America’s task is to destroy Russia: Olympic ice dance icon
Tatiana Navka, a two-time world ice dancing champion, accuses the Americans of aiming to destroy her motherland Russia.
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Olympic ice dance icon Tatiana Navka
Tatiana Navka made the remarks after some American journalists rejoiced over Russia's exclusion from the World Figure Skating Championships. Tatiana Navka, a two-time world ice dancing champion, responded to comments from western journalists over Russia's absence from the ongoing World Figure Skating Championships by declaring that Americans are entrusted with destroying her motherland.
Due to a suspension enforced by the International Skating Union (ISU) in response to Russia's military operation in Ukraine, elite Russian skaters such as Beijing 2022 medalists Kamila Valieva, Anna Shcherbakova, and Alexandra Trusova were unable to compete in the international showpiece in Montpellier this week.
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Christine Brennan, a columnist for USA Today and a frequent opponent of Russia, tweeted "Is there no Russia? What, no China? "No issue," he remarked, adding that "few would miss them." About Russia's absence, a US journalist gloats at the absence of Russian talent. In response to such criticisms, 2006 Turin Winter Olympics champion Navka stated that she believes Western journalists intentionally speak negatively about Russian figure skaters. "Those words say everything," Navka told Sport-Express.
"The task of the Americans is to destroy Russia and China. A strong person would never say that. It's a sport. It seems to me that with this statement she insulted herself and her entire country,” added the 46-year-old, who is married to Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Navka's remark is not the first time renowned figures in Russian skating have addressed western journalists.
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On Thursday, legendary coach Tatiana Tarasova retweeted former Globe and Mail journalist Beverley Smith, who tweeted: "There were no triple Axels to be seen, but what a sane women's event this was, compared to the crazy drama at the Olympics," a clear reference to Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva's alleged doping scandal at the Beijing Winter Games.
"Sigh of relief: no Russian skaters or judges. Love it. It wasn't the skating or sports world that really made this happen: it was the war in Ukraine," Smith crowed. Answering Smith through Sport-Express, Tarasova fired back, "I want to upset Beverley: we will only be gone a year, and we will return with even greater strength."
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On Sunday, the World Figure Skating Championships will come to an end in Montpellier. In their absence, top-level Russian athletes such as Valieva and Shcherbakova will compete in the Channel One Cup on home soil in Saransk, which begins on Friday.
