Kristal Ice Sues Over Insult to Honor | Stepchenko Case

“Kristal Ice” reports that the publicly disseminated information is aimed directly at the club’s coaches and consultants, in that regard Raimo Reinsal, who is one of the most experienced and professionally recognized technical specialists in figure skating – has been working at the Latvian club for 20 years, and his students have achieved high results in international competitions.

The Figure Skating Club emphasizes that due to competition, unethical and even illegal means are often used to indirectly influence athletes and coaches before serious competitions.

“We believe that this is the case, because the chances of the Latvian team at the Milan and Cortina Winter Olympic Games are being deliberately undermined, as the athletes and coaches, after four years of intensive work, are bringing Latvia’s name to the world,” says “Kristal Ice”.

“Caring for the reputation of the figure skating industry and Latvia, “Kristal Ice” does not want to engage in mutual public insults, escalating disagreements between the two clubs that have lasted for many years, but will now be resolved through legal means,” says the figure skating club. “Kristal Ice” promises that a claim against a group of persons for insulting honor and respect will be filed in the law-enforcement institutions in the near future.

It has already been reported that the figure skater Stepchenko and her former coaches Reinsalu and Olga Kovalkova give conflicting views on the accusations of violence.

According to the figure skating portal “anythinggoe.com”, Stepchenko informed the Latvian Skating Association (LSA) in May 2024 that the coaches had been violent towards her for several years. In May last year, she wrote an application to the LSA, and the federation allegedly passed this information on to the police.

Last year, the International Skating Association (ISU) also began to investigate insults against coaches. Despite the investigations, the Estonian Reinsalu was the head of the Latvian delegation at the European Championship held in Sheffield in January.

“Kristal Ice” coaches Reinsalu and Kovaļkova are the coaches of Latvian figure skater Fedir Kuļiš, and their presence is also planned at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in February. Kovalkova is accredited as a representative of the Latvian delegation, while Reinsalu, who also helps Estonian figure skaters, is part of another country’s delegation.

19-year-old Stepchenko, who competed in three world and two European championships, is currently not continuing her sports career after the previous season. In autumn, Stepchenko did not respond to the invitation of the LETA agency to present the circumstances of the case.

Related articles

The police will investigate the possible violence against the figure skater Stepchenko in the criminal proceedings
Media: The police have started an investigation into the violence in the Latvian figure skating club
Figure skating coaches reject accusations: “This is a smear campaign”

Resources used:
LETA / Agency “Repute”