Oksana Baiul: Ukrainian star still shines, 14 years after triumph

Even 14 years later, Oksana Baiul’s triumph stands out in Ukraine. She is not only the first Olympic gold medalist in independent Ukraine, but remains the nation’s only Olympic gold medalist in female singles figure skating.

If there is justice in the world, the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, provided some – as well as a dose of magic. Baiul, then a 16­year­old figure skater from Dnipropetrovsk with a heartbreaking life story, charmed hearts all over the world with her athletic grace on ice.

By the time she was 13, Baiul had lost her mother to cancer, her maternal grandparents and her first coach moved to Canada, while the Soviet Union – her birthplace – dissolved.

Now 30, she continues to dazzle the world, increasing the visibility of Ukraine along the way, but as a U.S. resident. She is living in New Jersey and training in New York for her role in the Broadway show “Cold as Ice,” which is expected to open in 2010. She also hopes to skate soon for crowds in Ukraine and Russia. And she is writing an autobiography.

For Ukrainians with dimming recollections of a national hero, the Kyiv Post decided to catch up with Baiul and find out what she’s up to, through her words and the words of those close to her.

“Many athletes simply win, but she will remain in the hearts of people forever,” said Nikolai Morozov, Baiul’s coach and choreographer. “She can do everything on ice. A huge responsibility lies with every Olympic champion, as many fans desire to see their idol performing after the competition is over. That’s exactly what Oksana is doing now.”

Anya Zadorozhnyuk, a Ukrainian figure skater who is part of a couple’s team with Sergei Verbillo, is amazed that Baiul keeps such a demanding schedule, even though she long ago made it to the pinnacle of her sport. “She has two full practices per day and keeps herself in great shape,” Zadoroznyuk said.

But nobody tells the Oksana Baiul story like the champion herself:

KP: Oksana, in the 14 years since you dazzled the world with your Lillehammer victory, Ukraine hasn’t heard a lot about its ice princess. Now you have a chance to tell the real story of Oksana Baiul.

OB: I agree, the world has collected many questions about what has been really going on in my life. It’s just about time to answer them. That is why I am writing an autobiography, which is planned to come out in 2010 and will be my gift to the Olympics. I’m working on my second book as well, which is for “skating moms”—parents who spend their days on the skating rink. This book is like therapy to me, because I lost my mother at a very early age. Only later in life did I realize how huge of a shock it was. First, my grandparents died, then I lost my mom to cancer. My first coach emigrated to Canada. All that happened during the tough period of the Soviet Union’s collapse and there was absolutely no one to help me wade through life. I packed my things, threw my skates into a bag and left for Odesa [from Dnipropetrovsk], where coaches Galina Zmievskaya and Valentin Nikolaev took me into their group. Soon I became a part of the national figure skating team and took silver at the Ukrainian and European championships. For Ukraine, as well as for my coaches, it was a huge surprise. By the time we arrived at the World Championship in Prague, I already felt like a very strong athlete, and I won. In the world of figure skating, the person who wins the world championship right before the Olympics becomes a favorite. I burst into the world like lightning. Victory brought me instantaneous fame and the title, “princess of figure skating.” Fairy tales are not possible without princesses, and some American producers invited me to the United States. For the next 10 years, I participated in the tour “Champions on Ice.” For 10 years in a row, we covered more than 110 small and large cities per year.

KP: Do you have any regrets?

OB: I regret that I switched to professional sports [from amateur competitions] so early. When I was 16, 17 and 18, I didn’t understand the gift I had been given from above. I considered the Olympics to be the apex from which there was nowhere higher to jump. Figure skating is the only sport that forbids skaters who have become professionals to switch [back again] to amateur competitions [such as the Olympics and championships]. Maybe if I had remained in Ukraine and hadn’t left the amateur sport, I would have won my second, third, and fourth Olympics. But the absence of decent conditions for figure skating development in Ukraine defined my choice.

KP: What are the major activities you dedicate yourself to now?

