
Gary Mack 'Mind Gym: An Athlete's Inner Guide to Excellence' amzn.to/2NJBhmJ​
Adam Rippon 'Beautiful on the Outside' amzn.to/3bX9abM​
Grigory Rodchenkov 'The Rodchenkov Affair: How I Brought Down Russia's Secret Doping Empire' amzn.to/3uFdqVT​
Joan Ryan 'Little Girls in Pretty Boxes' amzn.to/2NJBhmJ​
Johnny Weir 'Welcome to My World' amzn.to/2Poqv5I​
If you like these videos, please help TSL by shopping with our Amazon Affiliate Program. If you click this think and then purchase anything on Amazon, a small percentage of your purchase will help grow TSL and get you more of the content you love:
amzn.to/2PTTn4h​​​​​
If you're shopping in Canada: amzn.to/2DUmTkP​​​​​
The goal of The Skating Lesson (TSL) is to share our passion and knowledge of the sport with all of you. Whether you call it figure skating, ice skating, Eiskunstlauf, фигурное катание, 피겨 스케이팅, フィギュアスケート, 花样滑冰, 花樣滑冰, patinage artistique, pattinaggio artistico or patinaje artístico, we hope you'll share your passion with us as well.