“Valiyeva became the athlete of the year because people love the show” – Smorodskaya

Figure skater Kamila Valieva became athlete of the year because people love the show, says former Lokomotiv president Olga Smorodskaya .

For the Beijing Olympic champion in figure skating, 7% of those questioned by the VTsIOM voted. Second place was taken by three-time Olympic champion in cross-country skiing Alexander Bolshunov (5%), third was Washington Capitals hockey player Alexander Ovechkin (4%).

Why didn’t you vote for the players in the Athlete of the Year nomination? Now, in public opinion, such an idea has taken root that players do nothing, they just sit and collect money with shovels. I strongly disagree with this opinion. Therefore, they vote for skaters who skate beautifully and are active on social media.

Do figure skating and winter sports dominate football in Russia? Of course not. Now there is a season of winter sports, “Ice Age”, which popularizes figure skating very well in Russia. Figure skating is highly publicized, so people always hear about it. Valieva is a very talented athlete, but she did not achieve any outstanding results. It is easier for figure skaters to earn money on ice shows than to win medals. People love the show, so Valieva is the sportswoman of the year. And football has become boring for people without international tournaments,” Smorodskaya told Sport24.

A source:

Sport24