OB: The Broadway show “Cold as Ice,” which is expected to come out by 2010, is my life now. It takes time to put together such a grand show. The cast consists of 26 people, when a normal Broadway show takes only about 11 or 12 people. This year we are to present it in Canada, later in Florida. Also, I dedicate myself to the writing of my two books. Other than that, I am preparing for my tour, which will include Ukraine and Russia as well.

KP: Please, tell us about your ties to Ukraine.

OB: When I turned 25, I found the strength to return to Ukraine. Many Russian­speaking people living in the U.S. tried to convince me not to go, but I went anyway. I found my father [who left the family when she was 2], which I’ll never regret. Now that daddy has died, something has made me realize that we do not choose our homeland, and my homeland is Ukraine.

KP: Please, tell us about your Jewish background and charity work for “Tikva” — the children’s home for Jewish orphans in Odesa?

OB: When I was a child, while most kids in my neighborhood would play outside, I used to sit with old grannies and collect rumors. My mom kept saying: “Oksana, please, I am begging you, go and play with your peers instead of listening to old people talk.” But these old people taught me about my background, as they often used to call my granny “zhidovka” [a derogatory term for ‘jewish woman’ in Russian]. Later my father confirmed my Jewish roots. In the United States, I started searching for a way to stay in touch with Ukraine. About three years ago, I joined the organization “Tikva,” whose core mission is to care for the abandoned Jewish children of Odesa. I am on the board of directors and support them financially. A couple of days ago, we had a charity dinner and collected $1.5 million, which will go directly to the orphanages. Every time I visit orphanages, I cry. But these are tears of happiness, because I know I can help these kids, as many helped me throughout life. Still, I am afraid of people, afraid to get too close. It always feels like they will leave me sooner or later.

KP: What about your private life?

OB: My private life has always caused a stir. Everybody thinks I am crazy, insane. But in reality, I just can’t stand the external pressure. It’s not about the money. It’s about the quality of the product. If I want to perform or write a book, I don’t want it to feel manufactured. I want it to include a part of my soul that people can feel. It is essential for me to be a “real” person, in that when I don’t like something, I can always say, “I don’t like this.”

KP: Do you have any intention to start a coaching career?

OB: I am still a skater and practice under a full schedule. Nikolai Morozov is still a coach and dedicates his life to one athlete. I am still skating. It’s almost impossible to combine performing and coaching. I do help other skaters, but it’s never 100 percent assistance, because I am still fully on the ice myself.

KP: Where do you get your inspiration from?

OB: Inspiration as well as talent can be given from only above. That is why even a truly gifted person can not be inspired 24 hours a day. Also, I prefer to work with great professionals, who always demand a lot from you. They all possess incredibly strong personalities and always put pressure on you. I love that. Talent and creativity come from God, but outstanding outcomes require dedication as well. However, all these choices are my choices.

KP: What is the one thing you would like to change in your life?

OB: My lack of patience. I am an incredibly impatient person and every time I have to beg: “God, please, give me patience.” There is an enormous inflow of information and work, so I want everything and immediately. But life doesn’t work like that.

KP: Winning and losing: what advice would you give to our young generation of skaters?

OB: There are no failures. A negative result is also a result. The presence of negative and positive creates the balance. If there are only positive things taking place, later there will be only negative ones. I view negative results as positive, draw conclusions and try to improve next time.

KP: Do you resent your destiny in any way?

OB: I cannot resent it. This is my life. Nothing can always depend on you. All of these 14 years in the U.S., I could have changed my life, but I have not. I feel that many people love me and need my talent. And it always seems as if I haven’t achieved everything yet, there is still so much to accomplish. Sometimes we don’t even know how much we have done for others.

Victory at the Olympics is a huge crown, from which you’ll never escape and which you have to wear with dignity. No matter where and how hard I have tried to hide, I realized that this is my responsibility for the rest of my life. Sometimes, you fall so hard. Then you always get up, and you always move forward.