Pair skating Olympic champion Aljona Savchenko spoke for the first time about her move to the Netherlands. The 38-year-old gave the German Skating Union (ENG) partly to blame for her new engagement as national coach of the Netherlands.
Savchenko: No effort by the ENG
“In contrast to the German association, the Dutch association made me the right offer. A regular income, social and health security, career prospects and social security for my daughter.”Savchenko explained on Tuesday (March 22, 2022) on “eurosport.de”.
Berlin project failed
Last year, plans for an international pair skating project in Berlin were stopped after the DEU had terminated the trainer Alexander König, who was intended to be the head. König led Savchenko to Olympic gold with Bruno Massot in 2018.
Commentator Weiss: “One of the worst defeats”
Sport show figure skating commentator Daniel Weiss was critical of Savchenko’s move to the Netherlands. “The fact that we couldn’t tie Alyona Savchenko for Germany is one of the worst defeats in many years“Weiss said in the Sportschau podcast last week.
Weiss also criticized the fact that the German association largely had to blame itself for the loss of the figurehead in German figure skating. “A figure skater like Savchenko didn’t make millions,” says Weiss. “But she has a job and needs financial assurance. That’s why she struck in the Netherlands. It’s really very sad.”